You can use any other oil or lard. Cream and other milk products may contain enough fat to have much the same effect as the butter on the texture and taste of your cake. As for fat-free options you could search for and experiment with vegetable gums such as Guar Gum, Pectin, Xantham Gum, etc... that are used in industrial baking as fat substitutes.
Yes you can.
yes you can, it just won't taste as good.
do you want a salty cake
YesA different answer:Butter is a major ingredient in pound cake and the primary source of flavor. Substituting margarine for butter might produce a cake, but it would be an imitation of a pound cake, just as margarine is an inexpensive imitation of butter.
Yes, might taste a little different but still delicious!
You need to do it with butter
Yes, you can but only for cakes that require the use of oil. If you use it for other cakes requiring butter it won't have the same flavour.
Yes, for one cup of shortening use one cup of butter.
Some alternatives to frosting for cake pops include melted chocolate, caramel sauce, peanut butter, or cream cheese icing.
Use more butter?
Yes, you can use butter instead of margarine in this recipe.
Yes, you can use ghee instead of butter in this recipe.