What can I substitute for vegetable oil in a cake mix?

1. 73

   Just Ask Susanposted 12 years ago

   What can I substitute for vegetable oil in a cake mix?
   
   I went to bake a cake this morning and realized that I don't have any vegetable oil. Is there something that I can use other than vegetable oil? Would Extra Virgin Olive Oil work?

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2. 72

   carol7777posted 12 years ago

   You don't want to use olive oil as it has way too strong a taste. You can use applesauce/

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      lisasuniquevoiceposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree.
      Lisa

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   2. 73

      Just Ask Susanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Carol, I'll have to try that. I didn't have any apples to make applesauce so I ended up using a mixture of butter and coconut oil.

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3. 60

   Amber Vynposted 12 years ago

   Carol777 is right in that you need to be careful about the flavors in other oils. For baking, I love coconut oil for its sweet flavor and how it adds the desired fluffiness and flakiness to everything.
   
   Margarine is just a solidified version of vegetable oil. So that can be a 1 for 1 substitute. 
   
   If you have real butter, that's even better!

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      peeplesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      +1 Coconut oil or real butter!

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      Charluposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Definitely agree with the coconut oil.  I love that stuff and use it for almost all baking and numerous other cooking purposes because it brings out the flavor in everything like nothing you can imagine.  Plus it's good for you! 
      Great answer

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4. 60

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   Unsweetened apple sauce works very well.  No, I wouldn't use olive oil, it is too heavy.  Or if you have a blender you could pulverize prunes or any really moist fruit and try that.
   
   I would also consider adding an additional egg for the moisture and fat.

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5. 77

   DzyMsLizzyposted 12 years ago

   I can vouch for the unsweetened applesauce--my daughter taught me this trick years back...but many, many years prior to her learning that, (when she was in about junior high school), she set out to surprise me and bake a birthday cake for me. 
   The directions said "vegetable oil," and for some reason, she did not make the connection to the "normal" cooking oil, and deduced through creative logic that, "Well, olives are vegetables..."  so she used olive oil.
   It did not affect the baking or rising properties of the cake, but let's just say the flavor was... "surprising,"  (and not altogether pleasant). Mission accomplished...I was very surprised!  LOL

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   1. 73

      Just Ask Susanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks Dzy, I'll remember this.

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6. 93

   Sharyn's Slantposted 12 years ago

   Extra Virgin Applesauce
   Ugh, answer is too short ~ hmmmm,
   Extra Virgin Applesauce

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7. 0

   lindashockleyposted 12 years ago

   By now, you've probably figured out that it would've been faster to just run out to the store & buy some vegetable oil. If you're using a mix it might include instructions on how to substitute applesauce but then you might not have that on hand either.
   
   I agree with others who say don't use olive oil; I tried that once & it was awful. If you use butter, make sure the butter is so soft it's almost melted (but don't really melt it). If it's too hard, it won't mix well with the other ingredients.

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   1. 73

      Just Ask Susanposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yes it would have been faster to run to the store I ended up using a mixture of butter and coconut oil and it worked great.

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8. 91

   georgialgal1984posted 12 years ago

   I agree with the applesauce and coconut oil. Hope your day is lovely~

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9. 71

   Missy Macposted 12 years ago

   I had this issue and I used canola oil or margarine.  It was great!

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10. 81

    ketageposted 12 years ago

    Butter or margarine, Yummy. But then I seem to be something of a butter addict. I can finish half a slab of butter in one breakfast sitting, So I might be slightly biased

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