Fatty acids are made from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Fatty acids are constructed from the chemical elements carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Fatty acids can be divided into a carboxylic acid head groupâhence fatty acidâlinked to a long chain of carbon atoms. The bond between the carbon atoms stores a large amount of biochemical energy and is very stable, allowing fats to be an efficient long-term store of energy in your body.
Healthy Eating. Shortening is a solid fat that is derived either from plant or animal sources. Shortening derived from animals comes from lard, while those derived from plants undergo a process known as hydrogenation that changes the chemical composition and allows a normally liquid oil to remain a solid.
Shortening is another name for the fat used in making pastry, bread or in this case a cake. You may use Crisco, or other shortening, real butter, or some margarines. You will need to be aware of the amount of water in any given margarine and do not use light or diet margarine since they contain too much water and will change the texture of your cake.