Ok, I'm A Butter User Now~

Decorating By flayvurdfun Updated 8 Apr 2005 , 9:17pm by GHOST_USER_NAME

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flayvurdfun Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 9:20am
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OK... I have always used margarine (blue bonnet) for my buttercream icing...it had a great taste and everyone loved it. Well, I went to our commissary to get the stuff I needed for the baby bootie cupcakes, and they actually had stick land o lakes butter. I said what the heck I will try it. WOW WOW WOW WOW what a tremendous difference. I now know the reason why I had to keep putting my margarine made frosting bags in the fridge to get the firmness....its the margarine....well with the butter made frosting, even when it got "warm" it came out great...and the taste was different. I didnt think it had much of a difference until this morning after it sat over night .... its great! So yeppers I will only use butter for my frosting....I may even have to start using it on toast to see if the taste has changed since my earlier years......

72 replies
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PureShugga Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 10:20am
post #2 of 73

Hmmmm interesting! I only use Blue Bonnet sticks - but next time I will pick up some land o lakes!

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chixbaby27 Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 12:37pm
post #3 of 73

So far all I've used is the Wilton Buttercream (with the shortening)...I'd like to try a recipe using butter, so I'm glad you mentioned this. All I use at home is the Blue Bonnet sticks as well.

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~Juli

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cakelady1994 Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 12:46pm
post #4 of 73

i always use butter.i think it crust coats better with butter. icon_smile.gif

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AgentCakeBaker Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 12:54pm
post #5 of 73

I've always use shortening too. I just bought some Land O Lakes butter on sale for $2.82 and will definitely try this in my buttercream icing.

Do you use salted or unsalted for buttercream icing?

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Mchelle Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 1:13pm
post #6 of 73

I always use unsalted butter. Since I have it on hand for baking I use the same. Some people put salt in their buttercream, but I don't like the taste. The salt (to me) is very strong. I really like the taste of land o lakes, but the walmart brand will do in a pinch (tastes pretty much the same and less $$)

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cakelady1994 Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 1:14pm
post #7 of 73

i use salted.cause the all they sale around here!

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m0use Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 1:18pm
post #8 of 73
Quote:
Originally Posted by AgentCakeBaker

I've always use shortening too. I just bought some Land O Lakes butter on sale for $2.82 and will definitely try this in my buttercream icing.

Do you use salted or unsalted for buttercream icing?



It's really up to personal preference whether you use salted or unsalted. I personally use salted, I think unsalted butter is just plain gross. I always use butter for everything, I never use margarine- I think it's just gross. We don't use a lot butter in our everyday living, except for when I do cakes.

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AgentCakeBaker Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 1:36pm
post #9 of 73

I can't wait to try my recipe using butter. I'm very excited now. I can already taste it! icon_smile.gif

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msmeg Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 1:56pm
post #10 of 73

I am odd ball out here I grew up with a milk allergy so I ate Margarine when the world ate butter

Still prefer the taste but I will try the butter instead of margerine currently I use part margarine and part crisco

but then what do I know I like to eat frozen coolwhip! tastes like the icecream I had when I was little and prefer coolwhip over whipped cream on my pie

My sister says I have no taste!

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flayvurdfun Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:18pm
post #11 of 73

what I had was salted...the recipe I used was wiltons bc recipe, I just used the real butter instead of blue bonnet....in fact I just got back from the class I made the baby booties for and there were 2 people there that had tasted the bc recipe with margarine...they were thinking it was the same when they seen it was me who made the cupcakes, and when they bit into them they said, "kandi your frosting just gets better and better, what kind is this?" >>> SO use the wilton bc recipe if you want just replace the margarine with butter!!!! My next BC will be cali4dawns....I just wanted something I knew I could handle this time.....

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AgentCakeBaker Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:21pm
post #12 of 73

So do I use 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 cup salted butter or do you use all butter?

If you use all butter does it crust well?

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cakeconfections Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:23pm
post #13 of 73

I always use butter if I am using it in my frosting. I will however use blue bonnet or other types in cookies and such.

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flayvurdfun Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:26pm
post #14 of 73

Yes its 1/2 and 1/2 just like you have...I used 1 box of dominos 10x sugar, 1/2 cup crisco (crisco sticks) 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 3 Tbsp milk.... I was so impressed that I didnt have to keep throwing it in the fridge!! Made it easy for me!!!!!!

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AgentCakeBaker Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:29pm
post #15 of 73

Can the cake w/ this buttercream recipe be left out in room temparture (boxed of course)?

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chixbaby27 Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:30pm
post #16 of 73

I will definitely be trying that for class tomorrow night...half butter and half crisco. Easy enough!

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flayvurdfun Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:30pm
post #17 of 73

mine were...I think it kind of changes things once it has been mixed and stuff...never had a problem with anything...knock on wood

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m0use Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:31pm
post #18 of 73
Quote:
Originally Posted by AgentCakeBaker

Can the cake w/ this buttercream recipe be left out in room temparture (boxed of course)?



Yes it can. The sugar acts as a perservative.

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Mchelle Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:35pm
post #19 of 73

Agentcakebaker, try cali4dawn's recipe. It's delicious and no holes in the frosting. It crust very nicely too!

