Has anyone baked a cake using Splenda instead of sugar? If so, how does it compare to sugar? Are the cakes as good? Is there any taste difference? What are the pros and cons? If there are any.

Susan

I tried one once a couple of years ago and it was awful. I did a cheesecake with Splenda and my customer said that it was wonderful. I guess you have to be used to that sugar replacement stuff.

Hi Susan.. I have baked with Splenda. I have used both the granular in the bright yellow bag and I have used the Splenda sugar blend. Honestly, for baking cakes and probably cookies, I would definitely use the Splenda Sugar blend (if you can).

I tend to be one of the people who can taste a "hint" of something in food. So, I can tell that there's something different to a cake baked with splenda vs. a cake baked using real sugar. Some people can barely tell the difference. Below are some of the cons I found with Splenda:

- Using sugar blend tasted closer to a cake made from scratch than the granular. The granular may be better for puddings, or to add to pie filling or something.

- Splenda sugar blend browned my cakes better (just lightly) than the granular. Compared to a cake baked with sugar, my splenda cakes don't brown on top, just lightly carmelize (sp?) on the sides and bottom.

- Splenda granular does not cream well in the beginning stages of mixing a cake from scratch. It's fairly lumpy and gets worse when you add eggs to the creamed mixture. However, sugar blend creams better with the sugar.

- Splenda granular did not rise at all and it gave my yellow cakes a carrot cake- like consistency. I had better rising with the sugar blend. Also, added more baking powder to the mix to help with my rising as well.

- The diabetics that I make cakes for can use the sugar blend splenda, however, some diabetics may only be able to use the Splenda granular.

- My main "pro" is the fact that Splenda is out there and it gives us bakers and option to help our diabetics and dieting folks an alternative instead of ridding themselves of sweets (particularly cakes and pies)

I hope this information helps

Bunchy

Thank you! I think I've made up my mind now to just use plain sugar I don't want a bad experience on my first cake.

BUT... if you make a note that you also offer Splenda alternative cakes, you'd get that other niche market, even if it's limited to a couple of cake types that come out working better than others. Of course, you'd have to experiment to see how Splenda does with not just the cakes but the icing as well. A sugar-loaded icing on a Splenda cake won't do a diabetic one bit of good Offering even just one or two styles of 100% Splenda cakes could get that category of clients not catered to by regular bakers.
KA-CHING!!