Baking recipes using alternatives to butter

john946, Oct 28, 5:52pm
I'd like to hear of recipes for bisuits, slices & cakes using alternatives eg oil, instead of butter which is getting expensive for baking. Thanks, C

punkinthefirst, Oct 28, 8:21pm
Ordinary (not diet) margarine can be substituted for butter in most baking, with a few exceptions. Experiment with your favourite recipes. I have only found oil to be successful in large cakes. There are recipes in this board for chocolate cakes, mudcake and carrot cake which use oil and which are pretty good. They're usually soft and moist and keep well. Any cake recipe that calls itself a "Chiffon Cake" is usually made with oil, and some of the lemon and orange cakes that use polenta or almond meal often have oil as their main fat.

buzzy110, Oct 28, 9:58pm
Some recipes that do not use butter. Some I have made and some are I haven't.

FEIJOA LOAF
½ Cup Boiling water
½ Cup Oil
2 t vanilla essence
2 eggs
1½ Flour
1tpn each Baking Powder, Baking Soda
1 Cup sugar
5 (or more) diced feijoas

Topping
1Cup dessicated coconut
¼ Cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven 180oC

Dates in bowl, cover with boiling water - cool

Place Oil, Vanilla and Eggs in bowl and beat well
Sift Flour, Baking Powder and Baking Soda into mixture
Add Sugar and beat
Add Feijoas, Dates and Water
Pour into lightly oiled ring tin (20-23cm)
Bake @ 180oC for 35 mins
Mix topping, dot over baked cake and return to oven for 10mins or until golden.

Recipe suggests leaving a day for flavours to develop!

buzzy110, Oct 28, 9:59pm
FIELDER’S CLASSIC SPONGE
Pre-heat oven to 190oC or 170oC for a fan forced oven
Line the base of 2 x 20cm Sandwich tins with baking paper
Note: Do not grease sides of tin

3 No 7 Eggs – Separated and at room temperature
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Cornflour (Edmonds if you have it)
2 tspns Flour
1 tspn Baking Powder
Method
1. Sift Cornflour, Flour and Baking Powder together
2. Beat Egg Whites until peaks just fold over when the beater is removed
3. Slowly add the ½ cup Sugar beating till stiff and sugar dissolved
4. Beat Egg Yolks until well blended
5. Fold (gently using a metal spoon and an up, down and over movement) the sifted Cornflour mixture into the Eggs
6. Pour into prepared tins and bake 15-20mins
7. Speed is essential once dry ingredients are added to time it goes into oven
8. Drop filled tins before putting in the oven and after removing from oven
9. Cakes are ready if it springs back when touched lightly in centre
10. Cool 5mins in tins, loosen sides with a knife and turn onto racks.
11. Should shrink slightly from the side when cooked
12. Remove baking paper lining and turn right side up

buzzy110, Oct 28, 10:02pm
This recipe has butter in the icing but you could use margarine instead. It also needs to be made in a ring tin or it won't work.

CARROT CAKE
¾ Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Cup Flour
1½ tspns Baking Powder
1 tspn Baking Soda
1 tspn Cinnamon
¼ tspn Salt
1½ Cups Grated Carrot
½ Cup Walnuts – Chopped
Icing
50grams Butter
½ Cup Cream Cheese
½ tspn Lemon Rind
½ tspn Lemon Juice
¾ Cup Icing Sugar

Method
1 Beat Oil and Sugar for 3 minutes until sugar is dissolved
2 Add Eggs one at a time and beat well between additions
3 Sift Flour, Baking Powder, Soda, Cinnamon and Salt
4 Fold dry ingredients into mixture in bowl
5 Fold in Grated Carrot and Chopped Walnuts
6 Bake in greased and lined ring tin at 180oC for 50-60mins
7 Turn out on a wire rack and ice when cool

Icing
1 Beat together the Butter, Cream Cheese and Lemon Rind until smooth and fluffy
2 Add Lemon Juice and sift in Icing Sugar to spreading consistency

buzzy110, Oct 28, 10:04pm
FROZEN BAILEYS CHEESECAKE
300g Spreadable Cream Cheese – Cool
250g Cream Cheese – Room temperature
2 Lemons Rind
1 ½ cup Baileys Liqueur
½ cup Sugar
¼ cup Water
3 Egg Whites
Crunchy Chocolate Topping
½ cup Dark Chocolate Bits
3 Tbspns Coffee Beans – finely ground
6 Tbspns Cream
Method
• In a bowl blend spreadable Cream Cheese (mascarpone?), Cream Cheese and Lemon Rind
• Gradually work in the Baileys and set aside
• Put Sugar & Water into small saucepan over low heat and stir until Sugar dissolves
• Stop stirring and bring to a rapid boil, boiling until the syrup reaches soft ball stage, (see Cook's Tip, below). Remove from the heat.
• Beat the Egg Whites until stiff and then gradually beat in the Sugar sYrup, beating until you have a very thick and glossy meringue
• Fold the Egg White Meringue into the Cream Cheese and Bailey's mixture
• Pour into a 23 cm springform cake tin and freeze for 8 hours or overnight
• Place the Chocolate, Coffee and Cream together in a heat-proof bowl and melt in the microwave. Cool before pouring on top of the cheesecake. Return to the freezer for 2 hours.
• Allow to stand in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving.
Notes
• **Best used within 1 week.
• **Cooks Tip: Soft Ball Stage: To test, place a wet teaspoon into the syrup and drop into a cupful of cold water . If it forms a soft gluey ball that can be squashed and rolled in your fingers, then it is right. If tacky, continue to boil a minute or two before trying again.

john946, Dec 8, 12:14pm
Many thanks for your help, C