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  4. 12 of Our Best Oil-Based Cake Recipes

12 of Our Best Oil-Based Cake Recipes

By Stacey Ballis February 09, 2021
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.
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Yellow Squash Bundt Cake
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Butter, for all its pleasures, can be a nemesis when baking. Recipes using butter require that butter be at the optimal temperature, and this? Is not ideal for impulse baking. Oil-based cakes are simple, often one-bowl no-fuss batters and they bake up moist and tender. Here are a dozen of our best oil-based cake recipes, for plenty of inspiration that will get you baking… maybe even right now!

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Blackberry Jam Cake

Blackberry Jam Cake
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Cindy Barr; Food Styling: Torie Cox
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Inspired by her Aunt Julie’s blackberry jam cake, Damaris Phillips created this showstopping version. The caramel cream cheese frosting is slightly savory to balance out the sweetness of this three-layer cake.

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Orange-Olive Oil Cake with Vanilla Glaze

mr-orange-olive-oil-cake-image
Credit: Alison Miksch; Food Styling: Cat Steele; Prop Styling: Lindsey Lower
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This cake uses fruity olive oil to boost the deep citrus flavor of the cake, which is a perfect choice for afternoon snacking.

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Bribery Cake

bribery cake.jpg
Credit: Nicole Franzen/Ten Speed Press
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This recipe is from Odette Williams' Simple Cake, a compendium of approachable, delicious cakes for celebrating every day. Per Williams, this cake is "A not-too-sweet chocolate cake, topped with silky Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream, sprinkled with a little sea salt crunch: This is the cake you bake to help you or a loved one get across the finish line."

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Canola Oil Pound Cake with Browned Butter Glaze

Canola Oil Pound Cake with Browned Butter Glaze
Credit: Johnny Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross
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Heart-healthy canola oil helps lighten this classic dessert. And an ingenious technique of soaking a vanilla bean in the oil adds deep, rich flavor.

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Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
Credit: Petrina Tinslay
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"I have a friend who has celiac disease, and he moaned to me that he'd never eat another chocolate cake. So I did this gluten-free recipe for him. It's my go-to dessert right now; it's like a fudgy brownie."

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Lemon-Rosemary Olive Oil Cake

Lemon-Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
Credit: Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
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Rosemary lends evergreen essence, while olive oil enhances the flavor and maintains the moist texture of this Mediterranean-inspired cake. You can prepare it up to 2 weeks ahead and freeze, unglazed; top thawed cake with glaze before serving to your guests. Casual yet elegant, it's a fine finish for a dinner party and also makes a well-chosen addition to a dessert buffet.

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Rainbow Layer Cake

Rainbow Layer Cake
Credit: Beth Branch
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Actually taste the rainbow with a vibrant 7-layer rainbow cake! Tip: Use liquid gel or gel-paste food coloring for a deeper, richer color as opposed to its traditional liquid counterpart.

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Cappuccino Bundt Cake

Cappuccino Bundt Cake
Credit: Mark Thomas; Styling: Stephana Bottom
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This cappuccino Bundt cake will take your coffee break to the next level and is ideal for brunches.

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Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake

Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake
Credit: Jeff Kauck
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Wheat germ and canola oil boost the nutrition profile of this simple dessert by adding vitamin E. Granny Smith apples remain firm and pleasantly tart when cooked. For a sweeter apple that also holds up well when cooked, try Braeburn.

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Lemon Polenta Cake with Winter Fruit Compote

Lemon Polenta Cake with Winter Fruit Compote
Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner
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This rustic cake has a slight crunch from cornmeal, and a mixture of winter fruits balances the tangy lemon flavor. The compote is best served at room temperature or slightly warm.

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Cinnamon Streusel Coffeecake

Cinnamon Streusel Coffeecake
Credit: Howard L. Puckett; Styling: Cindy Manning Barr
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A cinnamon coffee cake might be one of the best-smelling cakes you can bake, and this is a great one to have in your repertoire. (Pro tip: Soften brown sugar that's hard and dry by placing it in the microwave for a few seconds.)

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Yellow Squash Bundt Cake

Yellow Squash Bundt Cake
Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
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This Yellow Squash Bundt Cake is a delicious way to use up a prolific seasonal squash harvest and is guaranteed to change the minds of even the staunchest squash-detractors. Bright yellow squash boosts the golden hue of this lemony cake, helping to create a tender and moist texture. Both straightneck and crookneck squash will work in this recipe, but straightneck squash is easier to grate.

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By Stacey Ballis

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    1 of 12 Blackberry Jam Cake
    2 of 12 Orange-Olive Oil Cake with Vanilla Glaze
    3 of 12 Bribery Cake
    4 of 12 Canola Oil Pound Cake with Browned Butter Glaze
    5 of 12 Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
    6 of 12 Lemon-Rosemary Olive Oil Cake
    7 of 12 Rainbow Layer Cake
    8 of 12 Cappuccino Bundt Cake
    9 of 12 Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake
    10 of 12 Lemon Polenta Cake with Winter Fruit Compote
    11 of 12 Cinnamon Streusel Coffeecake
    12 of 12 Yellow Squash Bundt Cake

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    12 of Our Best Oil-Based Cake Recipes
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