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What's the best spread for baking?


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Old 05-03-2013, 20:47
Iggy's Boy
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In your experience, what's the best alternative to butter for baking a sponge cake in terms of flavour and lightness?

And any special tips for getting a good rise?

Cheers!
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Old 05-03-2013, 21:05
Evilclive
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In your experience, what's the best alternative to butter for baking a sponge cake in terms of flavour and lightness?

And any special tips for getting a good rise?

Cheers!
For me there is no alternative to butter for a basic sponge, so have not tried any other alternative.

For the rise, whip your butter and sugar for ages, lightly fold in your sieved flour. The more you stir your flour the flatter it will be. Its not bread, heh.
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Old 05-03-2013, 21:10
degsyhufc
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Mary Berry was on Food & Drink the other week and she goes with marge. I guess it's from her growing up when butter was too expensive to use.

Also I don't think that 'margarine' is available anymore so I think she meant a spread like Stork.
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Old 05-03-2013, 21:18
Iggy's Boy
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Would using a spreadable butter like Lurpak Spreadable be a good 'best of both worlds' solution?
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Old 05-03-2013, 21:21
Evilclive
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Would using a spreadable butter like Lurpak Spreadable be a good 'best of both worlds' solution?
Well thats just butter and veg oil. Beware low fat spreadable, it contains too much water. Yes, you can use that. Degsy is right too, even though marge does not exist any more because of the trans fats, stork will work.

Are you wanting lower calorie?
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Old 05-03-2013, 21:27
GiraffeGirl
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I've said before on these boards (and people thought I was weird!) but I always use Bertolli. It makes really light cakes and you can't taste it.

Not that I'm deluding myself that it makes the cakes healthy in any way!
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Old 05-03-2013, 21:35
Iggy's Boy
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Are you wanting lower calorie?
No, I just want to make it really light. When I used butter in a recent sponge, it was a bit dense and heavy. But my mum uses marge I think, and her sponges are really light.
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Old 05-03-2013, 21:37
SeasideLady
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Always use Stork if I don't use butter, and it gives very good results.
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Old 05-03-2013, 21:55
Iggy's Boy
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Thanks for your help Seasidelady, EvilClive and others!
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Old 05-03-2013, 21:57
Croctacus
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I don't use butter in a sponge....

Just flour, eggs and sugar. That's really light.
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Old 05-03-2013, 22:08
Iggy's Boy
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I don't use butter in a sponge....

Just flour, eggs and sugar. That's really light.
Don't apply for the Great British Bake-off!
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Old 05-03-2013, 22:13
Tiggergirl
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I tend to use Stork if not using butter when baking.

Although I have been using Aldi's spread (Beautifully Buttery or something along those lines) when doing condensed milk cupcakes recently and they have turned out ok but Stork is my preference especially for sponges etc.
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Old 05-03-2013, 23:40
Croctacus
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Don't apply for the Great British Bake-off!
It makes the lightest sponge cakes going.
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Old 06-03-2013, 00:01
Treble
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I usually always think of Stork when I think about a spread for baking. Whether its the 'best' option or not I'm not sure. But Going by this thread, it seems to be a popular choice!

It makes the lightest sponge cakes going.
How do you make cakes without butter? Do you just follow the recipe and leave out the butter, or is it made another way?
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Old 06-03-2013, 00:14
flower 2
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I usually always think of Stork when I think about a spread for baking. Whether its the 'best' option or not I'm not sure. But Going by this thread, it seems to be a popular choice!



