I baked my first diabetic cake last night, using the recipe euphoriabakery (I think) had posted - the chocolate cake. I took it out 7 minutes before the timer went, and it is still a little dry.
However, the taste is what I have a question about. I cannot stand to eat food with splenda or any artificial sweetener it in, even a small bite makes me so sick. I had to try some of this cake, to make sure it was alright, and upon first taste, it seemed fine, but it just left that fake sweet aftertaste in my mouth.
Is this common for anything made with Splenda, or did I mess up?
You know I have gotten so used to splenda that I don't notice it any more. But other sweetners (especially when used in baking) I usually notice.
Where is the recipe? My dad is diabetic, I would love to try it out. : )
I just finished my 1st diabetic cake today. got it from Splenda's website. Not to mention the aftertaste, the texture was very strange. It seemed dry and moist at the same time. The aftertaste I agree was awful! All I could taste was the splenda. However on the site it got a high rating. I guess you get used to the flavor, but the texture, I could never get used to that. I tried a couple different recipes and this one was the best, but, they all had pretty much the same issues. Coffee added made the chocolate taste better. I don't know if I will do anymore of these.
There's three things going on here.
1. Splenda has issues with chocolate.
The bitterness of chocolate requires a lot of sweetener. When you start using lots of splenda, the normally mild aftertaste becomes very pronounced.
Splenda reacts with other sweeteners to create a boost in sweetness called synergy. This synergistic boost allows you to use far less sweetener overall, and, in the process, diminishes the nasty aftertaste from the slpenda. By using more than one sweetener, the splenda/chocolate issue is resolved. In fact, all desserts taste about a thousand times better when mulitple sweeteners are used.
Generally speaking, a splenda only dessert recipe is suspect and should be approached cautiously. A splenda only chocolate dessert recipe should be avoided like the plague.
Track down recipes with multiple sweeteners- those will be your best bet. Splenda works wonderfully with ace k and also erythritol, a non laxating sugar alcohol. If the dessert isn't baked, splenda works well with aspartame (nutrasweet). The only sweetener I wouldn't recommend combining with splenda is saccharin (sweet n low). Saccharin tastes really horrible.
2. Splenda provides no sugary texture/moistness
Sugar traps water and creates moistness/cohesiveness/gooeyness. If you swap out the sugar with splenda, the end result will be drier. Some diabetic recipes use half sugar half splenda in an attempt to provide half the moistness and not be quite so dry as an all splenda cake. I, personally, don't consider a half sugar cake to be appropriate for a diabetic.
If you want moist sugar free cakes, you'll need to turn to other ingredients. The recipe on this site uses sorbitol, a sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohols provide sugary texture. The downside to them, is that, for some people, they can be laxating. They're frequently used in diabetic products, though, so most diabetics have no issues with them. You will need to talk to the person you're making the cake for, though, and make sure they're okay with using them.
The nice thing about sorbitol is that you can get it at just about any health food store. For those sensitive to sugar alcohols, there are other ingredients, but they are generally only available by mail order/online.
3. Splenda, for some people, has an acclimation period
It isn't uncommon to find people who, the first time they taste splenda, are repulsed by the taste, but after giving a couple more chances, grow to enjoy it. I have no idea why this happens- it seems to occur frequently, though.
If this is one of your first times tasting splenda... give it one or two more chances and you'll see that the taste evolves.
As far as sweeteners go, splenda has plenty of shortcomings, but, of what's available, it's the best tasting one of the bunch. Combine it with another sweetener and you'll be amazed at out how good it tastes.
Thank you so much everyone for your responses. Scott123, thank you for all of the information!
The cake was a bit of a disaster. The icing I used was one from this site as well - with SF pudding. I had set fondant flowers on top and it made them mushy and gross (only the parts that actually touched the icing though). The icing also cracked, like a cheesecake would. At least it wasn't a paid cake, but I was still so disappointed!
Oh, and for those of you looking for the recipe, it is from euphoriabakery. If you do a search for "diabetic" in the forums, that is where I found it. Sorry I'm not of more help!
My mom and I have been experimenting for a few years now trying to get just the right combinations for a homemade sugar free cake. (She is a diet-controlled diabetic.) She came up with a bundt cake recipe that she adapted with Splenda, more liquid, and ground flaxseed. Sounds gross, I know, but it is awesome with some melted sugar free Hershey bars drizzled on the top. When your life depends on it, your taste buds adapt, lol. But the cake is good to me, too. We took the batter and put it in two 9" pans and ended up with 2 very flat, lol, pancake like pieces. But once you add the filling and icing, it's wonderful. I used raspberry filling made with whipping cream and it adds moisture to the cake.
I don't know if this makes sense or not, lol. I am new to all of this!!
Thanks scott123 for all of the info. You sure seem to know a lot about artificial sweeteners!
The cake was a bit of a disaster. The icing I used was one from this site as well - with SF pudding. I had set fondant flowers on top and it made them mushy and gross (only the parts that actually touched the icing though). The icing also cracked, like a cheesecake would. At least it wasn't a paid cake, but I was still so disappointed!
OMG, I know what you mean, I made one of those cakes with the same icing this week, I actually took regular cupcakes with me as an alternative. The texture was strange and the mixture was sooo gluey (this that a word) that it was nasty. The icing also did a number on my MMF figures (they were there for decoration), the colors bled into the icing and they turned to mush.
If anyone has anything that is even close to being a "normal" cake made with splenda I would forever be indebted. Please share...
Thanks,
OK, I just heard from my diabetic lady for whom I made the splenda cake. She said that it was great! I told her to please tell me the truth so I would know for future orders. She said that it was great and she wanted the recipe! I thought it was awful, she is used to the splenda taste and the different textures. If anyone wants this recipe, it's the Died and Gone to Heaven chocolate cake on Splenda's website. I also used the cream cheese icing from the same site. It is with the spice cake I think. She said that it was a little sweet, but still good. I hope that I don't get too many orders for this cake, but in case I do, I will try it again. Good Luck everyone!
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