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Baking with Stork instead of Butter

(88 Posts)
G1asgowgal Thu 03-Jun-21 16:25:25

Advice required please
I’ve been baking for years but recently I’ve been using flora original and my cakes have turned out a bit greasy I think.
So should I be using butter as some of my friends do or Stork just like my mum did. And if you think Stork please tell me what one is best for sponges, block or soft spread.

JdotJ Sun 06-Jun-21 11:02:24

Butter every time for me.
My mum used Stork back in the day, as well as Blue Band margarine!
Who remembers that?

JayPea Sun 06-Jun-21 11:09:20

When making a sponge cake i always find Stork gives a much lighter textured cake than butter. but things like shortbread - it has to be butter, proper muffins - oil. So horses for courses i would say.

Bazza Sun 06-Jun-21 11:33:05

Always butter for me. My friend used to used Blueband, I don’t think it’s still available but the main ingredient was deodorised fish oil. Bluuurgh ?

Candelle Sun 06-Jun-21 11:44:00

I generally bake using butter for a better flavour but have two recipes for cakes made with oil and they always bake perfectly.

If anyone could tell me how to swap butter for oil in recipes, I would be grateful. Is there a formula?

However, I recently entertained someone who was lactose intolerant and needed some extra baking recipes so baked with Stork which had no lactose (some margarines do). I was pleasantly surprised with the results. I couldn't tell the difference and my guests asked to take some home with them!

Incidentally, I am happy to provide recipes for ginger and honey cakes, the two I have for baking with oil.

SecondhandRose Sun 06-Jun-21 11:47:39

Ive never bought Stork. I just buy whatever’s on offer and suitable for baking. Usually Flora.

HannahLoisLuke Sun 06-Jun-21 12:13:31

I always used butter for making cakes, including sponges.
Recently though I didn’t have enough butter so used Stork from a tub. The result was a sponge as light as a feather, much better result than with butter. I still use butter for rich fruit cakes though.

Paperbackwriter Sun 06-Jun-21 12:19:37

Buttermilk in Stork? I understood it was vegan and I've been using it when making cakes that our vegan soon-to-be daughter in law can eat. Eek!
(Normally I'd use butter, always at room temp)

Davida1968 Sun 06-Jun-21 12:21:47

Always butter. (Gave up on using any margarines for anything, years ago.) I don't bake often (to avoid weight-gaining in eating the results!) but I like the taste of butter in baked items.

Paperbackwriter Sun 06-Jun-21 12:24:08

Well that is odd - I just looked up various vegan sites and they all said Stork is 'vegan friendly' and yet.. the buttermilk.. I shall go away now and not over-think it. It's enough of a right royal pain having to find things I can make that don't involve eggs..

Goingtobeagranny Sun 06-Jun-21 12:27:42

Stork (tub) is better for cakes, lighter and less greasy than butter and they stay fresh for longer.

dragonfly46 Sun 06-Jun-21 12:44:25

I have always used Stork. I use it for sauces as well as butter burns too easily.

Notright Sun 06-Jun-21 13:13:45

Look up on the internet what margarine consists of, you'll never use it again.

Kryptonite Sun 06-Jun-21 13:20:26

Always used Stork (as did mum) for all baking including specialist cakes and buttercream. Then I discovered butter and made a very special cake with it. Found it to be a richer more satisfying (and robust) sponge. The buttercream is also great, though stiffens up quite quickly. Adding vanilla essence to cake mixture/buttercream is delicious. Some people combine butter with stork for the consistency they want. Advantage of tub Stork is that doesn't need to be softened first and so saves time. Have tried melting butter in a saucepan and seems to work ok in cake mix. Tasting the raw mixture is the bit I enjoy most!

EllanVannin Sun 06-Jun-21 13:26:39

Lurpak for everything.

Betty18 Sun 06-Jun-21 13:27:12

I always use stork and do a lot of cakes for birthdays etc. Today by chance I had to use butter and it was fine but you have to get it to the right temp. Stork is great,straight from the fridge.

dragonfly46 Sun 06-Jun-21 14:18:15

Notright have looked up the ingredients and can't see why I shouldn't use Stork.

Kaggi60 Sun 06-Jun-21 14:26:23

I use stork what I buy from Lidl what is in a tub but it does about 2 cakes

Harmonypuss Sun 06-Jun-21 15:10:37

My son did a baking qualification and went on to do his degree in food research and development.

His advice is exactly as I've always baked ...

Always use butter, wherever possible unsalted, but if you can't afford it, go for something along the lines of 'I can't believe....' (I've always used the Asda or Tesco own version of these). Flora, for some reason, always leave a greasy residue and stork/any old fashioned margarine even moreso.

LadyStardust Sun 06-Jun-21 15:15:21

Willow blocks are good for baking I find. The company are committed to using sustainable ingredients.

Harmonypuss Sun 06-Jun-21 15:15:31

@Kryptonite

Wherever possible ALWAYS use 'extracts' which have actually been extracted from the relevant plant. DON'T use 'essences', these are really weak, watered down artificial flavourings and don't give anywhere near the true flavour you're looking for.

Harmonypuss Sun 06-Jun-21 15:19:54

@Bazza

My granny used to use Blueband in her cakes in the 60s & 70s until one day she didn't have any and baked some cakes for us with her favourite Lurpak. She never went back to the margarine!

polyester57 Sun 06-Jun-21 15:56:20

Candelle, I´m sorry, I don´t have a formula for swapping butter for oil, most of my cakes are just a bit of this and a bit of that until the consistency is about right. My favourite vegan cake in different variations is using cups (any size, not necessarily the American ones): 3 cups flour, 3 cups mango (or pumpkin, or sweet potato, or apple, or anything) purée, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup oil, 1 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt, spices of any kind (cardamom, cinammon, cocoa powder, etc. Not very helpful, I know. So, roughly 3 of flour, to 1 of sugar and 1 of oil plus something else moist, almond milk would work too.

Rosina Sun 06-Jun-21 16:46:20

I heard a man on the radio some years ago whose father had been an industrial chemist of some eminence; he had been asked by his father to promise him that he would never eat margarine. It was along the lines of it being one element away from plastic, he said it never goes off, and flies won't touch it. I use butter.

nipsmum Sun 06-Jun-21 18:08:23

I always use Stork soft spread. Butter is too heavy for most things as far as I've found.

Caro57 Sun 06-Jun-21 18:13:17

I find the margarine in tubs is not good for baking but blocks are ok