Emergency pudding / cake recipe without butter!

[redgecko]

Invited friends round for lunch today. Elaborate plans have fallen away as all shops are losed for a public holiday where we live (even the ones which are usually open on public holidays) and we have virtually no fresh food in the house!

Going to cobble together a risotto from ingredients I already have in the cupboard. But completely stuck on a dessert. I have no butter. I have other standard store cupboard ingredients (eggs, flour, sugar, oil, cocoa powder, chocolate, oranges). Any ideas for a butter free dessert?

You could make a whisked sponge this only needs eggs sugar and flour ,can flvour with cocoa if you want

Flavour!! even

choclate mousse?

A Swiss roll doesn't need butter, not very classy but very tasty!

Carrot cake (uses sunflower oil)

lots of muffin recipes made with oil. fruit base with muffin top (snigger)

got any carrots?

But the icing uses butter . Must engage brain

Stolen from the MSE website, credits to Chips. I have made this myself a few times and it's not going to set the world on fire but it's perfectly nice and really easy.

"Originally Posted by Chipps
This is a really cheap & easy pudding recipe from an American recipe book called "More with Less" The measurements are american cups, which is the 8oz mark on any measuring jug.

Quick Fruit Cobbler
Crust begins on the bottom & ends up on the top. Consistency of cobbler varies depending on variety of fruit and amount of juice, but still tastes delicious.
Preheat oven to 180 C
Combine in bowl
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pour into 9x 9 inch greased baking pan
Add
2 cups fruit - fresh, frozen or canned
Bake for 40 minutes

I use self raising flour, & don't bother with the baking powder. Also, I am not too fussy about the size of the pan, in fact usually do it in an oval pyrex dish.
It is not obvious that the ingredients of the cake bit are as simple as they are. I made it yesterday for dessert using a large tin of fruit salad. It was really nice."

Thanks for all the ideas!

We have no fruit or veg in the house (apart from oranges and an onion which I'm using for the risotto!). I think we have a banana somewhere, and a tin of pineapple. No cream, so I don't think I can do chocolate mousse.

Hadn't thought of the doing a fatless sponge / swiss roll. I would usually sandwich this together with cream though - could be a bit dry on its own? Anything else I could serve it with?

Can you make custard to have cake and custard?

Use jam on the Swiss roll, I never use cream, too messy!

why don't you make caramelised oranges?

That cobbler will work well with pineapple - a bit like pineapple upside down cake only even easier . Definitely go for a bit of instant custard if you can.

These are the tastiest muffins I've ever had - take less than 15 minutes to whip up and don't need butter. The recipe specifies rape oil (rapeseed, maize, or any flavorless vegetable oil is OK). You can even substitute the vanilla yogurt with milk, 1 tbsp vinegar and 1 tsp of vanilla sugar.

I've done them so many times when visitors are coming and I have nothing...

Thanks everyone. I did swiss roll and custard in the end! Very retro but tasty.