Did you want to learn how make a cake without butter or oil? A margarine cake is a great alternative to butter or oil-based cakes. They seem to bring the best of both cakes to the table. They are lighter and more fluffy than a butter cake, but more robust than an oil-based cake. So they are easy to stack and decorate into many tiers just like a traditional butter cake where the oil cakes would often collapse under their own weight. Margarine cakes also last longer than butter cakes like oil-cakes can. They are more moist and take several days to dry out whereas a butter cake goes stale rather quickly. They are rich in flavor and have less saturated fat and cholesterol. And margarine cakes are dairy-free. A bonus for those with dietary needs.

So why don’t you see more recipes for margarine cakes out there? They used to be so popular. That’s because there are arguments against making a cake with margarine. Whereas they were once super popular due to how delicious they taste along with being low cost, they fell out of favor a few decades ago. And that was because of a justified health risk.

The major concern was trans fat that were once in all margarines. They helped turn the vegetable oils into solid form which made it possible for margarine to look and mimic butter. Trans fats were recently found to increase your bad cholesterol (HDL) while lowing the good (HDL). They also increase the risk of clotting of the blood and causes inflammation in your body. This leads to an increased risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke. This justifiably made margarine less healthy than butter. Except the fact people neglect to learn trans fat occurs naturally in ruminant animals such as cattle. Which means butter has trans fat in it as well. About 0.5 grams in every tablespoon.

However, the key difference with trans fats in things like margarine, they realized since it was man-made, it could be removed entirely. And the United States and other countries did just that with laws. In the United States, a deadline was set in 2018 to remove man-made trans fat ingredients. They have had a few years extensions but by now, most of the margarines are now safe. In some countries throughout the world, you still have to be wary of trans fat, so read those labels!

As long as you closely check your labels, margarine is no longer unhealthy in regards to trans fat. It is once again safe for most people to consume. We won’t get into the ethics of palm oil harvesting and the other oils used at this point. You can read up on that yourself and make that determination. It’s up to the individual to decide what dietary guidelines they feel most comfortable following. In the meantime, let’s get to making this old-fashioned margarine cake. Because regardless of its nefarious past, it’s still flipping delicious.

Old-Fashioned Margarine Cake

This margarine cake recipe is an old-fashioned recipe that is easy to make, light and delicious. You can use any flavor or just stick with the classic vanilla. It's a perfect dairy-free cake for those with dietary restrictions. The cake delicate and absolutely perfect in texture. You'd never know it wasn't made with butter.

Print Recipe

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time45 minutes minutes

Total Time1 hour hour

Servings8

Calories 595.8

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 ½ cups (225g) flour
• 1 cup (226g) softened margarine
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 4 large (200g) eggs
• 1 ½ tsp (6g) baking powder
• 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla
• 1 pinch (.5g) salt

Frosting

• 2 ½ cups (312.5g) powdered sugar
• ½ cup (113g) softened margarine
• 1 tsp (5mL) milk
• ½ tsp (2.5mL) vinegar
• ¼ tsp (1.25mL) vanilla

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 325F (160C.)
• Prep one 9" (23cm) round cake pan that is 2" (5cm) tall by spraying with cooking spray or using butter and flour. For added insurance, line the bottom with wax or parchment paper.
• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
• In large bowl, cream together margarine and sugar until smooth.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended.  Mix in vanilla.  Add in flour mixture and beat for 1 minute on low speed or just until you no longer see any flour.  Pour batter into pan and level.
• Bake 40-45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Center should read between 200F (93C) and 210F (99C.)
• Cool in pan 5-10 minutes, remove and finish cooling on a wire rack completely before icing. This may take 1 hour or longer.

For the Frosting

• Cream together margarine and sugar, adding one spoonful at a time until all sugar is added. Mix in vanilla and vinegar. If desired, add in milk, one teaspoon at a time, for a thinner consistency.
• Frost cake once completely cooled.

Notes

You can substitute flour for self-rising flour.  If you do so, omit salt and baking powder from recipe.

Shortening or butter can be substituted for margarine.  Any flavoring may be used in place of the vanilla.

If you are choosing to use margarine for dairy-free purposes, please check the manufacturer’s ingredients.  Some of the newer margarines have started adding milk products such as whey, lactose or buttermilk to their ingredients.  The margarine used to create this recipe is a plant-based, vegan friendly margarine.

Nutrition Facts

Old-Fashioned Margarine Cake

Serving Size

 

1 slice

Amount per Serving

Calories

595.8

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

29.5

g

45

%

Saturated Fat

 

8.3

g

52

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

4.9

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

16

g

Sodium

 

430.9

mg

19

%

Carbohydrates

 

78.2

g

26

%

Protein

 

5.4

g

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

* Calories provided as a courtesy and not guaranteed.