I've heard that hi-ratio shortening is better to use than Crisco when making buttercream. How is hi-ratio shortening different than vegetable shortening? Can I use it in the place of vegetable shortening in my cake batter as well?
Hmmm I'm no expert on the subject, but I found this answer online:
Hi ratio shortening sold by Proctor and Gamble to professional chefs comes in two forms that I'm aware of, liquid called Nutex and solid called Sweetex. Regular shortening is called Primex. The difference between it and regular shortening is that it contains microemulsifiers that allow a batter to hold more sugar and liquid. Most cakes will always have more flour than sugar, but one with more sugar than flour is a high ratio cake. This kind of batter will also hold more liquid, and we all know the two cheapest things a baker can sell are air and water. Look at the label on a can of crisco-- see that.. it says mono- and diglycerides. Those are microemulsifiers. So I'd say depending at what you are doing with it, you might get away with substituting. Except for Nutex. I don't think crisco can fill in for that in a cake. And if you find some, I have formulas. Surprisingly, P&G won't give you any
Source: http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3501
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