No-Nonsense Advice: Should You Use Butter or Margarine in Baking?
Which fat is best for baking?
There are two main types of fat used in baking i.e. Butter and margarine.
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| Butter | Margarine |
| Made from milk solids | Made from plant-based oils |
| Has a richer better flavour | Has a neutral flavour |
| Higher fat content | More water than fat |
| Not easily broken down by heat | Turns gooey when exposed to heat |
| High in saturated fat and cholesterol | Lower cholesterol levels and saturated fat (supposedly) |
| Better for baked goods that need to be browned | Results in softer/lighter baked goods |
| It makes cake heavy |
Butter is made from natural sources i.e., Milk. Milk is churned to create a lovely creamy solid that is used in baking and also cooking. Butter gives baked goods a richer and nuttier flavour. It also allows for better golden browning than margarine.
Spreadable Butter I.e.Lurpak Spreadable (unsalted) is made from natural ingredients. Lurpak butter made from 100% fresh milk Lurpak Spreadable is approx. 64% milk, then a little rapeseed oil and water is added to help it become spreadable. Also, if you want to be spontaneous then it’s soft enough to use vs. waiting the block of butter to become room temperature!
Margarine, is made from oil, water, salt, and other ingredients such as emulsifiers. It’s flavoured to taste like butter.
Margarine is a great choice if your makings vegan baked goods however. Make sure that you read the labels properly to ensure that the margarine you are using is made without milk solids and is not one that is considered a dairy blend. Check the ingredients to ensure that it uses an all-vegetable oil blend.
Butter and margarine may have their similarities, but they are totally different. Knowing how each one is best used will result in successful baked goods!
The key difference
The difference is what type of fat is used to make the product.
Animal products such as butter has high levels of cholesterol and saturated fats that aren’t present in margarine.
Margarine has more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (the good fats!) but sometimes contains trans fats (not so good!). The way they are made and the ingredients used explains why butter is firmer than margarine at room temperature. It’s the saturated fats that make tightly packed bonds that stay rigid until heat is applied. That’s why you can keep it out of the fridge.
I think most bakers prefer butter for its gorgeous taste, but margarine does have its place. Because of its high-water content, baked goods made with margarine will often have a softer texture.
Saying that, please be careful as to not to use substitutions, especially from old cookbooks that state to use margarine. This is probably because the old recipe has allowed for the additional water from the margarine. As a Novice it’s always best to follow all recipes exactly!
My personal preferences:
- You should always be use butter for making buttercream frosting and NOT margarine. Why? The taste is not great when using margarine!
- I always use a spreadable butter for making cakes as it gives the same gorgeous rich flavour as butter, but makes the baked goods lighter too. Why? Because spreadable butter has a little oil in it
Health - One is also considered healthier than the other. But this is confusing as the scientific data often changes. So, my recommendation to you is use what you like working with and what you like the taste of best.
Let’s be honest here! If you’re eating baked treats then the whole thing is going to be high in fat and sugar!