Cupcake Day with SPCA 🐾🧁

Why Oil is My Secret Weapon in Baking

I love a good hack. In fact, that’s why I started Secret Kiwi Kitchen during the pandemic, when so many people were stuck at home. I wanted to make home baking easy, fun, and delicious.

And with SPCA Cupcake Day coming up on Wednesday, 29 October (campaign launches Monday, 15 September), it feels like the perfect time to share one of my favourite hacks: using oil instead of butter in cakes and cupcakes.

Why I Always Use Oil in Cakes & Cupcakes

Butter is wonderful in cookies (where you want that rich, golden flavour), but when it comes to cakes and cupcakes, oil is my go-to game-changer. I always add oil to my Chocolate Cake Mix and Gingerbread Cake Mix as well as to my Brownie mix.

Moisture that lasts: oil keeps cakes tender and soft for days.

Consistency: it blends evenly, giving a smooth, velvety crumb.

Cost-effective: with butter prices climbing, oil is an easy and smart swap.

It’s the secret to that reliable, rich, and moist texture every single time.

Which Oils Work Best

Not all oils are created equal, but most can be used in baking with a little thought. Here are my go-to favourites:

Neutral Oils — canola, sunflower, rice bran, grapeseed
These are the safest bet. They disappear into the batter, giving you a tender, moist cake without changing the flavour. Perfect for everyday chocolate or vanilla bakes.

Olive Oil
Adds a gorgeous fruity depth and sophistication, especially in citrus, spice, or almond-based cakes. It can be pricier, but if you want a grown-up, Mediterranean edge to your cupcakes, olive oil is magic.

Coconut Oil

Virgin (unrefined) → keeps its coconut aroma and flavour — fantastic if you actually want that tropical vibe.

Refined (sometimes called fractionated) → lighter, neutral, and won’t overpower your bake. Great if you want the benefits without the coconut taste.

Avocado Oil
A beautiful, nutrient-rich option with a buttery, mild flavour. It’s more expensive, so I usually save it for special bakes — think brownies, citrus cakes, or anything where you want a little extra lushness.

Nut Oils — walnut, hazelnut, almond
These are flavour bombs. They can be too strong on their own, but a splash mixed with a neutral oil instantly elevates a cake. Imagine a chocolate-hazelnut loaf or a walnut-spice cake — subtle but unforgettable.

General swap rule: If a recipe calls for 100 g butter, use about 80 ml (⅓ cup) oil instead.

Don’t Want to Use Oil? Try These Swaps

Sometimes you don’t want to use oil at all — and that’s fine! Here are some easy, tested options:

Yoghurt or Sour Cream → Use ½ cup to replace ½ cup oil. Adds richness, tang, and tenderness.

Applesauce (homemade or store-bought in NZ): Use ½ cup applesauce to replace ½ cup oil. This reduces fat while keeping cakes moist, with a hint of sweetness.

Mashed Banana: Use ½ a medium banana (about ¼ cup mash) for every 1 egg or ¼ cup oil. Adds natural sweetness and a soft texture.

Buttermilk or Milk with Vinegar: Use ½ cup to replace ½ cup oil, but reduce other liquids slightly. Makes a lighter, fluffier bake.

The Alchemy of Baking ✨

I always say baking feels like a little alchemy. Shift a few proportions and suddenly you’ve gone from a loaf to a scone, to a cookie. The dry ingredients create the structure, but the wet ingredients? That’s where you get to experiment. Oil is one of the easiest swaps of all.

After Note: Egg Swaps 🥚 (another expensive item you can swap_

Cupcake Day is all about creativity — so if you don’t have eggs on hand (or want to go plant-based), here are some easy substitutes:

1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water = 1 “flax egg”

3 tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid from chickpeas) = 1 egg

¼ cup applesauce or mashed banana = 1 egg (adds a little flavour too)

2 tablespoons yoghurt = 1 egg

This Cupcake Day, bake generously, have fun with your swaps, and if you are are helping to support the SPCA while doing it., that's even sweeter. 

                                                                                              -- Lulu (Chief Baker/Founder)