How do you make cakes without butter? Do you just follow the recipe and leave out the butter, or is it made another way?
Mary Berry's fatless sponge

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/furs/imag...468_medium.jpg


Ingredients
4 large eggs
179g castor sugar
56g plain flour
35g cornflour
1 level teaspoon baking powder

Method
1.Preheat oven to 165C/fan, 185C, 350-375F. Line 2 X 8 inch sponge tins
2. Seive the flour, baking powder and cornflour together.
3. Seperate eggs and whisk egg whites until stiff.
4. Whisk in sugar.
5. Whish egg yolks and then add them to the whites, whisk altogether.
6. Fold in flour, cornflour and baking powder and divide between the 2 tins
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Old 06-03-2013, 01:44
Croctacus
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I use 3oz caster sugar, 3 oz self raising flour and 2 eggs. And pretty much do it as above. Cooks at gas mark 5 store about 18 minutes. Total time start to finish is about 25 minutes from the cupboard to done.
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Old 06-03-2013, 08:50
diary_room
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I think Mary Berry suggests a baking spread rather than marge i.e. Stork http://www.bakewithstork.com/Baking-...Best-for-Cakes

but it's mainly because it's trickier getting butter that soft for mixing

She does have one good tip if you are using butter and that is to cut your butter into large chunks and leave it in tepid water for a few mins, then fish them out and dry them - it's a quick way of making it soft and squidgy ready for mixing.
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Old 06-03-2013, 08:58
petit-pois
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Sainsbury's have their own Soft Spread which says on the front "perfect for cooking and baking". I used that the other week to make a cake and it came out really lovely.

I always use butter but the recipe I was following used soft spread, so that's the first time I had used it in a cake before. Is it possible to always use soft spread instead of butter in a cake? How about when making buttercream, or should butter always be used for that?
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Old 06-03-2013, 10:06
diablo
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I think Mary Berry suggests a baking spread rather than marge i.e. Stork http://www.bakewithstork.com/Baking-...Best-for-Cakes

but it's mainly because it's trickier getting butter that soft for mixing

She does have one good tip if you are using butter and that is to cut your butter into large chunks and leave it in tepid water for a few mins, then fish them out and dry them - it's a quick way of making it soft and squidgy ready for mixing.
Chopping it up into a bowl and popping it into the microwave for a few seconds is quicker.
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Old 06-03-2013, 10:39
blossom24
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I've been using Sainsbury's " Butterlicious "

I always use Delia's "all in one" recipe, which includes a teaspoon of baking powder, and the results are always lovely and light.
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Old 06-03-2013, 10:58
diary_room
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Don't keep your sponge cake in the fridge - something I learnt to my cost!

It makes it go all dry and hard.
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Old 06-03-2013, 13:44
wildpumpkin
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Mary Berry's fatless sponge

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/furs/imag...468_medium.jpg


Ingredients
4 large eggs
179g castor sugar
56g plain flour
35g cornflour
1 level teaspoon baking powder

Method
1.Preheat oven to 165C/fan, 185C, 350-375F. Line 2 X 8 inch sponge tins
2. Seive the flour, baking powder and cornflour together.
3. Seperate eggs and whisk egg whites until stiff.
4. Whisk in sugar.
5. Whish egg yolks and then add them to the whites, whisk altogether.
6. Fold in flour, cornflour and baking powder and divide between the 2 tins
Fatless sponges need to be eaten within 24 hours of making.
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Old 06-03-2013, 17:14
GiraffeGirl
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Sainsbury's have their own Soft Spread which says on the front "perfect for cooking and baking". I used that the other week to make a cake and it came out really lovely.

I always use butter but the recipe I was following used soft spread, so that's the first time I had used it in a cake before. Is it possible to always use soft spread instead of butter in a cake? How about when making buttercream, or should butter always be used for that?
I always use Stork for buttercream. The only time I've ever used butter, I wanted to be sick cause it was just too rich! All my work colleagues say they prefer it with the spread because of that.
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Old 06-03-2013, 17:19
Tess-g
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Fatless sponges need to be eaten within 24 hours of making.
Fatless sponges are great for filling with strawberries and fresh cream......and then they don't stand a chance of lasting 24 hrs.

I still buy block Stork for baking. Especially for pastry.
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Old 06-03-2013, 17:42
petit-pois
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I always use Stork for buttercream. The only time I've ever used butter, I wanted to be sick cause it was just too rich! All my work colleagues say they prefer it with the spread because of that.
I think I'll give the soft spread a try tonight then. I always make cupcakes with buttercream using butter in both. So I'm going to use soft spread in the sponge and the buttercream and see how it tastes. I've almost a whole tub of the spread so I may as well give it a go.
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