Baking question: margarine or butter?

sarah_elton

I use butter. I like the taste, plus OH has coeliacs so I'm gluten-free baking already. Just on principal I want a 'proper' ingredient included in there.

Frugalista

I read somewhere that you can use pureed prunes (or apples) instead of fat in cakes. Has anyone tried this? I'd be really interested in the apple puree option - use up all those windfalls. Anyone?

moanymoany

I rarely bake but always have value butter in for when I do.

I understand the worry about saturated fats, but I worry more about transfats. It seems to me to be difficult to discover which have them and which doesn't.

I would welcome manufacturers saying 'no trans fats' on the packs.

Anyone remember 'Echo' marge which was made for cooking - my mum gave me that to eat! :eek:

recovering_spendaholic

I use Stork, which, doesn't, I believe, have any hydrodgenated fats in it and it tastes okay in everything except shortbread, fudge or anything which "needs" to taste buttery IYKWIM. A note of caution about lower fat spreads - I made some flapjacks and twinks hobnobs yesterday with Clover lighter (on offer ATM - half price) and they were not nice! They went all wet and crumbly when baked - waste of stuff really although we will eat them eventually!

Pitlanepiglet

I'm sure this has been done before but I can't find a previous thread.

I always bake using butter but as it's my birthday coming up and our work department is bigger than ever I'm considering using Stork (or something else?) for my birthday cakes to save some money (mine is currently in Iceland so every penny does count)

Will I notice a big difference in taste? Whenever I take cakes into work people always comment that they can "taste the butter" and I don't want to disappoint my colleagues.

Can someone who uses butter and marg let me know if they notice much difference?

Thank you!

wendy+5

I've been using value butter. It's fine, haven't noticed a difference in taste. Can't get unsalted value though.

Pink.

Hi Pitlanepiglet,

It has indeed been done before.:) So I've added your thread to the previous one to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

Pitlanepiglet

Fab thanks Pink :T

janejustjane

Until recently i have always used Tesco basics butter for baking cakes, puddings etc. But now I am looking for a cheaper alternative. At the moment I am using half butter to half Tesco Baking marg. Although the texture is OK, the taste is disappointing. There is a bewildering array of I can't believe it's not butter-type products, and I wondered what other people used.

Pink.

Hi jane,

This earlier thread will give you some idea of what others use:

Baking question: margarine or butter?

I'll add your post to that one later to keep the suggestions together.

Pink