Recipe

Vegan Chocolate Cream Mini Cakes

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vegan chocolate mini cakes with chocolate cream and blueberries by Sara Kidd

These vegan chocolate cream mini cakes are delicious and absolutely easy to bake. This recipe includes mini chocolate cakes and my simple vegan chocolate pastry cream recipe. You can use this recipe for cupcakes, however they won’t be as dome like as my other vegan cupcakes. You can use blueberries, or any type of berries to decorate and edible flowers to decorate.

The chocolate cake is very rich, similar to a heavier style chocolate mud cake. It’s not as dense as a mud cake but it’s also not fluffy and light like a usual cupcake. The cinnamon and coffee enhance the chocolate flavour of the cake making it a more memorable experience. 

The chocolate pastry cream recipe can be used for filling other types of vegan cakes or pastries. These chocolate cream mini cakes are ideal for high tea or when you’re wanting to bake something that more bite sized. Here are a few tips for mastering this recipe.

Tips for this recipe

  • Use your favourite high quality vegan coverture chocolate
  • Make sure to heat your oven to the correct temperature before baking your cakes, I recommend using an oven thermometer
  • Grease your cupcake pans heavily as you’re not using cupcake lines to release them. I like using a silicone cupcake tray for an easier release
  • If you don’t have or like soy milk, you can substitute it with oat milk
  • All cup measurements are in Australian sizes

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Vegan Chocolate Cream Mini Cakes 1 scaled

Vegan Chocolate Cream Mini Cakes

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Sara Kidd
  • Total Time: 3 hours 27 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
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Ingredients

Units Scale

Mini Cakes

  • 190 g melted vegan butter or margarine (3/4 cup + 1 teaspoon)
  • 230 g caster sugar (1 cup)
  • 90 ml fresh brewed espresso or strong coffee (1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
  • 265 ml plain soy milk (1 cup + 1 tablespoon)
  • 3 tsp white vinegar
  • 300 g plain all-purpose flour (2 cups)
  • 60 g cocoa powder (plus additional for dusting)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Fresh blueberries to decorate
  • Gold dust to decorate
  • Edible flowers to decorate

Chocolate Pastry Cream

  • 185 g coconut cream (3/4 cup)
  • 170 ml plain soy milk (2/3 cup)
  • 170 g vegan dark chocolate (1 heaped cup of chopped chocolate)
  • 1/2 tsp agar agar powder
  • Pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions

Mini Chocolate Cakes

  1. Preheat the oven 170°C/340°F and lightly grease a jumbo cupcake pan and dust very lightly with cocoa powder. Enough for 12 mini cakes.
  2. In a mixing bowl, mix together melted butter and sugar. Add coffee and vanilla and stir thoroughly.
  3. In another bowl, mix together soy milk and vinegar to create a thick buttermilk substitute. Add to the melted butter mixture and stir until completely incorporated. Set aside.
  4. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
  5. Make a well in the middle of the flour and slowly pour in the liquid. Gently mix together with a whisk until just combined.
  6. Pour batter into each of your cupcake tins, filling them ¾ of the way to the top. Bake in the oven for around 25-27 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it.
  7. Allow to cool for 20 minutes in the cake tins before turning out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

  1. In a small saucepan, heat soy milk over medium heat until small bubbles start to form around the edge. Before it comes to a full boil, remove from the heat.
  2. Mix agar agar and a small amount of warmed soy milk in another bowl until dissolved. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan, whisking to combine.
  3. Place the saucepan back on medium heat. Continuously stir for at least 2 minutes, until the liquid comes back to the brink of a boil.
  4. Chop your chocolate into small pieces and add to a large mixing bowl that is microwave safe. Pour the hot soy milk mixture over chocolate and allow to sit for 10 mins.
  5. Using a wooden spoon, stir the chocolate and soy milk until it’s completely smooth. If it’s still lumpy, place in the microwave for 10-20 seconds and stir vigorously. Stir in the coconut cream and salt last.
  6. Cover the bowl with plastic or baking paper, placing it directly onto the surface of the chocolate cream so it doesn’t form a skin.
  7. Chill in the fridge for at least two hours to set.
  8. Once set, whip with a whisk or hand blender until completely smooth. Place back into the fridge until ready to use.

