Have you tried baking your first cake? Baking a perfect cake takes a lot of practice and accuracy. You will encounter a bunch of mishaps along the way.
If your cake turned out greasy, there are still remedies you can try. To help you, we researched different ways to solve this baking problem, and here's what we found.
To remove excess oil from a baked cake, you can perform the following easy yet tested baking techniques:
- Transfer it to the cooling rack.
- Dab it with an absorbent kitchen towel.
- Lay parchment liner while cooling.
- Pour rice grains into the tin can's bottom.
Every bite of baked cakes brings happiness and sweetness to our lives, but they can be unappetizing if shiny or soggy. This article will cover the solutions for an oily cake.
We'll also discuss the causes of greasiness, common baking problems, oil alternatives, and other related questions. Continue reading as you improve your cake's texture!
What Should I Do If My Cake Is Too Oily?
Let's dig right into these tested baking techniques you can do if your cake is too oily.
Transfer The Cake To The Cooling Rack
Remove the cakes from the tin within five or ten minutes after baking and place them on a cooling rack. This will help in preventing condensation from building up between the cake and the lining paper.
Click here to see these cooling racks on Amazon.
Dab The Cake With Kitchen Towel
The upper surface of cakes can be oily similar to the bottom part. You can improvise kitchen paper towels as an oil blotter. Likewise, try dabbing fat absorbers in your cake instead of fried foods or pizzas.
Click here to see these fat absorber sheets on Amazon.
Lat Parchment Liner While Cooling
The parchment liner allows easy removal of baked goods from the pan. Aside from the pre-cut liner inside the tin, you can lay a new sheet over the cooling rack.
This will further soak the excess grease at the cake bottom.
Click here to see this baking parchment on Amazon.
Pour Rice Grains Into Cake Pan's Bottom
Another practical hack is filling a cake container or topper with rice grains. You will achieve a grease-free bottom before placing the liner or during cooling. Remember, the rice will not burn.
What Causes A Cake To Be Oily?
Based on a baking forum, several factors contribute to the greasiness of your cake. Check whether you committed these mistakes:
- Over-beating because you have melted butter instead of soft
- Too many wet ingredients
- Ingredients are chilled, causing the mixture to curdle
- Inappropriate pan thickness
- Spraying too much PME or grease in the pan
- The baking tin is at the last oven rack
- High heat exposure of the top part
How Can I Avoid Making A Greasy Cake?
After learning the root causes of this problem, it is best to avoid them and perform the right actions for a better outcome. An ounce of prevention is better than layers of greasy cake, so consider these techniques to improve your baking skills:
- Weigh your ingredients instead of using measuring cups and spoons.
- Soften your butter by cubbing or warming the block in a pan or microwave.
- Follow the exact measurements in the recipe.
- Purchase quality fat or butter.
- Ensure the right balance between the dry and liquid components.
- Whisk your batter for a few minutes only to avoid over-beating.
- Avoid over-greasing your baking tin.
What Can I Use In A Cake Instead Of Vegetable Oil?
While the standard baking or cooking oil is vegetable oil, more hearty options are available in the market. For instance, neutral oils, like canola and soybean oil, have little flavor.
Thus, there will be no changes in the taste of your cake.
Nonetheless, some recipes call for flavored oils (nut and unrefined oils) and neutral ones. They work best if you add only a tiny portion for a subtle kick to your cake without overpowering other ingredients.
Below are a few oil alternatives you must try in an equal ratio:
Olive Oil
Use extra virgin olive oil for better results. Since it can quickly go rancid, always opt for premium quality and fresh stock. It has varying intensity, from mild to strong.
Although the mild variant is more versatile, the medium ones are perfect for dark chocolate cakes. This oil will make the cake taste fruity and bitter. Unlike butter and vegetable oil, it is more lightweight.
Click here to see this olive oil on Amazon.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil offers a hint of vanilla flavor in baked goods. Since it is also a saturated fat like butter, it will harden when chilled. Thus, other ingredients should be at room temperature when mixing.
The refined version goes well with most cake recipes because it is odor- and flavor-free.
Avocado Oil
Despite the high price tag, it leaves a buttery profile and milder taste than coconut and olive oils.
