Butter Versus Shortening, Pros And Cons
Decorating By goodcakefairy Updated 7 Dec 2005 , 4:48pm by Nitu
I would like to buy hi-ratio shortning at sams club,
If I buy the 50# am I able to say break it down to smaller packages,seal it in food saver bags and freeze it?
That is an excellent question. You know, I don't think you should freeze shortening, but to tell you the truth that is just a guess on my part. I haven't heard of anyone doing so, I suspect the shortening would separate, particularly this one because of the ingredients of soy and palm oil etc.
A lot of people on various sites, share 50 pound containers, so I suspect there is a reason for it. Normally something like this has a fairly long shelf life if kept in a cool dry place. I am guessing but I would say perhaps 6 months up to one year. But shortening no matter what kind, will also go rancid eventually.
I do not refrigerate shortening because I find it makes it dry, unlike lard which refrigerates.
I was unable to find out anything from a search and I would think that contacting the manufacturer would be your best bet. Sorry, this isn't available here in Canada, so I am unable to find out anything here.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
OK Squirrelly Cakes because you were soooooooo
nice in helping me before with a question and looks like you are a pro at cakes (pic. are beautiful)
have you ever done all butter ? like 1lb butter and 1lb cricso would be the norm, what about 2lb of butter. Would that taste ok? Thanks for your time or help, anyone else who has advise. 
I did a pretty simple experiment last night. I did a batch of class BC and class BC with 1/2 crisco and 1/2 butter (white Challenge butter) to compare the crusting. To me, they crusted exactly the same. FYI
Ok, so I'm not crazy. It is the pwd sugar that makes the frosting crust. Thanks! 
OK Squirrelly Cakes because you were soooooooo
nice in helping me before with a question and looks like you are a pro at cakes (pic. are beautiful)
have you ever done all butter ? like 1lb butter and 1lb cricso would be the norm, what about 2lb of butter. Would that taste ok? Thanks for your time or help, anyone else who has advise.
It will taste great but it will be harder to work with. So while it will be fine for flat icing the cake, it will be difficult to make some decorations with mainly because of our hand heat. Butter has a much lower melting temperature and this is where the issue comes from. There is also a difference in moisture content.
Hugs Squirrelly
I did a pretty simple experiment last night. I did a batch of class BC and class BC with 1/2 crisco and 1/2 butter (white Challenge butter) to compare the crusting. To me, they crusted exactly the same. FYI
Well I don't use water as the liquid in the half butter, half shortening recipe, I use some whipping cream and whole milk to thin and perhaps that is the difference. But I would say that the class buttercream crusts and the half butter, half shortening sets. Just a slight technical difference but a difference in how they set up. But most definitely they both set unlike the Whimsical Bakehouse Buttercream which doesn't really crust because of the high ratio of fat to sugar.
But I find using my recipe I get much the same effect as you would with a rolled buttercream, in fact if I limit the liquid it behaves pretty much the same way for smoothing.
But regardless, with meringue powder or not, with half butter or with all shortening, all of these icings when the ratio of sugar is higher to the ratio of fat, these will set up and allow you to smooth them.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
What I used last night was the class recipe with half white Challenge butter and half Crisco, whole milk instead of water, 1 tsp vanilla, 10 drops of Lorann, meringue powder, and no salt. I was able to smooth it using the paper towel method without any sticking. That's why I said that it had crusted. I thought it would have to be pretty crusty to stand up to paper towel smoothing. Maybe that is just a good set and not a full crust. I don't know.
Haha, well I don't use the meringue powder and though it isn't the reason icing crusts it does have a stabilizing effect, so it may well make a difference in feel. Haha, I say set for this half butter recipe rather than crust, because it doesn't really get that same drying effect that you get with the all shortening and water recipe. There is a different feel to it even though both recipes will set up enough to use a paper towel for smoothing. Unlike the Whimsical Bakehouse Buttercream icing that sort of behaves like whipped cream would, when you place your paper towel on it, it sticks to the paper towel and comes off.
The all shortening with water recipe gets an actual crust on the outer part but stays soft underneath. Whereas the half butter half shortening recipe doesn't get this crust but becomes similar to a rolled buttercream.
Very high tech, not, haha!
Hugs Squirrelly
... I use some whipping cream and whole milk to thin and perhaps that is the difference.
SquirrellyCakes, Do you mean you use 1/2 cream and 1/2 milk for the amount of liquid you need? Or that you use the same amt of cream for the required liquid and then if you need it to be thinner you add milk?
I want to try using milk and cream instead of water, but I'm not sure of the amounts 
Is there anything else that needs attention paid to it when using milk and/or cream instead of water? I mean, does it change anything besides adding extra fat and flavor so I have to modify elsewhere, too to keep the balance correct? I feel like I need a science refresher course 
... I use some whipping cream and whole milk to thin and perhaps that is the difference.