How To Assemble Your Mini Cakes

  1. Level each cake by using a serrated knife to cut off the domes on the top of your cakes. Turn upside-down and make sure your cake sits evenly; the bottom of the cake is now the top.
  2. Fill a piping bag with a large round nozzle with chocolate cream. Pipe cream onto the top and centre of your cakes to form a large dome.
  3. Decorate your blueberries with gold dust using a small paint brush and place them on to the top of your chocolate cream. Add some fresh edible flowers to compliment the blueberries and serve.
  • Prep Time: 3 hours
  • Cook Time: 27 minutes
  • Category: Cake
  • Cuisine: Dessert

Keywords: cake, chocolate

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Vegan Vanilla Butterfly Cupcakes

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Vegan Butterfly Jam Cupcakes By Sara Kidd

Vegan cupcakes can be tricky. How do we get them so white and with a perfect dome top? I’ve finally mastered this recipe and you can now bake the perfect vegan cupcakes. 

These vegan butterfly cupcakes are simply the cutest. This recipe is very easy to bake and you can use the cupcake recipe as a stand alone bake too. These cupcakes are my best recipe yet (I have another 2 my my site but this is the best so far). The cupcake crumb is perfectly white, soft, fluffy and has that great dome effect we are all chasing when we bake cupcakes – especially vegan ones. This recipe is part of my Vegan High Tea Special and I will be releasing very easy vegan recipes that you can bake to create your own High Tea experience.

Vegan Butterfly Cupcakes by Sara Kidd

Here are a few quick tips for making the perfect vegan cupcakes

  1. Make sure your oven is heated to the correct temperature before your cupcakes go into the oven
  2. Bake on the top rack of your oven, this will help create that dome effect
  3. Use high quality vanilla, this will have a big impact on the flavour
  4. Remove cupcakes from pan after 5 mins (it will be hot so be careful) this will stop the bottoms from becoming soggy
  5. Don’t over mix your batter otherwise your cupcakes will be chewy
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Vegan Butterfly Jam Cupcakes By Sara Kidd

Vegan Butterfly Cupcakes

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Sara Kidd
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 18 cupcakes 1x
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Description

These cupcakes are light and fluffy with the perfect dome on top to create little butterflies.

Ingredients

Units Scale

CUPCAKES

  • 200 mls neutral vegetable oil (3/4 cup + 2 teaspoons)
  • 200 g caster sugar (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • 250 mls plain soy milk (1 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 60 mls water (1/4 cup)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 310 g plain all purpose flour (2 cups + 2 teaspoons)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

STRAWBERRY JAM

  • 150 g fresh or frozen strawberries (thawed and drained, chopped, almost 1 cup)
  • 80 g caster sugar (1/3 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

BUTTERCREAM

  • 160 g vegan butter or margarine (2/3 cup)
  • 155 g icing or confectioners sugar (1 1/4 cup)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1–2 tablespoon boiling water (if needed)
  • Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

MAKE CUPCAKES

  1. Preheat your convection oven to 180°C/350°F and line 12 holes cupcake tin with cupcake papers.
  2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together oil and sugar.
  3. In a separate small bowl, mix together soy milk and vinegar to make a thick buttermilk substitute. Add water and vanilla, stirring to combine. Pour into oil and sugar mix and mix together well.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, sift together all your dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle and pour in the liquid ingredients. Mix together gently with a whisk until just combined.
  5. Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter equally between the cupcake tins, filling each ¾ of the way to the top.
  6. Bake on the top rack of your oven for 12-15 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean with almost no cake crumbs.
  7. Allow to cool in pan for 5 mins before turning onto a cooling rack.

MAKE STRAWBERRY JAM

  1. Place the strawberries in a large saucepan along with the sugar and lemon juice. Cook gently over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Bring to a vigorous boil and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Mash the fruit with the back of your spatula if you want the texture a bit smoother and less chunky. Watch carefully, stirring often,to make sure it doesn’t burn or overcook. The bubbling will start to slow as it thickens.
  3. To check it’s ready, place a spoon in the freezer for a few minutes. Remove and add a small amount of jam. Run your finger through the middle (be careful; it’s hot!) and if the jam doesn’t flood to fill the hole, it’s ready. Remove from heat and set aside.

