Quick tempering of shortenings

Shortenings which are plastic at ambient temperatures are prepared by cooling a mass of molten triglycerides to effect crystallization and then, preferably after the point at which maximum crystallization has been reached, uniformly heating the mass under substantially quiescent conditions to a temperature, preferably 90-110 DEG F., at which transformation to the normal polymorphic crystalline state is rapidly completed. During the heating step the fat is suitably maintained in a thin layer, preferably not more than 1 inch thick. Suitable shortening triglycerides include the various forms of lard, rendered pork fat, plastic oleo oil, oleostearine, tallow, cottonseed, soyabean, palm, peanut and coconut oils, and mixtures and hydrogenated products thereof. The products are useful as cake shortenings (see Division A2).ALSO:Pound cakes are baked from mixtures comprising 1 lb. granulated sugar, 1/2 oz. salt, 8 ozs. eggs, 8 ozs. milk, 1 lb. cake flour, and 8 ozs. of a shortening which is plastic at ambient temperature and which is prepared by cooling a mass of molten triglycerides to effect crystallization, and then uniformly heating the mass under substantially quiescent conditions to a temperature at which transformation to the normal polymorphic crystalline state is rapidly completed (see Division C5).