Click here to see this bottle of avocado oil on Amazon.
Is It Better To Make Cakes With Oil Or Butter?
Although both are typical fat sources, oil and butter differ in several ways. Each has distinct functions in baking and ideal recipes where one can excel.
Texture And Flavor
Adding the right amount of oil produces tender, fluffy, and moist cakes. Its essential roles are leavening, binding the ingredients, and reducing gluten formation. You can add sugar, chocolate, or spices for added flavor.
Meanwhile, mixing blocks of butter in your batter makes it more flavorful and boosts gluten strength for a denser and harder cake. It also brings the shine to the top.
Unsalted versions are more appropriate than salted ones for better control of saltiness.
Shelf Life And Storage
The ones with oil last longer than those with butter. Another factor to consider is storing the cake. Cake with butter dries out quickly because it becomes firmer when refrigerated.
If you opt for oil, the cake texture remains at room temperature or chilled. Likewise, you can serve it immediately and top it with fresh fruits.
Substitution
For some reason, you cannot substitute them in equal portions. When the recipe requires butter, reduce the oil amount by 15%.
In contrast, melt the butter when substituting it for oil to measure the portion well. Despite the differences, consider combining these two ingredients to enjoy both worlds.
Click here to see this canned butter on Amazon.
Can You Still Bake A Cake Without Oil?
Did you run out of oil in your pantry, or do you want to cut down on calories? Stay calm because you can still bake a cake using other goods.
The ideal substitute must have a neutral to mild flavor, so it will not affect the overall taste.
Among the popular and nutritious alternatives is applesauce. Replace every one part of the oil with half a cup of applesauce. Another option is a fruit puree.
While you can use any fruit type, dried plums, avocado, raspberry, or blueberry are common. The proportion can be equal, but you can decrease the amount of powdered sugar to balance the sweetness.
Here are more practical substitutes for vegetable oil you can try:
- Diet Soda
- Ghee
- Margarine
- Mayonnaise
- Mashed banana or pumpkin
- Melted butter
- Sour cream
- Vegetable shortening
- Yogurt
Watch this clip for more oil-free baking techniques:
Can I Replace Oil With Water In Cake?
Although water and oil can be both in liquid form, they serve different purposes and ratios in every recipe. According to baking experts in a forum, you cannot replace oil with water when baking a cake.
Otherwise, you will get a different result because the water will vaporize during the boiling point. One common outcome is dry, hard, and flat cake.
Likewise, milk is not a good replacement for oil despite its limited fat content. Since oil is fat, the best substitute must also be rich in fat to create the ideal cake texture and appearance.
What Are Some Common Cake-Baking Mistakes?
Besides the tools and ingredients, you must watch out for these common problems in cake baking, so you can prevent them from happening.
- Remained flat or failed to rise
- Burnt or raw cake
- Stuck in the baking tin
- Curdling or splitting cake
- Dry and crumbly texture
- Sunken or uneven top
- Too hard or too moist
Solutions To Baking Problems
Here are the tips and tricks for a perfectly baked cake:
- Re-compute proportions of ingredients using cake calculators to avoid excess or deficit.
- Use raising agents such as baking powder for an airy texture.
- Preheat the oven and set a timer every five minutes for monitoring.
- Cover the pan with tin foil to trap the steam.
- Ensure the oven temperature is correct.
- Place the batter in the ideal-size baking tin.
- Increase the flour as you combine the ingredients to prevent separation.
- Avoid over-whisking or beating.
- Conceal imperfections with icing or toppings.
- Refrain from opening the oven door while baking.
- Keep the ingredients at room temperature before beating or baking.
- Transform it into pie crust, cheesecake, truffle bites, or ice cream cake.
Final Thoughts
If your baked cake is too greasy, use a cooling rack, parchment liner, kitchen towel, and rice grains to absorb the excess oil. Since accuracy is crucial to cake baking, it takes a lot of trial and error.
But eventually, you will master its techniques and avoid committing common mistakes.
Made it to the end? Check out these helpful related articles below:
Can You Bake Two Cakes At The Same Time? [Inc. Pies And Cheesecake]
How To Stop Sprinkles From Bleeding Into Cake Icing
How To Store Crumb-Coated Cake Overnight
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