MAKE BUTTERCREAM FILLING

  1. Warm butter in the microwave until softened but not melted. Place in a large mixing bowl and using a hand mixer, beat on a low speed until completely smooth and lump free.
  2. If there are still lumps, add 1-2 tablespoons of boiling water and beat. If there are still lumps after that, remove 2 tbsp of the mixture and melt completely before adding back into the bowl. Beating vigorously until smooth.
  3. Sift icing sugar and add a cup at a time into the bowl whilst beating on low speed. Add vanilla, flavours and salt and beat until combined.
  4. Place the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes to set. It should be firm enough to spread without running or dripping.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR CUPCAKES

  1. Once your cupcakes and jam have completely cooled, use a sharp paring knife and cut a 2cm-deep x 3cm-wide piece from top of each cupcake.
  2. Cut each of the cupcake tops in half.
  3. Pipe your buttercream into each hole and then swirl over the top to make a small dome.
  4. Spoon your jam down the middle of your buttercream.
  5. Arrange the cut cake tops on each side of the jam to form wings.

Notes

Cup measures are in Australian / New Zealand sizing. 

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Cupcakes
  • Cuisine: Dessert

Keywords: cupcake

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See my other recipe for one bowl vegan vanilla cupcakes

This recipe was published in Nourish Magazine

Vegan Raspberry Hot Crossed Buns

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Vegan Raspberry Hot Crossed Buns by Sara Kidd

Easter is almost here and why not bake a vegan version of Hot Crossed Buns. I’m not a huge fan of dried sultanas or currants but I adore raspberries. So I created a vegan recipe for raspberry hot crossed buns. You can swap out the raspberries for any type of fried dried berry. Here are my top tips for this recipe:

  • The longer you leave the dough proof, the better the result. I leave mine overnight.
  • Use freeze dried berries for the best results.
  • Place a baking dish with water in the bottom of your oven to create steam to help the buns rise.
  • If you can, use vegan butter instead of margarine for a better flavour.
  • Eat almost straight away or re-heat before serving.

If you have any questions about this recipe feel free to leave a comment below.

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Vegan Hot Crossed Buns by Sara Kidd

Vegan Raspberry Hot Crossed Buns

  • Author: Sara Kidd
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 0 9 – 12 1x
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Description

Delicious Hot Crossed Bun recipe for those who love raspberries!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 12 g activate dried yeast (1 heaped tablespoon or 1 1/2 packets )
  • 1/2 teaspoon bread improver (optional)
  • 190 mls plain soy milk, luke warm (3/4 cup )
  • 115 g caster sugar (1/2 cup )
  • 500 g bread flour (+ 2 tablespoons and extra for dusting)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 125 g vegan butter or margarine, cubed (1/2 cup )
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 15 g freeze-dried raspberry pieces (1/2 cup )
  • 1/2 tsp pure rose extract
  • 4 to 5 drops vegan pink food colouring (optional)

GLAZE

  • 60 mls boiling water (1/4 cup )
  • 2 tablespoons glucose syrup

TOPPING

  • 60 mls water (1/4 cup )
  • 35 g plain all-purpose flour (1/4 cup )
  • 1 tablespoon freeze-dried raspberry powder
  • 2 drops vegan pink food colouring

