Can I replace shortening with butter or margarine and whole eggs for egg whites?

I have a cake recipe that is really good, but I am wondering if I can replace the shortening it calls for with butter or margarine and replace perhaps 2 or 3 whole eggs for the 5 egg whites it calls for. It is a marachino cherry cake. I thought perhaps it would not be so heavy if I used butter or margarine.

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6 comments a "Can I replace shortening with butter or margarine and whole eggs for egg whites?"

I’ve had great success using butter in place of shortening or margarine.

I don’t think I’d try substituting the other way around, those products have different properties that will affect the outcome of your baking.

Egg whites often are called for to make the item fluffier…….so you will have to decide if a heavier textured cake is OK. Whole eggs would never work in an angel food cake!

You could replace the shortening with butter I wouldn’t change the eggs though or it would totally change the cake it would actually make it a lot Heavier.

no you can’t it would change the flavor big time

You will change the texture and/or fluffiness of the cake if you try to make those substitutions. There are reasons for ingredients.

For the most part, shortening and butter/margarine can be used interchangeably. They’re both fats. Butter and margarine includes a little extra moisture, but it should be fine.

In regards to the egg whites, if you whip the egg white into peaks for the cake, then you cannot substitute whole eggs for egg whites.

However, if you just add egg whites to the batter without foaming the whites, then you can substitute whole eggs. Some recipes call for using whites only, especially if the cake is to be white. The egg yolks will give the batter and the final product a yellow cake look.

Lisa it isn’t the shortening that is making your cake seem heavy .If you are using a good shortening like crisco.
Your cake sounds like it was formulated as a white cake if you use three whole eggs in place of the five egg whites the cake then becomes a yellow cake formula. and will be lighter and less dense you will see a slight difference in color but not much .
and the cherries will show up just as well.
I hope this will be a help to you jim b

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