substituting oil for butter in cakes

Question

i make a lemon cake with almond paste, lemon zest and limoncello.  it uses 1/3 cup oil but it also has 5 Tblspns butter.  anyone know from experience how much oil would replace the butter?  i'm making it for someone who can't tolerate dairy.  maybe 1/3 cup would b enough or maybe i should go to 1 full cup of oil.  i can always cut back or add if i get the ratio wrong.  Tx

Nancy · Answer

OK you got reliable info for this cake. In future, maybe make olive-oil based cakes for those who can't tolerate dairy.

alan · Answer

thanks for the help, everyone.  the woman i'm making the baked goods for has a husband who isn't just lactose intolerant.  he has some kind of allergy that he will get sick from the slightest hint of butter.  i'm in israel so i don't know what butter substitutes exist.  i have several cakes, cookies that don't use dairy.  the limoncello cake i mentioned i will make w oil instead of butter.

AntoniaJames · Answer

The butter in this recipe adds flavor, no doubt. I'd replace it with a good "vegan butter" alternative. Baking on a regular basis for someone who is lactose intolerant, I've found the Miyoko's product called "European-Style Cultured Vegan Butter" works quite well in cakes.
It's also one of the few vegan butters that browns nicely. I read somewhere that's because it has nuts in it, whose proteins and sugars make browning possible. ;o)

alan · Answer

i did ask the woman who wants me to make it for her husband to sign off, yes

Nancy · Answer

Alan, allergies or intolerances vary so much, I would rely for an opinion on the person who has the condition or a medical professional (which I'm not, sorry, :)]

alan · Answer

thanks for the info.  do u agree that clarifying butter to remove the milk solids would work for a dairy-intolerant person?

alan · Answer

clarifying the butter is an interesting possibility if, in fact, that would negate the dairy intolerance.  i'll have to verify that.  Tx

drbabs · Answer

Following up on what Nancy said, 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon equals 1/3 cup, so I’d probably simplify it by using 2/3 cup oil. Or you could clarify the butter (melt it and strain out the milk solids) so you’d get the butter flavor without the dairy.

Nancy · Answer

Alan, since most commercial butter in USA is about 80% fat (remainder is water and some milk solids), I use 80% oil by volume as replacement for it in recipes.
Thus, 4 tbsp oil for 5 tbsp butter in original.

substituting oil for butter in cakes

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