A Christmas cake question.

I have been looking at ingredients and saw Stork, Flora, Vitalite all have added water, I have read that some Stork has added butter but so far the ingredients I have been studying seem completely dairy free. There is also a Co op sunflower one that I have bought. Dh likes it as a spread so wondered about that. However Stork is the one most people use so am probably going with that. So grateful for all the help you have given me.

I use Vitalite and nobody has ever noticed! It comes in a tub and we use it as a butter replacement for everything that butter can be used for.

Like others I have used Stork etc.. Could you use an oil? Sunflower or Vegetable?

I think the reason Fernbergien's friend's cake may have gone mouldy may have been margarine with a higher water content - see my post above.

My daughter has a dairy intolerance and I've used hard block margarine instead of butter in recipes (not Christmas cake though). I'd be a bit wary of the soft types as some of them do contain dairy, and some have a lower fat content (more water!). Butter has 80% fat. Look at ingredients carefully!

Even Mary Berry uses Stork soft! I find it much easier for creaming or all-in-one recipes.

I think it would be fine if not made too early.
Friend of mine made wedding cake for daughter with margarine and when they came to ice it it had become mouldy. The cake was iced but the cake eaten was a second cake as it was a substitution. Contact margarine of choice and ask their advice.

My dd went dairy free after gd was born as gd was found to be lactose intolerant. When making a cake for her I used Pure and couldn’t really tell the difference except it was easier to mix.

Why not make a simple cake with a butter alternative and see how it goes first? I think you will find it is fine.

I would use block margarine rather than soft and I don't think there will be a significant difference in flavour with all the other dominant flavours from spices and alcohol. I see no point in faking it with artificial butter flavouring on top of everything else going on.

Stork in a tub contains dairy (see ingredients on back) stork in a block doesn’t contain dairy.

Butter flavour extract?

I always use Stork or the supermarket equivalent for cakes and pastry. I don't use the soft stuff. There's so much sherry, spice, black treacle and fruit in my Christmas cake I doubt if using butter would make it taste any better!

Thank you toscalily . Plenty of brandy, the remedy for most things. So pleased you can’t tell the difference.

I have used butter, and like Prentice the soft tub margarine either Stork or supermarkets own brand. I think with a simple sponge or Madeira type of cake the butter has the edge for flavour but quite honestly with all the different ingredients in a rich fruit cake it does not matter. By the time you have added some alcohol, to steep the fruit and/or feeding afterwards the flavours all come together and you can't really tell the difference.

Thank you Mapleleaf and *Prentice” for your help. Pleased to see Prentice has used Stork for a Christmas cake. I was only concerned that the lightness of Stork might not support the ingredients in the same way. Also as Mapleleaf said it was possible that I miss the buttery taste. I will be using the stork now as I will be able to eat as much as I want without fear of reintroducing my intolerance.

I use Stork for all cakes, including Christmas, the Stork in a tub, the soft kind, it makes wonderful cakes.

I’m sure someone will be along soon who has made their Christmas cake using flora, stork substitutes (or the supermarket own brand equivalent). I haven’t made a Christmas cake with theses products, but I have made sponge cakes using flora and they have been fine, so I assume a Christmas cake would be, too. Obviously, you wouldn’t have the same buttery flavour coming through, but there are so many other ingredients in the cake that I don’t suppose it will be noticeable.
Perhaps google recipes for Christmas cakes using non dairy products and see if anything suitable comes up. Good luck.

Thank you for any input you may have.