It’s 2023 and Sugar Free Baking just became a reality in my life!
I never thought I would say it, but my Vegan Vanilla Cake got a make over!
It is now sugar free and reduced oil!
But don’t worry! It still tastes delicious and it is light and fluffy and can still be used for all types of creations!
First and foremost, the topic of zero calorie baking versus refined sugar free baking is not the same thing!
So please understand and then decide which one you are trying to achieve by watching the YouTube video linked below!
There are natural sugars such as Maple Syrup, Agave, Coconut Sugar and Date Sugar are all still high calorie sugars.
Then there are commercial sugar alternatives like Stevia, Truvia and Monk Fruit Sugar which are technically refined and look nowhere near what they resembled in their natural form
So the question you must ask yourself is: “Do I want a natural sugar replacement or a zero calorie sugar?” Because these are not the same thing.
My main objective with this article/video is the explain the differences between using granulated forms or sugar replacements versus powdered or liquid sugar replacements
CLICK HERE FOR THE YOUTUBE VIDEO EXPLAINING HOW TO SUBSTITUTE SUGAR IN BAKING
What Role Does Sugar Play in Recipes?
First we must understand that not only does sugar provide the sweetness to our bakes but it also contributes to the lightness and texture of your bakes.
If you have ever tried to reduce the sugar in a cake recipe you probably thought you were eating cornbread instead of cake!
Sugar lends “bulk” to a recipe so if you are taking out a hefty amount of sugar you have to replace it with something!
This is why most diabetic sweeteners add bulking ingredients like erythritol.
Monk fruit sugar is my alternative sugar of choice because it is in granulated form and it resembles granulated sugar almost identically, though it does contain erythritol
Read more about Erythritol in Lakanato brand Monk Fruit Sugar here *not sponsored
I never liked using or baking with Stevia, to me it gives off an unpleasant aftertaste and although they claim it is a 1:1 Baking Blend it is still in powdered form
Which technically should work in a one bowl mix, but to me these powdered forms of sugar substitutes makes the cake texture like bread and very gummy and heavy, however in custards, icings and mousses it works great.
Science Rant Warning in 3…2…1…
Another important role of sugar in baking is how it carries the other ingredients through the recipe in conjunction with the mix method implemented for the particular recipe
Mechanical leavening a.k.a “creaming method” is where we cream the fat with the sugar in the first stage of mixing a recipe
This creaming or literal smashing of the jagged edges of sugar granules into the fat creates air bubbles in the batter that when baked creates steam which in turn raises our recipes!
You can see right away that a liquid sugar or powdered sugar sweetener will never be able to do that!
Since if you have ever tried to cream a powdered sugar or liquid sugar with fat, you get a mushy gooey mess, but for a simple hand mixed cake batter, any type of sweetener will suffice
Great News! My Bakery Yellow Cake & Chocolate Cake recipes are both hand mixed cake batters!
Both work great with the sugar substitute of your choice and reduced oil!
Notes for Success:
I only substituted half of the oil in this recipe which is why I cannot label this oil free but rather reduced oil.
To me the maximum threshold to maintain a light, spongy cake texture is to only substitute half the oil with applesauce
Feel free to replace all of it, but beware you will have a cake that rises less and is very chewy; especially in conjunction with the sugar substitutes!
Because my Bakery Style Yellow Cake recipe is a simple hand mixed recipe
It works beautifully with all types of sugar alternatives and reduced oil! Including gluten free! *see picture below!
You may notice that in comparison to the original recipe where it contains 1½ cups of sugar, I reduce that volume when using Monk Fruit sugar because I find it to be sweeter already
In the recipe mixing instructions you will see that I include the granulated sugar with the dry ingredients; this would be true of a powdered sugar substitute as well
If you are using a liquid sugar you will simply add that along with the liquid ingredients
However if you are using maple syrup or any liquid sweetener for that matter, you must decrease the liquid in the recipe by 4 Tablespoons for each cup of liquid sugar you are adding.
Check out the comparison here but be sure to watch the YouTube video for more!
Now this is just the cake recipe! When it comes to fillings and icing, well that’s another story!
CLICK HERE FOR THE YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR THE ORIGINAL YELLOW CAKE RECIPE!
Vegan Vanilla Cake ~Refined Sugar Free & Reduced Oil Recipe
Ingredients
- Plant Milk *I use soy milk 1½ cups (360ml)
- Apple Cider (or white distilled) vinegar 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- Vegetable Oil ½ cup (118ml)
- Applesauce ½ cup (126g)
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons
- All Purpose Flour 3 cups (375g)
- Monk fruit Sugar 1¼ cup (280g) *see notes in the article for other sugar substitutes
- Salt ½ teaspoon (3g)
- Baking Soda 2 teaspoons (8g)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- Grease & parchment line your cake pans (This recipe is very versatile and will make 12 standard cupcakes, 6 Jumbo Cupcakes, 2-8" Layers, 3-7" Layers)
- Combine the plant milk & vinegar in a measuring cup and let stand for 5 minutes to thicken
- In a large mixing bowl combine the granulated sugar substitute(*see notes above in article for liquid substitute) with the flour, baking soda & salt whisk to combine or sift together
- Add the thickened plant milk, vanilla extract, oil & applesauce to the dry ingredients and whisk vigorously to develop the batter ~ approx 50 strokes
- Divide the batter evenly amongst your prepared pans and bake until they are done. Approx 20-25 minutes for jumbo cupcakes and cake layers.
- They will be golden brown and when you gently press the centers they spring back. Or a toothpick test with most crumbs will determine if they are done.
