melted butter or melted shortening?

This is for a chocolate cake.

I'm not sure, but I'd think not. Do you have any canola oil? You can substitute that.

Also, if it's a cake you're making, I think I read somewhere that you can substitute unsweetened applesauce for the oil.

I have substituted softened butter for oil in chocolate cake MIX. It turns out beautifully. I probably wouldn't attempt it on a scratch recipe.

I substituted softened butter. And I also substituted buttermilk for the water.

I have a new recipe! ha ha

YUMMY!

I substitute apple sauce for oil all the time. It does make the cake a bit denser but super moist.

Mayonnaise.
It's primarily oil. You use the same amount of mayo as oil in the recipe. And for the record it doesn't affect the taste.

I've heard mayo makes good cakes. Very moist, just don't know how much you have to use.

VERRRRRY Moist!

And like, I said, since it's mostly oil, you use the same amount as the oil called for in the recipe.

Yes, you can sub melted shortening. My entire life growing up, my mom never bought oil because you could always "make" oil by melting shortening. This is pretty much the only way I ever made ANYTHING that called for "oil" before I started making cakes as a hobby/biz.

I'm sure there's some technical difference, but yeah ... in a pinch, you can melt the shortening and use that.

This is why I love cakecentral!! You get some great tips!! I might try the mayo one time, just to check it out, would I need to use a full fat mayo or can I use a lighter version?

I think low fat mayo is a travesty. You'd want the full fat mayo though.

I use Mayo for ALL my cakes...... the low fat doesn't quite "get it".......

Why eat cake if you want low fat? Why make it low fat if you want cake? Eat a carrot for cryin' out loud, but don't defile the cake!

That's cause you're denying yourselves. It's like me with budgeting for shoes. If I say, "Oh, I'm not gonna buy shoes for a whole year" you'll catch me at the mall one day od'ing in a shoe store. I have to set aside a time where I can go and buy shoes, that gives me my fix and I don't go overboard when I get around a nice pair of shoes.
Make a cake...a real cake, not a punk cake with low fat stuff...and slowly savor it. Then you'll have your fix and you'll be good! Sorry to hijacK!