Instructions

  1. Put the warm soy milk in a small bowl and sprinkle in the yeast, bread improver, and one tablespoon of the caster sugar. Stir and let sit for 10 mins.
  2. Sieve the flour, cinnamon, and salt together into the bowl of a standard mix master with a dough hook attachment. Add the remaining sugar along with the butter, vanilla, and pink food colouring (if using.) Pour in the yeast and milk mixture.
  3. On medium speed, knead for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on your dough. If it's not coming together and it's too dry, add more soy milk. If it's too wet, add more flour. Your dough should come together smoothly, and there should be no sticky, shaggy pieces left on the inside of the mixing bowl. To test if dough is ready, pause the mixer and roll a small amount into a ball using your hands. Slowly pull the ball apart and if it’s slightly transparent in the center, without the piece breaking, your dough is ready. This is called the ‘window test’. Once your dough has reached this consistency, remove from the bowl and gently place onto a floured pastry mat. Spread the dough out slightly so you can fold it in half again. Add half of your raspberries into the middle of the dough and fold it over. Return the dough to your mixer and add 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix on a low speed until the raspberries are fully incorporated into the dough. Do the window test again to make sure your dough is ready.
  4. Place your dough into a large bowl that has been lightly oiled. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and allow it to proof for at least 2 to 3 hours in a warm part of your kitchen. Your dough should double in size. For best results, leave the dough to rest overnight.
  5. Once it’s risen, punch it down a few times with your fist. Add the remaining raspberry pieces and then knead it again for a few minutes until combined.
  6. Divide into 8 or 12 equal portions, depending on your preferred size, and knead each one lightly. Use a scale to measure them more accurately by weight..
  7. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and lightly grease.
  8. Place the dough balls onto your baking tray, allowing the buns to just barely touch. Cover and let them sit for another 30 to 60 minutes.
  9. Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by mixing together your boiling water and glucose syrup until it’s dissolved. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of your buns with the glaze. Save any excess for brushing once more after baking.
  10. For the topping, mix together the water, flour, raspberry powder, and food colouring into a paste. Transfer the mixture into a small piping bag and snip off a small corner. Pipe crosses onto the buns by drawing a long vertical line down the middle of the first row, from one end of the batch to the other. Repeat, and then do this horizontally to form crosses.
  11. Preheat a convection oven to 180°C / 350°F and place a large heatproof dish filled with water onto the bottom shelf.
  12. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate your pan and bake for another 10 minutes, until the buns sound hollow when tapped.
  13. Take the buns out of the oven and transfer to a rack to cool. Brush again with remaining glaze. Sprinkle any remaining freeze dried raspberries on top.
  14. Serve warm your favourite vegan butter!
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Berries
  • Cuisine: Breakfast

Keywords: Hot crossed buns

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Vegan Chocolate Easter

Vegan Tahini Hazelnut Brownies

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Vegan Tahini Hazelnut Brownies


Who doesn’t love a vegan brownie? I think they were designed with heartbreak in mind. Why else would you cram as much chocolate and cake as you could into a square-shaped treat, making it so fudgy it coats every inch of your mouth with the euphoric promise of an endorphin hit?

Whether you’re heartbroken or needing a 3pm chocolate pickup, these vegan tahini hazelnut brownies will get you going.

The recipe steps for this tahini brownie are really easy to follow. You can replace tahini with peanut butter or another favourite nut butter of your choosing.

TIPS

  • Dry roast your hazelnuts for a richer flavour and crunchier texture
  • Use good quality couverture vegan chocolate to enrich that chocolate flavour
  • If your tahini is too thick to pour, stir through some oil and heat in the microwave for a 20 seconds
  • If you’re wanting a denser gooey brownie, add 20g of extra butter and remove the baking powder.
Screen Shot 2021 02 10 at 9.03.49 AM
vegan tahini brownie mixing
Vegan brownies recipe tahini
Vegan Tahini Hazelnut Brownie
Vegan Tahini Hazelnut Brownies
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Vegan Tahini Brownies

Vegan Tahini Hazelnut Brownies

  • Author: Sara Kidd
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
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Description

Quick, easy brownie recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • 6 tbsp boiling water
  • 220 g vegan butter or margarine
  • 200 g vegan dark chocolate
  • 150 g plain all-purpose flour
  • 150 g white sugar
  • 60 g cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 50 g roughly chopped dry roasted hazelnuts
  • 60 g hulled tahini paste

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 347F/175C. Line a deep 18CM by 27CM baking tray with baking paper.
  2. In a small mixing bowl mix ground flaxseed and boiling water together to form a paste. Set aside.
  3. In a large heatproof bowl melt butter and chocolate together in the microwave in short bursts. You can also do this in a saucepan on your stovetop. Set aside for a few minutes to cool.
  4. In another mixing bowl, sieve together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt. Give it a good whisk to combine.
  5. Add flaxseed egg to butter chocolate mix. Stir with a whisk until combined.
  6. Add nuts, flour mixture, and fold through chocolate with a spatula.
  7. Pour mixture into your baking tray and spread out evenly in the tray using your spatula.
  8. Pour tahini over the top in a zig-zag motion. Then using a skewer make downward strokes to marble the tahini into the batter.
  9. Bake on the top rack of your oven for 20 to 25 minutes. You want the top to be slightly firm and the centre will still be slightly gooey. Once out of the oven allow to sit for 30 minutes so it can become firm. Slice and serve.

