A shortening is defined as a fat, solid at room temperature, which can be used to give foods a crumbly and crisp texture such as pastry. Examples of fat used as “shorteners” include butter, margarine, vegetable oils and lard.
We bet you're wondering, “since both are made with vegetable oil, is margarine shortening?” They're similar, but not the same. The difference between margarine and shortening is that shortening contains 100% fat and zero water.
“Shortening” actually refers to all fats and oils, but what we're talking about here is hydrogenated vegetable oil shortening (such as Crisco). This kind of shortening is typically made from soybean, cottonseed, or palm oil.
As a general rule, yes, you can substitute vegetable oil for shortening in cakes. If you substitute oil for shortening, it's good to consider the instructions for your specific layer, sheet, pound, or bundt cake recipe, then go from there.
If a recipe calls for melted shortening, vegetable oil is a good swap. Just don't use vegetable oil as a shortening substitute in recipes like pie dough, biscuits, or scones—you won't get pockets of fat, so the dough won't puff up properly.
Which Shortening Is Best For Baking? The best way to produce flaky results is to use lard, which was originally shortening before hydrogenated vegetable shortening was invented. In a smaller amount, you can use 1 cup of shortening instead of 2 tablespoons.
The main difference between lard and shortening is what they're made from—lard is made out of animal fat while shortening is made from hydrogenated vegetable oil. Lard: Lard is a semi-solid cooking fat made from pork fat.
1:1 ratio
In general, you can use a 1:1 ratio when substituting butter in place of shortening. Making this substitution may slightly alter the texture of your baked goods. Why? Shortening is solid, 100% fat.
Butter adds important fat and flavor to recipes it's used in; it contains 80 percent butterfat and about 20 percent water. Shortening, on the other hand, is all fat, no flavor. It's typically made with vegetable oils and used for its ability to help baked goods retain shape while staying soft.
The product was developed back in 1933 and became popular for use in their recipe for Chocolate Crackles. Chocolate Crackles are a refrigerated treat similar to Rice Crispy Treats in the U.S. but use Copha in place of margarine or butter plus they include cocoa powder and shredded coconut.
Butter contains 80% butterfat and about 20% water (naturally occurring). Shortening is 100% hydrogenated vegetable oil and contains no water. There is a slight difference in the way baked goods turn out, depending on if you use butter or shortening.
If your recipe calls for 1/2 cup of shortening, you could substitute 1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon of margarine instead. It's pretty simple, just remember to add a little extra margarine to give you the most similar results. If you're baking, using margarine as a substitute is our closest recommendation.
Though results may vary, you should use triple the amount of baking powder that you would use of baking soda. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, use 3 teaspoons of baking powder as a replacement.
To substitute shortening with oil is a 3 (oil) to 4 (shortening) ratio. Since the recipe asks for 3/4 cup shortening you will need 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of oil.
It is made by hydrogenating (adding hydrogen to) vegetable oil, such as soybean or cottonseed oil. Vegetable shortening is solid at room temperature, resembling the texture of butter but with virtually no flavor or odor.
7 Healthy Substitutes for Lard
Aug 31, 2021
The difference between lard and vegetable shortening is that lard is made of pure animal fat and shortening is made of vegetable oil. When vegetable shortening was invented in 1911, it was very appealing because it was affordable and shelf stable.