I use groundnut (peanut) oil for most cooking purposes including occasionally for baking. Rapeseed and sunflower seed oils generally have too strong a flavour for my taste, but groundnut is much more neutral.
Butter is often, but not airways, my preferred option for cakes, certainly for pastry, but some recipes work better with oil, especially when you're looking for a more mois end result, and which will usually keep longer too.
I find grapeseed oil to be completely neutral smelling and tasting, even when heated.
So I ran through another recipe, this time I bought the green-lidded "no odor Coconut Oil bio coop brand" oil from Co-op, made an old banana bread recipe that I only ever made with shortening, and it came out absolutely sensational. Thank you for the recommendation of coconut oil! I'll try the regular stuff as well.
I see what folks mean by it makes it moister, I think for the previous recipe I would have put in butter since its a drier cake.
Because people complained about no pics, here's the dry/lotsaflour cake-bread thing (I would cut down on the dough and load up on the fruits, but its more of a traditional Polish style of cake)
And here's the banana bread with coconut oil (still moist and juicy 4 days later):
...after 4 days and only 1 small piece missing, is it really that good
Interesting how tastes differ.
I find Rapsöl (and even sunflower oil) to be very neutral, but can taste/smell coconut oil out of everything (and while I like coconuts, I can't stand coconut oil)
I know this was not very helpful now, sorry.
Would agree on butter btw. No oil will replace butter.
That picture was 4 days ago. I'm down to the last sliver that I'll feel guilty eating because it'll be all gone
I only ever came across one recipe that needed oil and it was a choc fondant.... so I found another recipe that needed butter and went with that. I've only ever used butter in baking.
I never have a problem with flavour as generally the butter here is flavourless - unless you actively seek out the salted butter which in my opinion is essential for sandwiches and toast....
Actually, in the US I always seeked out unsalted butter, as salted butter is just butter that tastes of salt.
Vile stuff.
Tom
I will NEVER agree with anyone who doesn't like salted butter . its a real marmite question isn't it.....
Dear Vostok,
I have a recipe for Carrot & Coconut muffins (Originally from The Lady magazine actually) made with Sunflower oil that even a week later is (even more delicious), moist and keeps well in the fridge without a hint of oily flavour to it. So maybe you need to experiment with a few other recipes from sources that you really trust, for the 'oil inclusion' to work for you. Best of luck and I'd be happy to pass on a couple of recipes if you'd like.
Hey Gato,
Here's a thread that would fit for you! Let's see some of those creations!