Notes

VARIATIONS / TIPS
If you put your brownies in the fridge this will allow them to be less crumbly.
You can bake these without nuts or tahini.
If your tahini is too thick to pour, add a tiny amount of oil and stir it through.
I’ve made these brownies 8 times over. If you’re wanting a denser gooey brownie, add 20g of extra butter and remove the baking powder. This brownie will be a little more oily and not as thick. The texture is a little more ‘eggy’ and not so cake-like.
You can use macadamia nuts instead of hazelnuts and smooth peanut butter instead of tahini.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Dessert

Keywords: brownie, chocolate, tahini

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Share a photo and tag @veganbakesbysarakidd — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

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I also have a chocolate chip version of this brownie recipe…

Vegan Chocolate Chip Brownie by Sara Kidd

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Tea Cakes

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Vegan Blueberry Lemon Tea Cakes

Blueberry and lemon are a classic flavour combination. It’s easy to see how these little cakes will become a favourite. This is a simple recipe that creates a gorgeous sweet lemon cake with notes of tang from the blueberries. The glaze adds a little sweetness to balance out the citrus elements. These cakes keep for around three days in an airtight container on the counter. You can also use other berries like raspberries if blueberries aren’t available.

blueberry lemon cakes icing vegan

I tested a lot of different styles of cake for this recipe, as I haven’t used a mini bundt pan before. I started with a classic vegan sponge cake which didn’t really suit such a small bake. It was too airy and oily. Then tested a butter style cake and it still wasn’t quite the texture I was wanting. By the fourth test, I went with a mud cake method which added weight to the cake texture and moisture without it being too sticky or dense. This worked brilliantly.

Screen Shot 2021 01 25 at 11.47.02 AM

The trick when using a mini bundt pan is to bake your cakes for a little longer then you think so they brown well on the outside. If you under bake these cakes they can become a little doughy. If you’re in doubt, use a knife to gently lift one of the cake out to see how well it’s baked, as the tops remain quite pale.

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Tea Cakes mini bundlets

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Vegan Blueberry Tea Cakes 1

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Tea Cakes

★★★★★

4.8 from 6 reviews
  • Author: Sara Kidd
  • Total Time: 29 minutes
  • Yield: 12 small tea cakes 1x
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Ingredients

Units Scale

Ingredients For Cakes

  • 80 g vegan butter or margarine
  • 125 mls plain soy milk (around half a cup )
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 30 mls lemon juice (2 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 tsp high-quality lemon essence or flavouring
  • Rind from 1 organic lemon (about 1 tbsp)
  • 220 g plain all-purpose flour
  • 170 g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 75 mls boiling water (around 1/3 cup )
  • 100 g frozen or fresh blueberries (small wild blueberries work best if you can get them, if frozen allow to thaw and drain excess water)

Ingredients For Glaze

  • 2 fresh lemons
  • 110 g icing sugar
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 160C/320F. Grease a 12-cup mini bundt pan with vegetable oil. Make sure you grease the grooves well.
  2. Melt butter in a small heatproof bowl and set aside.
  3. In a small jug mix soy milk and vinegar together. It should thicken a little.
  4. Add vanilla, lemon juice, rind, lemon essence and butter. Mix together well and set aside.
  5. In the bowl of a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Turn mixer on low to mix dry ingredients together.
  6. Slowly add butter and milk mixture to the batter whilst it’s on a low speed. Once added pause mixer and scrape down the sides and mix for a few seconds.
  7. Trickle boiling water down the side of the bowl slowly whilst mixing on a low speed. Mix until just combined. Add blueberries and mix through.
  8. Spoon mixture into your pan filling almost to the top. Bake in your oven for 27- 29 minutes on the top rack. Be careful not to under bake your cakes. They should be just brown on the outside. The tops of the cake will remain pale so if you’re in doubt, use a knife to gently lift one of the cake out to see how well it’s baked. If your oven bakes unevenly, rotate your pan at the 24-minute mark. Tip cakes onto a cooling rake and allow to cool.
  9. Slice lemons in half and squeeze over the top of cooled cakes.
  10. To make glaze mix icing sugar and one and a half tablespoons of lemon juice together. Drizzle over cakes. Serve with hot tea.

