Holy crap! They are expensive. A 25lb box of PS is $100....the cost of the PS alone for one batch of icin (approximately 6 cups) would be $8.00. YIKES!

Thank you for the idea, gabbycakes. I am using Splenda because that is the one my customer can have...but I'll check out WheyLow too.

DH just had the SF cake/cicing for dessert...and asked for another piece. He thought it was quite good, so I think it worked out with the modified version.

My opinion on the SF icing is that it holds up great (sat out for 8 hours, no problem), tastes pretty good, and is moderately good for piping and smoothing. It tends to be a little more yellow, so I'll tint my BC a little yellow to match the colors of the tiers.

Fortunately, the design calls for #3 vine/leaves and piped lily motifs with brushed on gold Luster dust , so it is pretty forgiving...I don't think I could do stringwork with this SF icing though!

Thanks everyone for the ideas and input...

Just wanted to add that I LOVE Whey Low, and use it in my coffee everyday!

Just something to keep in mind for those considering "diabetic" cakes. The sugar is an issue, but no more so than white flour. Both are simple carbohydrates which will cause a blood sugar spike. I am still working on cake recipe using spelt flour which is much more gentle on blood sugars.

This is not a matter of artistic interpretation, it is a matter of a request for a special needs person. You definitely must consult with your client regarding this.

I would be more than angry if I ordered a cake for an event, only to find out that the person I am honoring with this cake could not eat it because the decorator didn't like the way it looked. If it's my dime, it's not the decorator's decision.

Theresa

Thank you, Lady Phoenix and foxymamma!

Yes, I told my client about the use of wheat flour, and in fact that's why I am sending her the ingredients label early -- so she can review it with her physician.

I agree -- and I would not intend to advertise "diabetic" cakes...I would probably call them low sugar or sugar-subsitute cakes -- and, like all my cakes, provide ingredient labels for them to look at. I already advise all clients with special needs to review all the ingredients with their physicians.

Here's a compilation of some sugar-substitute recipes (but, again, keep in mind that they still have carbohydrates...like the Whey Low recipe uses corn syrup -- another form of sugar).

CC: http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1980-0-Diabetic-Icing.html

note: I found changing the order of ingredients helped avoid clumping.

Whey Low: lots of butter-cream type recipes: http://www.wheylow.com/Articles.asp?ID=124

Splenda: (has nutritional analysis): http://splenda.allrecipes.com/Recipe/Recipe.aspx?nprid=104122 among others

Playingwithsugar: I'll send you a PM.