Coconut, vegetable, canola, peanut, olive oil and more – with so many types of oils, how do we know the difference between them, and which one should we use for baking?
Unlike butter, oil makes for a lighter and moister cake. However, butter comprises milk solids, fat, and water unlike oil, which is made up of 100% fat, and hence, butter has the better flavour.
You may notice that baked goods that are meant to be rich and decadent, like the Chocolate Ganache Tarts from the Tart Foundational Class taught in our Live Virtual Baking School, solely use butter for maximum flavour. Besides flavour, butter is also used in these baked goods as its solid nature allows it to be rubbed into flour mixtures to create light and flaky layers in pastry.
On the other hand, vegetable oil is commonly used to add richness and tenderness to cakes. As it does not solidify when cooled, it produces softer cakes. Due to its liquid nature, it also blends and incorporates well into cake batters.
In this article, we’ll be explaining the difference between the different types of oils, and which one you should use for baking, especially when the recipe only indicates “oil”.
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Canola oil is, without doubt, one of the best types of oil for baking. It’s preferred in many recipes since it has the most neutral flavor compared to other types of oil. It also tends to be lighter in flavour, so it will not negatively affect the baked product’s flavor and texture.
If you’re a health-conscious person, using canola oil will be the best option because it only contains 7% saturated fat (bad fats) and contains the highest omega-3 content among oils, except flaxseed oil. Canola oil doesn’t contain any cholesterol too. By using canola oil in your recipe, your cake will be deliciously healthy!
Whenever possible, use canola oil for baking. Its neutral taste will not give your cake any undesirable flavor, and you can keep the focus on the flavors in your cake, especially if you are using premium ingredients in your cake such as vanilla beans and high quality chocolate.
This oil can also be used to cook the fillings for savoury baked goods, such as the Garlic Herbed Mushroom filling of this Mozzarella Galette. The neutral flavour of the oil allows the garlic and cheese flavours of the galette to shine.
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Cakes made with vegetable oil are noticeably lighter and more moist. They melt and fall apart in your mouth as you bite into one! Notice how oil-based cakes like chiffon cakes and Swiss rolls taste much lighter than butter cakes or pound cakes. Since vegetable oil is pure fat without the addition of any liquid (as opposed to butter), the protein in flour (gluten) will not interact excessively with water to create a tough, dense cake.
However, it is worth noting that it is still possible to overmix a cake batter, even if it uses vegetable oil. Keep in mind that you should never mix too much when your dry and wet ingredients are already combined!
If you've always thought butter is the only way to go for making delicious cakes, try making oil-based cakes such as Swiss rolls and chiffon cakes. The Pulut Hitam Charcoal Swiss Roll taught in our Live Virtual Baking School is a great place to start!
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Recently, coconut oil is used increasingly to replace butter in baked goods, especially in recipes where vegan substitutes are needed. If you love the taste of coconut, you’re likely to enjoy baked goods using coconut oil, since it gives your treats a hint of coconut aroma and flavour.
Like vegetable and canola oils, coconut oil is made up of 100% fat. Additionally, it is high in saturated fats, and its composition of fatty acids makes it very suitable for cooking/baking methods that require very high heat, such as frying.
If you prefer using coconut oil in your baking, you may swap in an equal amount of coconut oil for the amount of fat that is required in the recipe. It can be used in both solid and liquid forms to replace butter/shortening and liquid oils respectively.
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Just like canola oil, sunflower oil contains a high proportion of unsaturated fats (good fats), which makes it a great choice if you’re health-conscious. In addition, sunflower oil has a high smoke point (the temperature where oils become less healthy to consume). When oils reach the smoke point, they will start to burn and release harmful chemicals. A high smoke point allows you to subject the oil to higher cooking/baking temperatures, and therefore sunflower oil is suitable for baking.
Sunflower oil is also considered a better option of oils to use in baked goods. Although its flavor and aroma isn’t as subtle as canola oil, it tends to complement any kind of baked goods, ranging from cookies to cakes. When a recipe calls for mild-tasting oils such as corn, safflower, or rapeseed oil, you can always opt for sunflower oil if it’s the one available at the moment.
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Olive oil is considered one of the healthiest oils, thanks to its high unsaturated fat content. Depending on the type of baked good, it might not be advisable to replace the oil used in baking recipes with olive oil since olive oil has a considerably strong flavour which can significantly affect the result of your baked goods.
To avoid altering the aroma and flavor of your baked goods, we recommend using olive oil with buttery or fruity notes. Olive oil is best used in savory baked goods such as focaccia and pumpkin bread; using olive oil in sweet recipes generally gives the baked good an off-taste.
The Rosemary Olive Focaccia taught in our Live Virtual Baking School is a perfect example of how olive oil can elevate the flavour and texture of savoury baked goods. Baked with a combination of flavourful and healthy ingredients such as olive oil, pitted olives, and rosemary, it’s sure to become a family favourite.
It is easy to use olive oil in place of other oils in any recipe because you do not need to do any conversion. If the recipe uses 3 tablespoons of oil, use 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
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We usually use peanut oil when cooking savory dishes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it for baking. Steamed peanuts are pressed to create this oil –which is what gives it a distinctive mild, nutty flavor.
Peanut oil resembles olive oil in some aspects. It’s one of the cooking oils with a considerably high unsaturated fat content, which makes it better for your health than any other types of oil. Flavor-wise, peanut oil is also more suitable to use in baked goods that are more on the savory side. It’s also recommended to use peanut oil in baked goods that contain nuts as the oil will enhance the nuttiness.
Use the guidelines above to choose the most suitable oil for baking. No matter which type of oil you choose, always follow the recipe’s instructions carefully to get the best results.
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This is an independent article written by Bakestarters and has no affiliation with any companies or brands.
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*article updated in 2022
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Chidi
December 10, 2020
Thank you.