Notes

If you’re after a sweeter cake, glaze with a simple sugar syrup instead of lemon juice before you drizzle your icing.

  • Cook Time: 29 minutes

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Share a photo and tag @veganbakesbysarakidd — we can’t wait to see what you’ve made!

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Vegan Blueberry Lemon Tea Cakes

Love lemon and blueberry cakes? Check out this Almond Blueberry Cake with Lemon Syrup…

Almond Blueberry Cake 2 copy

Top 5 Tips for Choosing The Best Oil for Baking

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oil flaxseed on board 2021 08 26 16 02 51 utc

I’m having a love affair with using oils in my cakes. For a few of my most recent cake recipes, I will start with mixing the oil and sugar together, adding remaining liquids and then mixing with the dry ingredients. I’ve learnt a lot about choosing the best oils for baking. (Read about different mixing methods here)

My objective is to make the recipe as simple as possible, using the least amount of tools and my cakes have this amazing fluffy rise. I’m finding this method (also known as the melting method if you’re using melted butter) is wonderful for creating butter type cakes with little effort.

If I choose to use oil instead of butter, the cakes are more moist, however they do lack that buttery taste. In most cases, I will use a vegan buttermilk to help recreate those desired dairy flavours. The type of oil you use in your baking can largely affect the outcome of your bake, your budget and the flavour. 

Best oils for baking by sara kidd 2

SNAP SHOT OF TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE BEST OIL FOR BAKING

  • Organic canola oil is my go to oil
  • Buy oils in dark glass bottles, store in the fridge & use within 30 days
  • If you’re health-conscious avoid highly processed oils such as non-organic canola and sunflower oil
  • 3 types of oils – saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
  • I don’t recommend using coconut oil in cakes unless directed by the recipe

Best Oils for Baking by Sara Kidd

Here are my top 5 tips when choosing oil for baking: 

  1. When baking, I generally recommend using a neutral flavoured oil such as an organic canola oil, extra virgin olive or grapeseed oil. An exception to this is when you’re wanting the oil to contribute to the flavour of the bake such as coconut, sesame or macadamia oil. Nut and seed oils like walnut and avocado, general are cold-pressed and have a very distinctive flavour. 

  2. If you’re health-conscious avoid highly processed oils such as non-organic canola and sunflower oil that are mass-produced. Most of these oils use toxic solvents during the extraction process and come from heavily sprayed crops. These oils are usually packaged in a clear plastic bottle which can allow fat soluble chemicals to leach into the oil. Canola oil is the most popular baking oil as it’s stable at high temperatures, is cost-effective and has a very natural flavour. It also has only 7% saturated fat and contains omega-3s. Choose organic where possible even if it’s a little more pricey. 

  3. Without getting too technical, there are three types of fat ratios found in oil that can be defined as: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Saturated is solid at room temperature e.g coconut oil, monounsaturated is liquid at room temperature e.g sunflower oil, and polyunsaturated is liquid at room temperature but more stable than polyunsaturated oils and doesn’t go rancid as quickly, e.g canola oil. (kinda not a tip but always good to know)

  4. Look for oils that are stored in airtight dark glass bottles. Oils can oxidise and turn rancid once exposed to air, light and heat. Always store your oils in a dark place away from sunlight and if you’re using them for longer than 30 days, store them in the fridge to prolong their lifespan. Your oil should smell fresh if not, it has gone rancid and is no longer good to use. Consuming rancid oils can be linked to heart disease and other illnesses.  

  5. I generally don’t recommend using coconut oil (unless the recipe calls for it) when baking cakes as I find it can make your baking more dense once your cake has cooled down. My go to is organic canola oil.

Different oils for baking by sara kidd

Check out some of my baking recipes that use oil…

Vegan Pumpkin Bread recipe by Sara Kidd 2

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