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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 9:50am | IP Logged
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Dh's birthday is coming up, and he's requested Smitten Kitchen's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. This is most delicious, chocolate, moist homemade cake, even if you don't make the frosting. I made just the cake for my son's birthday and it is delicious.
But I don't like using the vegetable oil, as I'm trying to get away from those obvious Omega 6 choices. I was thinking of trying to substitute Coconut Oil, the most tasteless of the kinds...but wondering if anyone has tried this with success? Do you melt it a bit to make it liquid form? Does it keep things most like the vegetable oil?
I'm afraid to experiment, since Dh is so looking forward to the cake....
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Jennifer G. Miller
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Aagot
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 10:09am | IP Logged
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Jenn,
I use cocnut oil all the time in cookies, waffles etc. i have not tried it in a cake yet (because I have not made one recently) but I think it will be great. I do melt it first and try to have the other ingredients not cold or the coconut oil will harden up again. If you add it while the mixer is on this should be less of a problem.
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pmeilaen
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 10:17am | IP Logged
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I don't taste the coconut oil, but some of my children do. As Aagot said, I melt it first. What about melted butter?
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 10:26am | IP Logged
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I have used either coconut oil (Spectrum brand) or butter in all my baking and cakes for several years now. The results have always been good. If I bake with coconut oil in the winter, when it is likely to be solid, I do get it warm so that it's liquid when it goes in to the batter. I've found that butter is an excellent oil replacement, too. I use it interchangeably in recipes. I melt it, too, if I add it to a recipe.
Good luck with the birthday cake!
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 10:40am | IP Logged
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Ditto Jenn. I've used it almost exclusively the past year since the baby can't have dairy, and my cakes are moist. 
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Betsy
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 10:57am | IP Logged
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I think that butter would be my first choice! But, I like butter on and in everything! 
If you want an option to try some other time when baking/cooking I would recommend Mary's Oil Blend (about half way down the thread)
I used to use this to fry eggs-- which you can really taste the oil that you used. It was a pleasant taste that really seemed much more mild tan Olive oil or Coconut Oil straight. FWIW--I use butter mostly now. :)
ETA: That cake looks amazing. Let me know how it turns out. I have some birthday cooking to do later this month for a chocolate peanut butter lovin' boy!
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 12:11pm | IP Logged
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I recently bought a big tub of organic coconut oil at Costco that I thought would be good for baking. Usually I use the Spectrum brand, but this was a different brand. I could taste a slight coconut flavor in the muffins I made.
However, this brand is *excellent* for melting and putting on popcorn. Outstanding flavor for that
But I think I will go back to Spectrum for baking.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Jan 03 2013 at 12:16pm | IP Logged
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SeaStar wrote:
I recently bought a big tub of organic coconut oil at Costco that I thought would be good for baking. Usually I use the Spectrum brand, but this was a different brand. I could taste a slight coconut flavor in the muffins I made.
However, this brand is *excellent* for melting and putting on popcorn. Outstanding flavor for that
But I think I will go back to Spectrum for baking. |
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Ooooh! Good to know - because I've been eyeing that EXACT container at Costco for that exact purpose - popcorn!! We eat SOOOO much popcorn for snacks, and I'd save the good Spectrum brand for my baking. I'm glad you mentioned your experience there!
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Jen Mackintosh
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CrunchyMom
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SeaStar wrote:
I recently bought a big tub of organic coconut oil at Costco that I thought would be good for baking. Usually I use the Spectrum brand, but this was a different brand. I could taste a slight coconut flavor in the muffins I made.
However, this brand is *excellent* for melting and putting on popcorn. Outstanding flavor for that
But I think I will go back to Spectrum for baking. |
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We like coconut flavor, so tasting it in our baked goods isn't an issue. We do LOVE our popcorn popped in coconut oil And I found the Costco offering to be a good quality and price as well and a much more manageable container than the gallon I usually buy.
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: Jan 05 2013 at 6:21pm | IP Logged
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I have not yet baked with the Spectrum (flavorless) coconut oil yet - but we've done every other kind of cooking with it and LOVE it.
However, one thing I have done in the past is to use applesauce instead of shortening or oil and that always turns out very nicely.
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Jan 05 2013 at 6:33pm | IP Logged
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I also use olive oil instead of butter or other oils in baking. I have a conversion chart for converting amounts of butter to olive oil.
A lot of times I will also mix half olive oil and have organic canola.
It doesn't affect the taste that much.
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Angel
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| Posted: Jan 07 2013 at 8:54am | IP Logged
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Jenn, if a recipe calls for liquid oil, I substitute melted coconut oil or melted butter. If it calls for "shortening", I always substitute solid (or relatively solid) coconut oil. And now I grease all my pans with coconut oil and I don't have a problem with sticking anymore! I had no idea it would work so much better than anything else.
It doesn't really make a difference in the baked goods except if you use coconut oil that tastes like coconut, you might be able to detect a faint coconut taste but it's much more palatable to me in baked goods than it is in, say, eggs (as mentioned above) or potatoes. Especially if there's chocolate involved.
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Aagot
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| Posted: Jan 07 2013 at 11:11am | IP Logged
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How did the cake turn out, Jenn?
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JennGM
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| Posted: Jan 07 2013 at 11:53am | IP Logged
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I'm embarrassed to say I couldn't pull the trigger and adjust the recipe this time. My husband is not demanding, but he requested a cake "just like" the one I made for my son, and I didn't want him to be disappointed. I know he would have noticed a difference. I didn't want to change it on his birthday.
Next time, no problem. I adjust recipes all the time, and I'll probably do butter (that Irish butter makes everything better, I must say!). Thanks for all the input, though. I have lots of ammunition.
I have made a Kahlua Cake out of a box cake recipe for years, and I think this cake recipe is the one to adjust to make it from scratch. So next celebration will be the adjustments!
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Jennifer G. Miller
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Baking with Coconut Oil
