Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Buttercream
Decorating By Jackie Updated 26 May 2016 , 8:00pm by gfbaby
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Original message sent by jason_kraft
The margarine we use (Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks) has the same water content as butter (20%).
but do most margarine contain more water than butter? There has to be a difference between butter and margarine.
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Original message sent by kazita
but do most margarine contain more water than butter? There has to be a difference between butter and margarine.
Water content should be roughly equivalent for butter and margarine in stick form. "Light" margarine or margarine spreads in tubs will have higher water content.
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Original message sent by jason_kraft
Water content should be roughly equivalent for butter and margarine in stick form. "Light" margarine or margarine spreads in tubs will have higher water content.
Ok so I'm asking what is the difference between butter and margarine in the stick form? There has to be a difference or they would be the same price in the store.
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Original message sent by kazita
Ok so I'm asking what is the difference between butter and margarine in the stick form? There has to be a difference or they would be the same price in the store.
There should be no significant difference in water content since margarine sticks are usually meant for baking. Any price difference will be due to differences in cost from ingredients and/or the manufacturing process itself.
If you're using american buttercream and getting bubbles one trick we use is to use the whip attachment and mix on low speed for 10 minutes. smooth as silk!
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Original message sent by jason_kraft
There should be no significant difference in water content since margarine sticks are usually meant for baking. Any price difference will be due to differences in cost from ingredients and/or the manufacturing process itself.
There's the answer I was looking for better ingredients. ...not like any of this matters in my peticular buttercream mines made with all high ratio shortening.
Ok so I'm asking what is the difference between butter and margarine in the stick form? There has to be a difference or they would be the same price in the store.
Butter comes from a cow.
Margarine is made from plant oils.
That is why the prices are different.
They are formulated with the same water content (give or take a %) so that you can substitute them 1 for 1 in most recipes. Including icing.
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Original message sent by BakingIrene
Butter comes from a cow.
Margarine is made from plant oils.
That is why the prices are different.
They are formulated with the same water content (give or take a %) so that you can substitute them 1 for 1 in most recipes. Including icing.
Why doesn't everyone who uses real butter in their icing just use margarine if they are so much alike ? Or is it like Anna says because Butter is the boss. Is it a comparison like gross greasy crisco to high ratio shortening?..the last question is a rhetorical question.
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Original message sent by kazita
Why doesn't everyone who uses real butter in their icing just use margarine if they are so much alike ? Or is it like Anna says because Butter is the boss. Is it a comparison like gross greasy crisco to high ratio shortening?..the last question is a rhetorical question.
I think it's partially that people are just used to using butter; that's what they know so that's what they use. Margarine also has a negative stigma to some, so even though a margarine-based BC recipe may be equivalent or superior, they will stick to butter so they can advertise that they use "real butter".
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Original message sent by kazita
[quote name="BakingIrene" url="/t/1353/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-buttercream/600#post_7388677"]Butter comes from a cow.
Margarine is made from plant oils.
That is why the prices are different.
They are formulated with the same water content (give or take a %) so that you can substitute them 1 for 1 in most recipes. Including icing.
Why doesn't everyone who uses real butter in their icing just use margarine if they are so much alike ? Or is it like Anna says because Butter is the boss. Is it a comparison like gross greasy crisco to high ratio shortening?..the last question is a rhetorical question.[/quote]
That is exactly it. Crisco vs hi-ratio or margarine bs butter. For icing especially, margarine is a very poor substitute. Maybe it works almost or as well as butter, but for the taste alone, butter is boss. I do use it to give a better flavor to my non dairy icing, but that is the only time it ever steps foot in my bakery. I go through quite a bit of margarine in the house though. It goes on my toast, or grilled cheese, in my vegetables and potatoes, but I use butter for sauces, and when making pastries it is butter or lard. They all have their place, and stay in their place, at my household and bakery.
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Original message sent by jason_kraft
I think it's partially that people are just used to using butter; that's what they know so that's what they use. Margarine also has a negative stigma to some, so even though a margarine-based BC recipe may be equivalent or superior, they will stick to butter so they can advertise that they use "real butter".
It's not because people are used to using butter, it's a superior product to margarine :/ Margarine is coloured and flavoured to imitate butter. They are usually salted and margarine icings are usually also softer at room temperature. Butter is churned from cream, margarine is made in a freaky lab.
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Original message sent by SugaredSaffron
It's not because people are used to using butter, it's a superior product to margarine :/ Margarine is coloured and flavoured to imitate butter. They are usually salted and margarine icings are usually also softer at room temperature. Butter is churned from cream, margarine is made in a freaky lab.
The fact that butter and margarine are processed in different ways does not necessarily make one superior to the other, they both have their place. I'm not sure how the relative freakiness of the manufacturing facility is relevant, or how you would quantify that.
