ABCs of Baking: O for Oils: (2024)

FAQs

What can I substitute for oil in a cake? ›

Extra virgin olive oil is my number-one favourite, and you'll notice that I use this oil in most of my recipes - yes, including desserts, cakes, cookies and even chocolate! This oil is beautiful-tasting, velvety and brimming with health benefits: it's a rich source of antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids.

The most common way to replace oil in baked goods is by using applesauce or mashed banana. Other fruit purees work too, but most of them add more flavor – apple and banana are neutral enough to not overpower other flavors.

The reason oil is used in baking is to add and keep moisture in your baked goods. Oil essentially coats the flour, then traps the gasses produced by the chemical reaction of the leavening agent, slowing down the gluten formation and keeping your treats fluffy and delicate.

If you're missing oil, try melted butter. Some experts say using melted butter as a replacement for oil improves the taste and texture of box cakes. Use the same measurement of butter as the recipe calls for in oil.

The oils which should be avoided for cooking are oils like soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, and safflower. These oils have unstable fats and will decimate the nutritional properties of your food. Oh, and they'll give you a big fat health risk in the meantime.

Choosing vegetable oil is the best option for baking moist, delicious baked goods. Canola oil, the most common vegetable oil used in baking, doesn't add a strong flavor. It allows your cake's flavor will shine through while still achieving a moist texture.

1 box of chocolate cake mix 1 cup of mayo Sub mayo in place of the oil and eggs called for on your box of chocolate cake mix, add water as instructed, and bake as instructed. Top with frosting of choice (I made a chocolate glaze) and enjoy! It does not taste like mayonnaise but it is incredibly rich and moist!

If you love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, peanut butter might just be the best vegetable oil substitute for you. For a lighter brownie, just about half as much peanut butter. For a chewy fudgy brownie, use just as much peanut butter as the recipe calls for vegetable oil.

What is a low fat substitute for oil in baking? ›

Unsweetened applesauce, mashed fruit, or pureed fruit such as bananas, pears, and prunes may be substituted for vegetable oil in baked goods. You can substitute cup for cup.

Generally you can switch oil for melted butter in a waffle recipe. This gives a slightly richer waffle, erring towards a Belgian-style waffle.

It depends on your personal preference and the recipe you're following. Generally, butter is the more traditional choice for cakes, as it lends a rich flavor and moist texture. However, some recipes may call for oil instead, as it can create a lighter and fluffier cake.

Butter is the favoured fat to use in cakes and bakes and we use unsalted butter for all of our cakes in the bakeries. It is made from churned cream, a process that separates the butterfat from the buttermilk. It is typically made from cow's milk and is yellow in colour.

We have tried both butter and margaine in our sponge cakes and found everytime that margarine was far superior on taste, texture and the rise of the cake. We use a special blend of margarines which we think gives our cakes their signature taste.

Without some kind of fat, the flavor of the cake would fall flat and the cake would not have that soft texture you crave. However, you don't necessarily need oil specifically, but you do need some kind of fat or fat substitute.

You can absolutely substitute butter for the vegetable oil. Use the same quantity specified in the directions (for example, if it calls for 1/3 cup of oil, use 5 1/3 tablespoons of butter). Melt it down, then let it cool a bit. You might not ever go back to oil!

Its components make it a perfectly suitable substitute for oil, its thick and creamy constitution is similar to that of softened butter, and since it already has eggs in it, mayonnaise exhibits some of the binding power of eggs when cooked.

Applesauce is a 1:1 replacement for oil, so if your recipe calls for half a cup of oil, use half a cup of applesauce instead. If you find yourself in the middle of a recipe and out of oil, use applesauce instead! This trick works in cakes, muffins, cookies, brownies, and any kind of sweet baked good.