What can I use for icing instead of vegetable shortening?? Since I'm in UK I don't know what to use !!!!!

Answer 1

butter or margerine

Answer 2

Butter cream frosting is very nice.

Don't they have vegetable shortening in the UK? It's a white, fatty substance made entirely from veggies (lard is from animal fat, but looks very much like it). If you are an ex-pat, ask your friends about it. I'm sure they have it somewhere, but possibly they use another name.

But with all the worry about trans-fats these days, butter might actually be the healthier option!

You can also make boiled frosting, which is lovely, and is generally made with sugar and some egg whites. Look for "5-minute frosting."

Whipped cream (or Chantilly cream) is also very nice.

(-: I love cake, can you tell? Oh, one more -- ice it with ice cream, and put it in the freezer until 15 minutes before dessert time. Lovely, lovely, lovely!

Answer 3

Don't recommend lard - the soft icing used in a Victoria sponge sandwich cake is normally called butter icing or butter cream, so you use butter.
Any other form of icing is made without any fat/shortening. Fondant icing is powder sugar mixed with water, colouring and possibly lemon juice. Royal icing is made with powder sugar, beaten egg white and also possibly lemon juice. Royal icing sets hard as nails.

Answer 4

You can make real buttercream... I guarentee it will taste better!!!

Swiss Merigue Buttercream

12 oz (336 g) egg whites (10 large egg whites or about 1 1/2 cups)
3 cups (680 g) granulated sugar
3 lbs (1.36 kg) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 Tbsp lemon extract, almond extract, orange extract, or pure vanilla extract or up to 3 fl oz (90 ml) light rum, framboise, pear William, or kirsch

1. Lightly whisk egg whites and sugar together over simmering water until egg-white mixture is hot to touch or a candy thermometer reads 140°F (60°C).
2. Pour hot whites into a room-temperature bowl and whip with a wire whip until double in volume on MEDIUM-HIGH speed. When the mixer stops, the meringue should not move around in the bowl. Meanwhile cut up butter into 2-inch pieces. (The butter should be slightly moist on the outside but cold inside.)

3. On your mixer, remove the whip and attach the paddle. Add half the butter (1 1/2 lbs or 680 g) into the bowl immediately and pulsate the mixer several times until the meringue has covered the butter completely. To pulsate the mixer, turn it on and off in a jerky motion. This forces the butter on the top to the bottom of the bowl. Add the balance of the butter (1 1/2 lbs or 680 g) and pulsate mixer several times. Slowly increase the mixer's speed, starting with the lowest speed and increase the speed every 10 seconds until you reach a MEDIUM-HIGH speed.

4. Continue beating until the mixture begins to look light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl. Reduce speed to LOW. Add flavoring and continue to beat on LOW speed for 45 seconds. Then beat on MEDIUM-HIGH speed for an additional 45 to 60 seconds.

5. Leftover buttercream can be placed in plastic containers with lids and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost completely (several hours) and rewhip before using.

Note: In hot weather, use 2 lbs 10 ounces (1.19 kg) of butter and 6 ounces (710 g) of hi-ratio shortening. Hi-ratio shortening is emulsified and contains water.
Storage: Store the icing in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

It will taste AMAZING, I promise you. You will never make frosting with shortening again.

Answer 5

A shortening is just a fat or similar ingredient to use in a recipe. Vegetable shortening is margerine. You coulod use butter or lard instead.

Answer 6

do you mean butter cream for cakes? if you do you require .
3 oz butter or good margarine to every 8 oz of icing sugar and a drop or two of vanilla essence,mix together in a mixer until soft and white,i add a couple of drops of boiling water to soften the icing and then i beat it well.hope this helps

Answer 7

Butter!

Also, a quick icing tip, get some coolwhip drop a few drops of vanillia in there and instant icing on the fly.

Answer 8

fruit grows on shrub or vines and fruit and vegetables grow in the earth.

Answer 9

Butter. It tastes better too I think.

Answer 10

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ARE MAKING A BUTTER ICING. SO USE BUTTER.

Answer 11

margarine. but use butter much better tasting