Substituting ingredients: Can you? Sure. Should you? Usually the answer is NO.
Mar 11, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose
Baking is a delicate balance and substituting one ingredient for another will almost invariably throw it off and produce something different which may be better but more often than not is not! Things such as water and protein content make a significant difference to texture. If you would like to experiment, change only one ingredient at a time and see the results. It is a great learning experience.
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Julie
08/30/2008 08:29 AM
Claudia,
Given that the regular Creme Ivoire uses all safflower oil to mix with the white chocolate and no cocoa butter, I think it will work.
The main issue to consider is whether or not the finished buttercream will be firm enough to pipe (the regular Creme Ivoire is not). You could try a test batch and see how it pipes and also how it holds up to temperatures if the cake will be outside or in a warm room.
Rose recommends the cocoa butter sold in 5-lb quantities by Albert Uster, and there are serveral other suppliers online.
Another option could be the white chocolate version of the Mousseline buttercream, which does not use cocoa butter.
Good Luck,
Julie
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Claudia Herkes
08/28/2008 07:19 AM
Hi Rose, I'm making Your Creme Ivoire Deluxe for my neices wedding cake ( a small one). I'm having trouble locating enough cocoa butter. I'm short .25 oz. Can I substitute clarified butter or mineral oil for this portion?
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
05/30/2008 09:07 AM
yogurt works well too!
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Josephine
05/30/2008 08:59 AM
Hi Rose,
I have tried your Rose Banana cake recipe many times. All the time the cake turns out very well. I am very pleased that your cake bible which i bought in Mar 08.
Can i ask whether can i replace sour cream with other diary product as only small amount (30gm) is being use?
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Yasmin
05/30/2008 12:44 AM
Thanks, Patrincia, will certainly make this soon....and will also let you know how it turns out.
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Patrincia
05/29/2008 05:53 PM
Yasmin - you will love the chocolate fudge cake. The name "chocolate fudge" is deceptive since the cake is not at all like fudge (dry and/or overly sweet). It is actually very moist and tender. I love the deep dark color and intense chocolate flavor.
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Yasmin
05/28/2008 07:41 PM
Well, Rose....eagerly waiting for your new book....and in the meantime will try something. Maybe your Chocolate Fudge Cake instead, which you describe as being moister because of the brown sugar. However much people may like my oil based one bowl chocolate cakes,which always stay moist....I myself hate them and that maroonish colour they get!! Really look forward to your solution to this problem!! Thanks, Rose.
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Matthew
05/21/2008 11:46 AM
Julie, I believe it is fall 2009.
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Julie
05/21/2008 11:35 AM
I agree, Patrincia, the wait is torture! I know "Rose's Heavenly Cakes" is supposed to be out sometime this fall, do we have an ETA yet?
Thanks, Julie
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Bill
05/21/2008 10:46 AM
I can't wait for the recipies using oil. I have always been a proponent of butter in cakes ... (several months ago I used clarified butter in a carrot cake recipe calling for oil...I was disappointed in the result and now realize that recipies with oil can be wonderful as well. My mom is a lover of Strawberries and Whipped cream...but if you don't assemble the cake right before serving there is the issue of stablilizing the whipped cream...I've used the gelatin recipe in the Cake Bible...but the texture suffers a little. Can't wait for a yummy layer cake recipe with oil so I can layer the cake with strawberries a whipped cream, pop it in the fridge and serve it cold!
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Patrincia
05/19/2008 09:30 AM
the wait is torture, just torture I tell you. :)
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
05/18/2008 10:44 PM
this is exactly what i've been working on for the new book and there will be a substantial selection!
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Yasmin
05/18/2008 10:37 PM
Hi Rose
I have been following the oil vs butter debate and I agree with one of your earlier posts( Dec 23, 2005)that while butter has a superior flavour it does get hard when cold. I always use one of your recipes to make my children's birthday cakes but as they are both in winter (june, here in Australia), I find that the cake stays hard even at room temparature. This is a pity as it is soft and moist when out of the oven. Are there any recipes that use oil, but retain the rich flavour?
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Bill
04/16/2008 08:55 AM
That is exactly what I did for a carrot cake calling for oil. It worked perfectly.
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MarkMc
04/14/2008 04:51 PM
I think the best way is to melt the butter and remove the milk solids, then measure as yuo would the oil.
You are basically creating clarified butter which is, like oil, all fat.
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Wendy
04/14/2008 02:44 PM
Can you substitute butter in place of oil in a cake recipe? If so, how do you do it?
I suspect it's more than a simple ounce-for-ounce replacement, given oil is liquid and butter is not, and due to the different compositions of each ingredient.
Many thanks!
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christine
12/29/2007 07:03 PM
I have 2 questions; first: can you freeze cake mixes and if so for how long?Second: a friend of mine often softens ice cream in the microwave..is this safe?
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chrissy
06/19/2007 03:42 PM
thanks!
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
06/19/2007 03:40 PM
yes. clarified butter is sometimes referred to as butter oil as the milk solids and water are removed making it 100% fat, like oil.
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chrissy
06/19/2007 03:31 PM
can i substitute oil for clarified butter in white genoise?
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Theresa
05/24/2007 06:55 AM
Thank you so much! :)
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Patrincia
05/23/2007 10:59 PM
That's fantastic - Thanks Rose!
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
05/23/2007 07:51 PM
i've worked it out pretty exactly for the new book. it's 1 teaspoon loosely packed zest=1/16th teaspoon citrus oil
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Theresa Leahy
05/23/2007 02:55 PM
Rose, how do you feel about substituting orange oil and lemon oil for orange and lemon zest, respectively? Have you tried these? There's no guidance on the bottles, so I just guess, but I think I tend to err on the low side (which is probably the correct side to err on!). I'd appreciate your thoughts.
