Friends who bake: talk to me. I’m making gingerbread later this week, and the recipe (which by the way is outstanding) calls for oil. I don’t like the aftertaste I get from using canola oil.* I’ve tried using butter, increasing the quantity by about 25% — it’s not as moist. What should I try next? Things I’ve considered:
- Maybe the milk solids make it set up harder. I could use ghee instead of butter. Or coconut oil if I’m too lazy to make ghee.
- Maybe the much higher level of saturated fat in the butter is to blame. In that case, neither ghee nor coconut oil would help. I could try an oil with better flavor, but olive oil just sounds weird and peanut doesn’t sound much better. Sesame sounds great. Also expensive. Recommendations?
- Maybe there’s some other magical solution I’ve never heard of. Add a few tablespoons of bourbon and the cake will be perfectly moist? Drink a few tablespoons of bourbon and I won’t care anymore?
p.s. googling this problem led me to many, many explanations about when and how to replace butter with oil. WRONG DIRECTION, friends.
*I freely admit that this is a ridiculously tiny detail in the context of a cake as spicy, moist, and delicious as this one. Nevertheless, it bothers me.
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December 20, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Kathy
I recommend a light olive oil. Why would that be “weird?”
December 21, 2011 at 4:12 pm
Hilary Brown
Olive oil is weird. The oil does keep it moist. We always make gingerbread during the holidays and I use either the Silver Palette recipe or one from “In the Sweet Kitchen” by Regan Daley (family is divided on which is better – I prefer Regan Daley). Maybe good old fashioned corn oil?
January 3, 2012 at 12:17 pm
Laurel
Ok, here’s what I did. I used a full stick of butter and 3/8 c. light-flavored olive oil. I also bumped up the spices a lot. It was perfect. Full write-up soon.