i am baking a red velvet cake, the recipe calls for vegetable oil, but i want to use butter instead, could i?

Question

also will the butter make the cake taste better, if so should i use salted or unsalted butter in any cake recipe, i don't really care about the calories and fat, i just want a nice moist cake

Answer 1

Oil will make the cake much moister than butter. (The viscosity of oil is much better than butter).
If you insist on using butter, use unsalted.

Answer 2

I usually go by what the recipe says. I've never used butter when making a cake. I would think the oil would make a more moist cake than the butter. Oil can tolerate a higher temperature than butter also. I used to do demonstrations in stores and found that applesause is a good substitute for oil and it makes the cake moist, also. if you really wanted the butter, why don't you use have oil and half butter?

Answer 3

Fat is fat, so you can use butter instead of vegetable oil. (But if you will be serving the cake to someone who is lactose intolerant, has a milk allergy, or is a strict vegetarian, you may want to stay with the original vegetable oil.)

Yes, the taste will be a bit different. Same if you decided to use peanut oil, or shortening, or olive oil, or ...

Usually for baking/cooking, you want to use unsalted butter. It is best/easiest if the cook controls the amount of salt in a recipe, rather than the butter adding in some unknown amount of salt on you!

Answer 4

Definitely. In my opinion, yes, the cake will taste better (I use butter-flavored crisco sometimes). It doesn't matter salted or unsalted, but most butter recipes ask for unsalted.

If you wanted a really moist cake, you will need to increase the butter and also increase the leavening--baking powder or soda & salt.

TX Mom

Answer 5

Actually, the vegetable oil would be better in this case, because in addition to moistness, a red velvet is supposed to have a light texture.

If you add butter, you may get the moistness you are desiring, but the texture won't be there as well.

If you still insist on using butter, opt for unsalted.

Answer 6

I make this cake all of the time and the recipe that I have requires both. It asks for 1 cup of vegetable oil and 1 stick of butter. I cut my vegetable oil down to 3/4 of a cup and 1 stick of butter. And here's a tip make sure that all of your ingredients are room temperature. If you use cold ingredients [for example your eggs] your baked good will come out tougher. And if you're making the cream cheese frosting make sure you do this for those ingredients as well. The frosting will be lighter and easier to spread. I hope that this helps.

Answer 7

Butter is fine, and use unsalted. Most cake recipes call for a little bit of salt if it is required.

Answer 8

I know that butter burns a lot quicker than veg. oil. Your cake might get browner and have a nuttier taste than you want if you use butter. I know it sounds nasty, but it doesn't matter what cake I make or the recipe, it doesn't matter, I add about 1/2 c. of mayo to it. You won't believe the difference it makes, and you can't taste it. I can't say it's a 1/2 c. for sure, but a huge, heaping tbsp.

Answer 9

Yes you can use butter. Good recipes usually call for unsalted butter.

Answer 10

I would use the butter- unsalted kind. I always use it in baking instead of margarine. You may need to melt it first if it is intended as a wet ingredient.