Can I use soya butter instead of normal butter when baking for vegans?

You're right in what vegan means.

Replacing eggs with oil usually does not work, as eggs don't function as a fat in the recipe - they're mainly binders and leaveners. You can usually use: 1 T golden ground flaxseed + 3 T water (mix, let gel), 1/4 c applesauce (for moister things like cakes, tends to not bind as well so I add a bit of cornstarch), 1/4 c soy yogurt, or 1/2 mashed banana in some things where the taste will not matter - i.e., muffins, banana bread, some quick bread, etc.

Soya butter - I'm assuming you mean a vegan margarine like Earth Balance. Since margarine is composed of oils, not solid fat, you usually would use 2/3 the amount that the recipe calls for. You could also replace the butter with 2/3 the amount of canola/vegetable oil, unless it's something where you really need the buttery flavor.

Soya Butter

"Normal butter is considered vegan then why go for soya butter. If the taste is good using soya butter then no problem. Not killing any animals for food is vegan, normal butter comes without killing any animal."

Um, no.

Normal butter is NOT vegan.

True, the cow isn't killed to make the butter but the animal is still abused in the process. It's not just about KILLING the animals you know.....

You don't kill cows to milk them - well, not the cows that provide the milk - but they are kept constantly (unnaturally) pregnant to provide milk, and their male young is killed around a day after birth for the veal industry. The females are then bred to be forced into the same life as their mothers - and when they are depleted of decent milk THEN they are slaughtered for food too.

Anyone who thinks that cows have it good, because they have seen them in a field grazing, are kinda naive...

You can substitute any type of vegan-safe margarine for butter when baking for vegans. Note: Soya "butter" is actually soy margarine. The term "butter" is a marketing strategy in this case to make the product sound more acceptable to non-vegans. Margarine is generally made from hydrogenated vegetable oil and contains trans fat. ∠°)

"Spray butter" is not butter, but a butter flavored, artificial, pressurized liquid. You can't use this for baking. If you're watching calories, you can use a stick of margarine - in the same proportion. Baking is a bit of a science, and messing with the ingredients can lead to undesirable results. I cannot imagine spray butter would have the correct chemical structure for baking, as the addition of ingredients like butter, eggs and flour is not just for taste, but also to get the desired consistency, denseness and rise.

YOu can use oil of any kind. In fact I think cupcakes and cakes are better with oil. They stay moist for longer and the texture is creamy.

Butter cream icing is good with earth balance spread ( vegan).

There are lots of vegan spreads in fact. You could also use silken tofu, and some oil mixed together- the texture isn't buttery as much, but there are different types of icing. You can just mix icing sugar with water, to make an iced frosting- this is a nice way to ice a cake.

From your word "coworker" I guess you are in the US.

It is a good idea to talk with the vegan person, so that they know you are taking care, and they can feel confident eating what you produce.

Ask them what local margarine brand is vegan.

To do it on your own is a bit more difficult: in margarine, the not so obvious dodgy ingredients are whey, lactose, lactate, calcium propionate casein, fatty acids,

Most vegans will know that sort of thing,. If you need it at any time, a dodgy ingredients' list is at:

http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/animal-subst...

A helpful (though a little extreme?!) US vegan recipe site is:

http://www.veganchef.com/

2 really great international vegan recipe sites are:

http://www.ivu.org/recipes/:

http://www.vegan-food.net/

Yes, you are right butter and margarine are definitely not vegan friendly. However there is a soya margarine called 'Vitalite' which you could use.

Hope this helps xxxx

Normal butter is considered vegan then why go for soya butter. If the taste is good using soya butter then no problem. Not killing any animals for food is vegan, normal butter comes without killing any animal.

there is no such thing as a healthy diet without fruits and vegetables...