Summer 2022: With Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Updated June 15th 2022
In the second in of our Summer 2022 series, celebrating a new season of Mediterranean diet snacks and treats, we turn our attention to the keen bakers out there. Did you know that when it comes to preparing your bread, cakes or biscuits for the summer picnic or fayre extra virgin olive oil is a great substitute for butter?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil As A Substitute For Butter
For those who think that baking with olive oil may compromise taste, we disagree! It’s all about choosing the best olive oil for your recipe and getting your quantities right. At Morocco Gold, we believe that extra virgin olive oil is not just a good olive oil for cooking but also an excellent substitute for butter and that beautiful cakes are great in any season!
According to marthastewart.com, Olive Oil is also a choice that adds a unique depth of flavor to baked goods and Mediterranean Diet snacks, but there are some recipes where it makes an especially good swap.
We are advised:
If a recipe calls for melted butter, it’s pretty safe to use olive oil instead. These baked goods are typically more moist and a bit dense, such as firmer cakes, muffins, quick breads, brownies, and granola.
On the other hand, olive oil does not make for a great swap in recipes that call for room temperature butter; these recipes almost always have a step called creaming where room temperature butter and sugar are beaten until light and fluffy. The creaming technique creates light, airy cakes and this can’t be achieved with olive oil. When this is the case, it’s best to stick with butter.
marthastewart.com
For those who think that either: you can’t bake with olive oil or baking cakes is just for winter comfort please read on. At Morocco Gold, we believe that extra virgin olive oil is an excellent substitute for butter and that beautiful cakes are great in any season!
A good quality extra virgin olive oil, such as Morocco Gold, is an excellent choice for the keen baker. Not only does it offer considerable health benefits when compared with some other fats but it also gives you baking a unique and flavoursome taste.
So, Why Is Olive Oil A Good Fat Substitute?
Extra virgin olive oil has no shortage of benefits for your health and wellness. This monounsaturated fat helps keep your cholesterol in check as well as offering a host of antioxidants that are essential for healthy living. Incorporating a more monounsaturated or polyunsaturated source of fat rather than just saturated fats. Compared to vegetable oils, extra virgin olive oil is free from chemicals and other impurities that compromise both the nutrients and flavour of the ingredient.
What Are The ‘Rules’ For Baking With Olive Oil?
Extra virgin olive oil can easily be substituted for butter in several recipes, in everything from breads to cookies to brownies to pies.
But using extra virgin olive oil in a recipe that calls for butter isn’t quite an equal comparison. When a recipe calls for butter, you’ll want to use ¾ of that amount. For example, if the recipe needs six ounces of butter, use just four ounces of extra virgin olive oil.
Why isn’t it an even swap? Extra virgin olive oil is 100% fat while butter is only 80% fat. If you’re swapping regular canola or vegetable oil for extra virgin olive oil, it will be an even substitute.
Ready To Get Baking? Here Are Some Fabulous Olive Oil Baking Recipes, starting with this:
Irresistible Orange Olive Oil Cake With Summer Fruit
Ingredients
- 1 cup Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil plus more for greasing
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup milk
- 3 lg. eggs
- Zest of 1 lg. orange
- 1/2 cup. fresh blackberries plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup. fresh raspberries plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup. fresh blueberries plus more for garnish
- 1 nectarine pitted and sliced for garnish
- Icing sugar for dusting
Method
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch round springform pan with Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil; set aside
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil, milk, eggs and orange zest, then whisk in the flour mixture until combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the berries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 60-70 minutes.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes. Release band and allow cake to cool completely.
- Just before serving, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with fresh berries and nectarine slices.
Extra Olive Oil For Grilling Too
If baking isn’t your thing in summer and you’re more likely to be found outside by the grill or barbeque, don’t panic.
Extra virgin olive oil, such as Morocco Gold, is a much healthier option for grilling than some other vegetable oils, such as corn or canola which – according to eatthisnotthat can trigger inflammation and weight gain. And, remember, it is a myth to think that extra virgin olive can only be used in low heat cooking. The latest scientific research shows that olive oil can take the heat! Researchers heated common cooking oils to high temperatures and found that extra virgin olive oil is more stable than canola, grapeseed, coconut, avocado, peanut, rice bran, sunflower and refined olive oil.
So, next time you are preparing your meat or marinade, reach for a bottle of the best extra virgin olive oil to brush your food with and prevent it sticking to the grill. It works particularly well with chicken, root vegetables and flat bread pizza, just to name a few but check out our recipe section for lots more ideas, such as this Grilled Steak with Olive-Almond Gremolata
Where to buy Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If all of this has inspired you to swap your regular butter or fat for a healthier extra virgin olive oil, there is no better option for taste and health-enhancing polyphenols than Morocco Gold.