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1602-28-ButterCream-Icing-for-Frozen-Transfers.html

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flayvurdfun Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:39pm
post #20 of 73

Yeah I cant wait to use cali4dawns....but this crusts well too!!!!

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AgentCakeBaker Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 2:49pm
post #21 of 73

Ok guys, I will try both since I have a large project coming up this week and next week. I can't wait. Thanks for all the info and help!

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diane Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 4:23pm
post #22 of 73

agentcakebaker, i love that avatar! icon_lol.gif did lisa get that one for you??

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MindiBrad Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 4:44pm
post #23 of 73
Quote:
Originally Posted by AgentCakeBaker

Can the cake w/ this buttercream recipe be left out in room temparture (boxed of course)?




FYI - covered, butter can ALWAYS be left out on the counter (except if you don't have air conditioning and it is really hot)

We keep out butter out on the counter so that whenever we need it, it is always soft and spreadable. We used to have it just in a butter dish, but I recently bought a butter bell and I just LOVE that.

As for the salted/unsalted debate <grin>......I can't stand the taste of unsalted for use on bread and potatoes, but only use unsalted when cooking. I haven't used margarine for 15 years!

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AgentCakeBaker Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 5:07pm
post #24 of 73

Yes Diane. Lisa is the Queen. She was very helpful.

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tcturtleshell Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 11:18pm
post #25 of 73

Flayvurdfun...

I'm glad you finally tried Land O Lakes butter. That is the only butter I use. I use the salted. I also use one of calidawn's icings but that one calls for 1 1/2 cups butter & (if I could find the recipe) 2 cups crisco. It makes a double batch. You add everything that the recipe you have. I add meringue powder because nothing is crusting here in La!!!!!!!!! Using butter is soooo tasty!! Glad you liked it!!!!

~TC~

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GHOST_USER_NAME Posted 5 Apr 2005 , 11:31pm
post #26 of 73

I haven't bought margarine in at least 20 years... I am a butter freak!!

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m0use Posted 6 Apr 2005 , 1:44am
post #27 of 73
Quote:
Originally Posted by cali4dawn

I haven't bought margarine in at least 20 years... I am a butter freak!!



"She's a butter freak, butter freak....butter freak, butter freak...yeah she's alright..."
icon_lol.gif So am I, so am I.

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veejaytx Posted 6 Apr 2005 , 2:51am
post #28 of 73

Well, I'm convinced, and it will be butter from now on! I've been using the LOLakes tub for eating...stick margarine for baking, but if you all say "butter" I'll have to say "Parka..." no, that's not right, I'll say "butter"
too!
Janice

Agent Baker, I think your avatar is great too, Lisa is a marvel!

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flayvurdfun Posted 6 Apr 2005 , 5:20am
post #29 of 73

that is a mighty cute avatar!

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SquirrellyCakes Posted 6 Apr 2005 , 5:39am
post #30 of 73

I use half butter half shortening and I use 5 cups, sifted before you measure, icing sugar, 1- 1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla, 2 tbsp. unwhipped whipping cream and then thin with whole milk. I found by adding the extra cup of icing sugar, that the icing was less affected by the heat of my hands. I switched to part cream and part whole milk, because I found the icing incorporated more air with using all whipping cream. If you are switching to half butter than you will likely find that using whole milk or cream or a mixture of both, will give you a much better result than using water as your liquid. Aways beat a recipe like this on low power, starting by softening your butter on low before adding your shortening. This gives you a better result.
Some of you may find that it is easier to make your leaves and roses with the all shortening recipe than it is with the recipe using half butter.
Regarding salted versus unsalted, well generally salted butter has a longer shelf life, which is likely why Wilton says that icing made with the butter and cream or milk, is good at room temperature for 2-3 days, but actually they give the same time frame for all shortening icing.
The 2-3 days, though, is generally the recommended length of time to keep salted butter at a room temperature of less than 75F and is likely what they base the estimate on.
Generally, you do get a longer room temperature shelf life with the salted butter because the salt works in addition to the sugar, as the preservative. I find it is more like 5-6 days. The icing can be refridgerated, according to Wilton, for up to 2 weeks, again make sure that the best before dates for your milk, cream and butter, are well within this timeframe. I generally prefer to have the icing refridgerated for up to a maximum of 1 week before using it to ice a cake.
I have never used margarine in icing but I do use it in some cookies, but I only cook with hard margarine, the kind that comes in squares as the moisture content of tub margarine is not meant for baking and such. Generally, you should not subsitute margarine in your baking unless the recipes say you can. Why? Well margarine is affected by oven temperatures and generally was not designed for baking, especially for longer periods of time. It has to do with the effect of the heat on the break down of margarine and what happens to this margarine in the chemical relationship to the other ingredients.
Here in Canada, commercial bakers can purchase specific Baker's margarines that are each developped for a different baking purpose.
Regular domestic margarine was developped as a cheaper alternative to butter, during the depression. That is why many older cookbooks call for margarine.
I grew up with both and find that your tastebuds adjust once you get used to either one. When you are used to margarine, well butter can taste sour. When you get used to butter, well margarines can have a funny sweet taste. When you are used to unsalted butter, salted will taste noticably salty and vice versa.
One warning when switching to a icing that uses half butter, is that the melting temperature is much lower than that of shortening so this may indeed be a factore when you are making a cake that will be outside or inside on a hot day.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes

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