In our experience (and in the experience of our customers) the margarine-based BC recipe we use produced superior results to butter-based BC, but that does not mean margarine is always superior to butter, just that our margarine-based BC recipe was superior to the butter BC recipe (which was still pretty good).
We did not have any issues with temperature sensitivity in our BC until we switched out shortening component from Sweetex to Sweetex Z (which has zero trans fats), so if that is a concern and you cannot use shortening with trans fats you might be better off using butter.
I agree both have their place, if you need a non dairy buttercream then there are some pretty tasty margerines on the market. I just disagree that people use butter because they are used to it, they use it for many other reasons, the most important one is that butter is better in taste, consistency etc.
When it comes to food, I think freakiness is pretty important. I like my food, or at least what I sell as food, to be pretty low on the freakiness scale.
Awesome....can you do that AFTER you whip it or do you have to keep it slow through the whole mixing process from beginning to end?
Is there really a good tasting and easy-to-use fondant recipe out there? I don't like marshmallows so maybe that's the problem. I have tried many recipes that claim to taste good. While they may not be as nasty as Wilton, they have never risen to the level of "good" in my opinion.
Is there really a good tasting and easy-to-use fondant recipe out there? I don't like marshmallows so maybe that's the problem. I have tried many recipes that claim to taste good. While they may not be as nasty as Wilton, they have never risen to the level of "good" in my opinion.
You should start a new thread for this question, as it is really off-topic. But do a search for Michelle Foster's Fondant. I use it exclusively, and love the taste, though I do add more vanilla.
I agree both have their place, if you need a non dairy buttercream then there are some pretty tasty margerines on the market. I just disagree that people use butter because they are used to it, they use it for many other reasons, the most important one is that butter is better in taste, consistency etc.
When it comes to food, I think freakiness is pretty important. I like my food, or at least what I sell as food, to be pretty low on the freakiness scale.
I think it's partially that people are just used to using butter; that's what they know so that's what they use. Margarine also has a negative stigma to some, so even though a margarine-based BC recipe may be equivalent or superior, they will stick to butter so they can advertise that they use "real butter".
It's not because people are used to using butter, it's a superior product to margarine :/ Margarine is coloured and flavoured to imitate butter. They are usually salted and margarine icings are usually also softer at room temperature. Butter is churned from cream, margarine is made in a freaky lab.
Yeah, lol.
The LorAnn oils look like they are made for flavoring candy. Can you use them for flavoring buttercream as well?
Here is the link to the article explaining that technique:
http://cakecentral.com/article10-How-To-Create-Faux-Fondant.html
This link no longer works, and I need all the help I can get. I want buttercream that smooths and stay where I put it.
Are you crumb coating your cake? Try thinning your icing some to see if it spreads easier and stays in place.
Yes, I always crumb coat. My latest frustration--One minute I was merrily using the bench scraper to smooth the sides, and everything looked like the tutorials, the next minute it became so dry it started peeling up. Maybe I am just too slow. I used the Viva towel to smooth, and it looked pretty good. Then, after sitting for an hour in the frige, it bulged at the bottom and some at the top. I was using Edna's Crusting Cream Cheese Buttercream. I don't know if I thinned it too much or not enough.
AI've never used that kind of buttercream but if its coming up off the cake like that I'm thinking it needs to be thinned more so its easier to spread. As far as the bulging goes I'm gonna post a link on here to a thread about how to stop bulging from happening. Hopefully this helps if not let me know and ill try to help you more.
cakecentral.com/t/633571/my-newest-trick
I've never used that kind of buttercream but if its coming up off the cake like that I'm thinking it needs to be thinned more so its easier to spread. As far as the bulging goes I'm gonna post a link on here to a thread about how to stop bulging from happening. Hopefully this helps if not let me know and ill try to help you more.
cakecentral.com/t/633571/my-newest-trick
Ah, so maybe I didn't smoosh the cake enough? I will try this--and thinning the icing.Thank you so much for your help. Will let you know how it turns out.
AI really need help with BC! How do I make it thicker so it won't melt so fast. The humidity is killing my cakes! !!!! HELP! !!!!!!!!!!
Great topic, I never get enough answers on how to make BC. I use water which works as good as milk, the difference is that is you are not using the BC right away use water.
On the other hand I'm sure LorAnn has great flavors but I personally like natural/fresh ones.
Hey.. I have a question... I made a buttercreame frosting with a recipe i found but it was too sweet... And then i looked up other recipes but each and everyone has like 400gr of powder sugar... but it is too much for just 12 cupcakes.. I tasted it and i couldnt eat anything sweet for three days! And i LOVE sweet.. Pleaaase some advice??? :)
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