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
03/29/2007 11:35 PM
they'll probably look best if you wait to apply the icing. but freeze a few after icing just to see for next time.
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Leejoy
03/25/2007 05:18 PM
I was just wondering if you can freeze sour cream cookies, with the icing on the cookie. Or should I wait to put the icing on until I am read. Thanks
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
02/24/2007 03:10 PM
yes
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Phyllis Whalen
02/24/2007 02:48 PM
Can reconstituted egg whites be used
to make macaroons?
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
02/24/2007 01:30 PM
then why don't you try a search on this blog where you'll find that i posted all of them!
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James Haynes
02/24/2007 01:12 PM
I often see your program on pbs tv. instructions are given to get recipes at baking magic.com. 'There, I only get a bunch of run-around but no rcipes. I am very disappointed!
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
02/22/2007 07:41 PM
it's in the bread bible
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virginia
02/22/2007 07:34 PM
Hi, Rose , How can I get a copy of your 10 grain bread recipe? Thanks virginia
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
01/26/2007 09:44 AM
yes. a few months is fine.
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Tyler
01/25/2007 10:25 PM
Oh, so you can freeze the zest of lemons and oranges? And you can freeze the juice right? Do you know approxemiatly how long you should keep it frozen for?
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Marilyn
01/24/2007 06:42 PM
The Johnson and Wales website doesn't list the show times or individual stations - the Oregon listing was just the only one on Google(other than KQED) that showed a specific PBS station. You might try Googling (I live just miles from Google Headquarters, I might add. Too bad I wasn't smart enough to buy stock!) the NY PBS station you watch or just go to the station's website and search.
My oven and pot are preheating for loaf #8 of the No Knead Bread - and I too have been making only half recipes. I use a Calphalon saucier and it seems to be working pretty well. Thanks so much for your inspiration.
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
01/24/2007 06:32 PM
clever you--i didn't think of that. no--i don't know anyone there but did they list when the show airs in ny? (it might not though)
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Marilyn
01/24/2007 06:29 PM
I just did a Google search for Johnson & Wales and I discovered that show #325 will air in Oregon on OPB on March 6th at 12:30 p.m. Is there anyone in Oregon who can help??
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
01/24/2007 06:11 PM
thanks for trying! glad to hear it came out well anyway.
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Marilyn
01/24/2007 06:06 PM
Well, Rose, I just scrolled through 3 weeks of the encore presentations on KQED digital and it isn't looking good. The show last Saturday was #325 Demystifying Wine - here is the blurb from the listing:
Sat, Jan 20, 2007 -- 1:00 PM
Demystifying Wine (Episode #325)
Johnson & Wales teaching chefs demystify how to cook with wine, first demonstrating the French technique of poaching fish in a fragrant wine broth and then preparing a special glaze for turkey medallions made from port wine. Last class is with baking diva Rose Levy Beranbaum who prepares a deliciously crunchy 10-grain bread. Recipes: Portuguese green wine striped bass; port wine glazed turkey medallion on saffron risotto and asparagus; ten grain torpedo bread.
Notice that they identify you as the baking diva that you are!! Anyway, I scrolled through the upcoming 3 weeks and the shows that are repeated are #313, #314, and #315. It looks like it will be some time before they get caught up.
There are other PBS stations in the Bay Area (San Jose and San Mateo) so I will keep my eye out and let you know if I can find it there. I could kick myself for not taping it in the first place!!!
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
01/24/2007 05:47 PM
i'd be really grateful.
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Marilyn
01/24/2007 05:34 PM
No, I didn't tape it - much to my dismay. I so wish I had!! KQED has 4 digital channels which I can get and I will make a search to see if it will be repeated on one of them. Would you like me to tape it if I can find it again?
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
01/24/2007 05:26 PM
did you by chance tape the episode? i haven't seen it myself yet.
yes you can freeze the zest but do it in portions bc it changes volume when frozen.
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Marilyn
01/24/2007 05:22 PM
Hi Rose,
I was one of the lucky ones who was able to see you make the 10 Grain Torpedo on "Master Class at Johnson & Wales" last Saturday on KQED in the San Franciso Bay Area. You were inspiring as usual and I was so happy to see you use the processor to make the dough since I have been using mine to make a nightly dough for years and years. I bought my first Cuisinart in 1974 and replaced it (sadly it gave up the ghost) with a Kitchen Aid about 5 years ago. I can turn out herbed rolls or bread sticks or whatever strikes my fancy in about 60 minutes start to finish using bread flour and yeast I buy in bulk from my local vegetable, dairy, baking stand.
Which brings me to my current dilemma - with the recent freeze in California and the expected shortage of citrus, I just bought a ton of oranges before the sale price disappeared (they were 3 lbs./99 cents at my local stand). I use grated orange zest in much of what I bake, as well as eating at least one orange a day. Here is the big question - can I freeze the zest from the oranges I eat now to use in baking later in the season? I have tried using the dried jarred orange zest and it just doesn't make the grade, so I am hoping that fresh zest is freezable.
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
01/19/2007 08:13 AM
yes, but if you don't want the flavor of olive in your cake use a "lite" one that is neutral in flavor.
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Mary Doty
01/19/2007 07:41 AM
Can extra virgin olive oil be substituted for vegtable oil in boxed cake mixes?
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
08/04/2006 10:07 AM
in what?
you can't cook with sour cream though you can bake with it so for a sauce the answer is no.
sour cream has less fat than creme fraiche so the results may be slightly different in flavor and texture.
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Danielle
08/03/2006 04:07 PM
can I substitute sour cream instead of creme fraiche
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How to get your cookies to come out flat?
Can you use more rye flour in a rye bread that suggested?