Have you run out of butter? No problem. You can go right ahead and bake using Olive oil.
There are many good reasons why substituting butter or vegetable oil with Olive oil is recommended by health experts.
Allow me to tell you why and how you can use Olive oil for baking. I will also be sharing a few mouthwatering baking recipes with olive oil.
Why You Should Consider Baking in Olive Oil?
The recommended olive oil for baking is a mild intensity extra virgin Olive oil.
Extra virgin Olive oil has healthy unsaturated fat.
It contains polyphenol antioxidants that help to fight cancer, reduce inflammation, and decreases the risk of heart diseases.
Olive oil can protect against oxidative stress that can cause diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
The vitamin E inside helps to keep your baked food fresh for a long time.
Another reason for you to choose extra virgin olive oil over butter for baking is that you get a moist, tender texture and light olive flavor.
So take the bottle out from your pantry and get ready to bake.
Extra virgin olive oil is not just for salads, dips, and other Savory dishes. You can use it to bake brownies, cakes, and bread. The fruity flavor of olive is a great combination with citrus.
I will be sharing delicious recipes including lemon olive oil cake and grapefruit olive oil cake with you shortly.
How to Bake with Olive Oil?
Oils are a vital ingredient in Baking. They help to give a soft and spongy texture to food.
Olive oil has a distinctly fruity and mildly bitter flavor. It is important to use it in the right quantity as it directly affects the flavor of the baked product.
A mild intensity organic extra virgin olive oil is perfect for cookies, cakes, and muffins.
There are also classic loaves of bread like focaccia and ciabatta that cannot be baked without using olive oil.
You can also use the extra virgin olive oil for greasing the cake tin or pan and then sprinkling flour over it to create a non-stick layer.
How to Replace Butter with Olive Oil?
When you are substituting butter with extra virgin olive oil in a recipe, remember that butter is a solid fat whereas olive oil is liquid fat.
As a general rule, substitute four parts of butter with three parts of olive oil. If measuring in a cup, a quarter cup of melted butter equals three spoons of olive oil.
Here is a handy conversion chart to help you substitute butter or oil with olive oil in a baking recipe:
| BUTTER | OLIVE OIL |
|---|---|
| One teaspoon | 3/4th teaspoon |
| One tablespoon | Two and a quarter teaspoon |
| Two tablespoons | One and a half tablespoons |
| One-fourth Cup | Three tablespoons |
| One third cup | One-fourth cup |
| Half a cup | One-fourth cup + two tablespoons |
| Two-third cup | Half a cup |
| Three fourth cup | Half a cup + one tablespoon |
| One cup | Three fourth cup |
When Not to Replace Butter with Olive Oil?
Do not use olive oil for baking recipes that need butter to cream with sugar. This is done to make the batter airy and light.
Olive oil will not give you the same result as butter as it won’t aerate when mixed with sugar.
One such example is when baking a pound cake, where you should use butter and should not substitute it with olive oil.
You should always taste the olive oil. If you don’t like the taste of it in your salad or bread, then you definitely won’t like the flavor in your baked recipe.
Buy an extra virgin olive oil of your choice and taste it before baking with it.
How to Replace Vegetable Oil for Olive Oil in Baking?
For replacing vegetable oil in a baking recipe with olive oil, use a 1:1 ratio. This means that one spoon or one cup of vegetable oil should be replaced by an equal quantity of olive oil.
Please remember that vegetable oil is tasteless while olive oil has a strong flavor so use a mild intensity extra virgin olive oil.
For some recipes like dark chocolate cake, you can try using medium-intensity extra virgin olive oil.
The bitterness of chocolate will overpower the bitterness of olives.
Keep the olive oil in a cool dark place away from heat and sunlight to enhance its health benefits and retain the flavor.
Five Baking Recipes Using Olive Oil
I am sharing with you five mouth-watering baking recipes using olive oil:
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- Take three eggs. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. You can do this by making a small hole in the eggshell. Turn the eggshell upside down. The whites will come out from the small hole while the egg yolk will remain inside the shell.