SquirrellyCakes, Do you mean you use 1/2 cream and 1/2 milk for the amount of liquid you need? Or that you use the same amt of cream for the required liquid and then if you need it to be thinner you add milk?
I want to try using milk and cream instead of water, but I'm not sure of the amounts
Is there anything else that needs attention paid to it when using milk and/or cream instead of water? I mean, does it change anything besides adding extra fat and flavor so I have to modify elsewhere, too to keep the balance correct? I feel like I need a science refresher course
Haha, not science, ewwwhhh!
I use the following:
1/2 cup salted butter, you can use unsalted
1/2 cup high-ratio shortening, or Crisco
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla, I use pure brown vanilla but you can use artificial if you want
5 cups, sifted before I measure, powdered sugar
2 tbsp. unwhipped whipping cream
whole milk to thin
Using the paddle, I whip butter on low until really soft. Then I add shortening again on low until well combined. Then vanilla, again on low. Then I add one cup of powdered sugar at a time, beating on low until well incorporated, scraping sides of bowl as I go. Then I add the whipping cream again on low. This gives you stiff buttercream, too stiff for your roses, but just the right stiffness to do a stiff buttercream dam. Then I add about 2 tsp. of milk at a time until I get the various stiffness I need. I must admit, that for other than roses and sometimes even for them, I pretty well use the same thinness of icing to flat ice the cake and to pipe with. Some people cannot make good roses with this icing and instead make up a small batch of class icing to decortate with.
I used to use all whipping cream, but found it trapped too much air in the icing, so I switched to part cream, part milk. I only beat until the icing is well incorporated, which is a very short time, I do this to avoid adding a lot of air to the icing.
Hugs Squirrelly
Squirelly, what is the brand of high ratio shortening you use and where do you pick it up? And how does the price compare to regular shortening?
Thx!
Haha, the only high ratio shortening I can get my hands on easily, without having to send away, is the one that they sell at the Bulk Barn. It is usually off to the side and they have it in huge pails and you measure out what you need into containers. Shoot, don't have a sales slip handy at the moment to give you the price, but it is more costly than Crisco but not as expensive as the Sweetex that everyone likes so much. ( I am thinking about $2.99 a kilogram, but that could be off.) I do not bake with it, recipes would have to be adjusted because of the difference in how it absorbs liquids etc. I strictly use it for icing. I started off only using it for the Whimsical Bakehouse Icing and now use it for my regular icing.
Hugs SQuirrelly
Haha, well I hope you like it, otherwise keep trying until you find one that you like the taste of and you like working with. It is somewhat a bit of a crap shoot, but eventually everyone finds one they like.
Hugs Squirrelly
For those who use milk, how long can the buttercreamed cake stay out on the counter or better said- out of the fridge?
What is the highest temperature you've kept the buttercream with milk?
Thanks.
SquirrellyCakes
I will try your recipe because of whipping cream. In fact I was searching butter cream with whipping cream recipe. I just love whipped cream.
Thanks for shearing with us.
citrusgirl
I made butter cream with milk, it tests well and I think its stay in the fridge for 2 weeks or more.
If you can use water instead of milk it will go for long.
Thanks
Nitu
I refrigerate when it goes over 75F, It is fine to about 83F. I think the exact temperature that butter melts at is about 82.4 whereas shortening melts between 89 and 99F.
That is why the heat of your hands can effect a buttercream that is made solely out of butter.
You must always take the humidity factor into consideration if a cake is to be outdoors.
I have a constant room temperature of 70F and have kept a buttercream iced cake on the counter for 4-5 days which is longer than the Wilton recommended time of 2-3 days. But then, I would only keep a cake that long for my use.
In a commercial bakery you would not be able to do this, the regulations are much stricter, likely due to the fact that most commercial bakeries are not air-conditioned or do not maintain such temperatures.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
Hi - Newbie here - I'm reading all these posts and wondering if I'm the only one who uses Wilton Butter Extract with all shortening to get the butter flavor? It doesn't taste too Crisco-y and I always get compliments on it. Since I make alot of cakes in the summer, I choose not to use all butter because of spoilage. Thanks for all the great tips on this board!
Dee
Well Dee, I don't use it but lots of folks here do. I personally don't like the taste of it but then, I don't like artificial vanilla either. But many folks like and use both.
Hugs Squirrelly
Hi & Thanks for your reply! And here I was thinking I was stating something original ..... 
I love the real butter Buttercream, but as I said, I can't use that for my summer cakes. My son's b'day is next week - maybe I'll try it again for that cake. Thanks again for the reply and all the great info here!
Dee
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%