- Cool in the pans until you can safely touch the pan without burning yourself and then flip onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Cake layers and cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days wrapped well, for longer storage freeze for up to 1 month
Do you think this recipe would work with gluten free flour? Not using an almond flour mix as my daughter is anaphylactic with ALL nuts and most seeds.
Yes both the Chocolate & Vanilla Cake works great with a 1:1 GF mix I have used Bob’s Red Mill with great results
Cannot wait to try this!!! I wonder if Einkorn flour would work? I find its a little heavier, right?
Hi Debora that sounds like an interesting sub! If you try it please let me know if it works!
Thanks for the informative and helpful article.
Thanks for the informative and helpful article. However, what i don’t understand though is why if it is “sweeter” so much of it is still used in the recipe. It seems as though that would make it too sweet. What am i missing? can i reduce the amount as i tend to not like things too sweet or would that affect the structure as you seemed to suggest in the article.
thanks.
jacquie
Perhaps I was not clear in explaining that 1:1 baking blends are bulked up with erythritol in order for it to BE a 1:1 blend. Because Stevia & Monk Fruit sugars for example are so sweet in their concentrated form literally a pinch of these is like adding teaspoons of sugar.
So when you are taking OUT the sugar in a recipe a.k.a some Bulk of the recipe~ you must replace it with something or yes as you correctly read, the structure & texture are effected~ which is why the bulking agents are used.
You can of course adjust recipes to your liking (and I am not sure which sugar sub you are referring to so that makes it harder because there is not a one sized fits all answer for this. They all react differently so once you decide which sweetened you like best, you will have to play around with it in your recipes with the basic information I offer here.
Hola Gretchen I’m really trying to cut down on my sugar intake I’am a Diabetic and 70 yrs young. What other plant milk can be used ? I also have Whole Earth plant based sugar alternative Organic Erythritol can I use this ? and for the applesauce would that be the regular or unsweet . Thank you I sure miss your first viedo’s you had . Where did you purchase your whisk the round one ?Thank you
Hola! Excellent! Yes you can use that, although I have not used it so it’s hard to say how it will act in your recipe. But I use Monk fruit sweetener as my #1 choice & that has erythritol in it. So I think it will be similar!
I use UN sweetened apple sauce
The Balloon whisk I use was a gift someone gave me almost 30 years ago!
How about Plant Base Milk which kind is unsweeten Almond milk okay to use ?
yes any plant milk you prefer is fine
Thank you
Hi!
I was wondering if almond flour should work as a 1:1 substitute, and if I would need to modify anything else or do you think it would turn out about the same if I left everything else as it is.
Hi Kelli I am not sure what recipe we are talking about since this is the “sugar free” baking article ~ however I Do have a vanilla cake example here with the sugar free subs, so I will assume it is that recipe you are referring to
That said, NO you cannot sub in almond flour for wheat flour in any recipe ~ I would suggest to find some recipes that are formulated for KETO since it is my understanding they use almond flour in cake recipes
Can either whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour be used instead of all-purpose flour? I appreciate the details and education!!
Hi Bill, Understanding all the different flours is really neat topic. The short answer is that typically “no you can’t sub a higher protein flour for a lower protein flour without throwing off the balance of the recipe.”
Since higher wheat flours (whole meal flours) will absorb much more moisture that lower wheat flours (like all purpose and even cake flour)
Of course it can be done but you would likely have to UP the water content in the recipe to compensate.
Additionally ~ here is a good answer for the white whole wheat flour vs dark whole wheat flour White whole-wheat flour can be used in all recipes requiring whole-wheat flour—the final product will simply have a sweeter flavor. It can also be used in lieu of all-purpose flour in breads, cakes, and baked goods such as scones, gingerbread, and muffins. Just don’t expect the flour to yield the very same texture and flavor that you’d expect from a baked good made with classic AP flour.
Hi! Could this recipe work with using avocado oil instead of vegetable oil and using coconut palm sugar instead of monk fruit sugar? Thanks!
Yes absolutely!!
I messed this up! I used monk fruit sweetener, and I substituted coconut flour instead of the all-purpose flour. The “batter” was extremely dry and crumbly. Should I try adding a liquid just to get it to a normal cake batter consistency?
Uh oh, that’s would definitely make for an interesting formula! I am not sure which cake recipe you are talking about? Since we are commenting on the “Sugar Free Baking” article although I know I have the yellow cake recipe listed here as the example recipe. I will assume it is that recipe you have tried to make.
That said, coconut flour can never be used as a straight sub for AP even with using regular granulated sugar. So that right there is going to be a problem.
Coconut flour has no possible gluten formation which is the main structure in a cake recipe. Even gluten free blends have thickeners & emulsifiers in them to help with this. So adding more liquid to this will most likely not do anything to help
One of the best cakes I ever had was made with Spelt flour. Would love to try using it in this recipe. What do you think?
I think it will work! (*although I would not do it in conjunction with the sugar free- reduced oil as listed here)
CLICK HERE for original recipe Yellow Cake at least not on the first trial~ this way you can see how it comes out with just ONE change, then add more changes from there to see what throws it off the cliff! LOL
Please let me know how it goes!
Do you have a sugar free frosting recipe?
Hi Yolanda, I don’t have a sugar FREE recipe but I have a lower sugar for Buttercream HERE
But remember you can customize your recipe based on the information I provide here on this article. Using your FAV sugar alternative
Hi Gretchen,
The cakes look great! However, for some reason Monk Fruit does not agree with me. Do you have any other suggestions?
Hi Eileen, That’s understandable. So while I stated that Monk fruit is my choice when baking sugar free, this entire article is focused on sugar free baking IN GENERAL and with the video attached I go in depth about ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES of sugar free & refined sugar free alternative sugars that one can choose from with a visual cake experiment to show you the differences. Because it all comes down to personal preferences