- Pour the egg whites into a bowl. Add a pinch of sea salt and whisk. Keep whisking until soft peaks are formed. Keep this beaten mixture in the fridge.
- In a mixing bowl, take the three egg yolks. Add a cup of granulated sugar, the zest of one lemon, one tablespoon of vanilla extract, and one tablespoon of rum. Whisk until the mixture is pale yellow.
- Add the juice of one lemon and half a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Whisk well.
- Now add two cups of baking flour, and two spoons of baking powder. Whisk again. Add the egg white mixture from the fridge into the prepared baking mix. Use a spatula to mix the two mixtures in a folding motion from down to upwards.
- Take a mold and grease it with butter or olive oil. Sprinkle flour over it. Pour the prepared cake batter into it. Bake at 375C for 40 minutes.
Spiced Orange Olive Oil Cake
- Take a loaf pan and grease it with olive oil. Sprinkle flour over it lightly. Set aside.
- Beat four eggs in a bowl until they change into light color. Add three fourth cup of white sugar, â…” cup of extra virgin olive oil, two scoops of orange zest, and a spoonful of Chinese five-spice powder. whisk until you get a smooth batter.
- Next, add one-half cups of all-purpose flour, one tablespoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Fold the mixture upwards until all the ingredients are mixed properly.
- Take the mold and pour the batter. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Allow the cake to cool down before serving.
For details regarding the recipe and nutrition information, go through the link here.
Zucchini Bread
- Grease the mold pans or loaf pans. Dust flour on top. Set aside Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Take a bowl and sift three cups of baking flour, one spoon of baking powder, one teaspoon of baking soda, one tablespoon of salt, and one tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Keep aside.
- In a mixing bowl beat three eggs, one cup of olive oil, two and a half cups of white sugar, and three teaspoons of vanilla extract.
- Add the sifted mixture to the batter along with two cups of grated zucchini and one cup of chopped walnuts. Fold the mixture well by stirring in one direction.
- Pour the batter into the greased mold. Bake at 325F for forty to sixty minutes. Let the bread cool down before serving.
For more details, go through the recipe here.
Cinnamon Strawberry Oatmeal Muffin
- Grease muffin cups. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Take a bowl. Add one cup of baking flour, one cup of rolled oats, two teaspoons of baking powder, one teaspoon of baking soda, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and half a teaspoon of salt. Mix.
- In another big bowl, add one egg, half a cup of milk, ¼ cup of olive oil, and half a cup of sugar. Whisk. Add some freshly chopped strawberries. Stir the mix until a smooth batter is ready.
- Spoon the batter into the greased muffin cups. Bake at 425F for about twenty minutes.
For more information and nutritional information, go through the link here
Grapefruit Olive Oil Cake
- Grease and dust a loaf pan. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 325F.
- In a small bowl, add one tablespoon of shredded grapefruit peel and two tablespoons of sugar.
- In a larger bowl, mix one and ⅔ cup baking flour, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside
- In a mixing bowl whisk six tablespoons of butter with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add a cup of white sugar and beat again.
- Next, add two eggs one by one whisking after adding each.
- Take a small bowl and add ⅓ cup buttermilk with ¼ cup grapefruit juice.
- Now combine the flour bowl, whisked batter, and the buttermilk mixture all in one. Keep whisking while adding all.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Now take the first small bowl of grapefruit and sugar and brush it over the cake. Let the cake cool down before serving.
For more information and nutritional facts, click on the link here.
Conclusion
For a healthier eating option, bake your muffins, cookies, bread, and cakes in Olive oil. You can also coat your cake pan with it to create a non-stick layer.
Follow the chart table to easily convert the required quantity of butter with olive oil. For vegetable oil, use a 1:1 ratio for conversion.
Replace the vegetable oil in the same quantity with the olive oil.
Barring recipes that call for creaming with sugar, olive oil can be used as a substitute for butter and vegetable oil easily.
Just remember to use a mild intensity extra virgin olive oil as they won’t release grassy and bitter flavor.
Do try out the recipes above and let me know which one you liked. Bring in good health by baking in Olive Oil. Cheers!
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