Whether it's for health reasons, a desire not to consume animal fats, a lack of butter in the refrigerator or simply a desire for a change, it is entirely possible to replace butter in a cake. with a few alternatives.
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What can replace butter in a cake?
That you do not want to incorporate butter into your cake recipe or that you lack butter at home is not an obstacle to making pastries.
It is indeed possible to substitute other ingredients for the traditional butter in the preparation of a cake:
Cottage cheese and yogurts: for a cake without butter and lighter, but also with a more airy dough, it is possible to use cottage cheese or yogurts.
For women who follow a diet, the option of yoghurt or cottage cheese with 0% fat is possible.
A less caloric and ideal substitute for making a yogurt and apple cake, for example.
Olive oil: vegetable oils are compatible with a vegan diet and contain unsaturated fatty acids, therefore good fats.
They bring softness to a cake.
However, not all of them can withstand high temperatures, and therefore the baking of a cake.
This is the case, for example, of walnut oil.
Vegetable butter: made from an oilseed puree such as almond or cashew nut puree, vegetable butter remains high in calories but is more interesting than butter from a nutritional point of view.
It contains good fats and vitamin E. It is also compatible with a vegan diet.
Pureed sweet vegetables: squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin but also zucchini allow the making of very trendy and healthy vegetable cakes.
They bring softness and very good vitamins for health.
Certain fruits such as apples, bananas or avocado: bananas, which should be very ripe, have far fewer calories than butter (89 kcal per 100 g) and can easily be added to the dough of a cake, to which they provide in addition to the binder.
Pureed avocado is also a good substitute with its 20% unsaturated fat content.
Read alsoFive common mistakes to avoid when baking a cake
How to replace 100 g of butter in a cake?
To replace 100 g of butter in a cake, it is not only necessary to choose the right substitute, but also the right dosage of the latter.
So the equivalences are as follows:
100g yoghurt or cottage cheese (whole, semi-skimmed or 0% fat) to replace 100g butter.
80 g of vegetable oil for 100 g of butter.
100 g of vegetable butter for 100 g of butter.
150 g of zucchini purée for 100 g of butter.
100 g of mashed banana for 100 g of butter.
100 g of mashed avocado for 100 g of butter.
50 g of apple compote with 50 g of oil.
In video, five common mistakes to avoid when preparing a cake
Why replace butter in a cake?
Several reasons can lead to wanting to replace the butter in a cake.
Alternatives to cooking without butter may respond to health reasons.
Indeed, if butter is a significant source of vitamin A, an important vitamin in the functioning of the immune system, vision, iron metabolism or in cell growth, it is also very rich in saturated fats (60% of its composition).
However, saturated fats increase the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) and lead to increased cardiovascular risks (including the risk of myocardial infarction or stroke).
In addition, some people are lactose intolerant and therefore cannot eat butter.
Another possible motivation: a vegan diet and therefore free of animal fats.
Finally, we can also have forgotten to buy butter or just want a change.
Fortunately, there are many alternatives to butter in baking cakes.
