INGREDIENTS - Emulsified Shortenings

These are soft shortenings that spread easily throughout a batter and quickly coat the particles of sugar and flour. Because they contain added emulsifying agents, they can hold a larger quantity of liquid and sugar than regular shortenings can. Thus, they give a smoother and finer texture to cakes and make them moister. On the other hand, emulsified shortening does not cream well. When recipe instructions call for creaming shortening and sugar, regular shortening rather than emulsified shortening should be used. Emulsified shortening is often used when the weight of sugar in a cake batter is greater than the weight of flour. Because this shortening spreads so well, a simpler mixing method can be used. Such cakes are referred to as high-ratio cakes, and emulsified shortening is sometimes called high-ratio shortening. In addition, emulsified shortening is often used in icings because it can hold more sugar and liquid without curdling.

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INGREDIENTS - Shortenings

Any fat acts as a shortening in baking because it shortens gluten strands and tenderizes the product. However, we generally use the word shortening to mean any of a group of solid fats,usually white and tasteless,that are especially formulated for baking. Shortenings generally consist of nearly 100% fat. Shortenings may be made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or both. During manufacturing, the fats are hydrogenated. This process turns liquid oils into solid fats. Because shortenings are used for many purposes, manufacturers have formulated different kinds of fats with different properties.There are two main types: regular shortenings and emulsified shortenings.

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