How to Bake With Coconut Oil

Coconut oil can be used to replace a variety of oils used in baking. It works well for cookies, candies, cakes and seafood. Any food that would be enhanced with a hint of coconut is a good candidate for the addition of coconut oil. Coconut oil can be found on the shelves of most grocery stores. However, if virgin coconut oil is desired, it generally can be found at health food stores, the health supplement aisle of some grocery stores, as well as online. Virgin coconut oil is the purest form of coconut oil and is the best option for baking.

Things You'll Need

• 2 mixing bowls
• 1 cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 stick butter
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup pecans
• 2 cups flour
• 5 eggs
• Mixer
• Two 8-inch spring-form cake pans
• Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions

Baking a Coconut Pecan Cake

1. Melt the coconut oil for 30 seconds in a microwave. Pour the melted oil into a mixing bowl. Add all of the ingredients except for the eggs to the oil. Mix the batter after each additional ingredient is added.

2. Separate the yolk from the egg whites. Add the egg yolks to the ingredients and mix well. Place the egg whites in a second mixing bowl and mix until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter.

3. Spray two 8-inch spring-form cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the cake batter in half and place the batter into the two prepared pans.

4. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F and bake the cakes for 45 minutes, or until a butter knife placed in the center comes out clean.

5. Allow the cakes to cool and remove them from the pans. Ice the cakes with a coconut frosting.

Tips & Warnings

• Melt coconut oil if the recipe calls for a liquid oil. Always allow the oil to cool after melting. This will prevent the hot oil from starting the cooking process when it's added to other recipe ingredients.

• Leave the coconut in its solid state when the recipe calls for shortening, or when you're substituting coconut oil for butter that should be used at room temperature.

• Coconut oil is lower in both calories and fats than other oils. Replacing vegetable oils with coconut oil can slightly reduce the fat and calorie content of a dish.

• The properties of coconut oil are similar to those of a carbohydrate, so the body actually uses the coconut oil it consumes to produce energy.

References

• "The Coconut Oil Miracle;" Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D.; 2004
• Coconut Pecan Cake
• Coconut Oil Diet Recipes

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish