Cakes for Diabetics (Cakes for Those Living with Diabetes)

Healthful Vitality | 10/05/2021 | By NP Contributor | Cakes for Diabetics

Living with diabetes does not mean that one cannot eat cakes. Nonetheless, not every cake may be suitable for diabetes. Therefore, the secret of enjoying cakes in diabetes is just choosing healthier components.

Another important thing to remember when living with diabetes is to keep an eye on portion size and frequency of eating cakes. Further, it is a good idea to enjoy cakes with a portion of berries for fruits, so that it is more satisfying.

Cakes for Diabetics: Substituting Some of the Components

One of the issues with cakes is that they are high in carbs, flour, sugars. Thus, those living with diabetes have to think about healthier options. It means looking for wheat flour substitutes, using other natural ways to sweeten the baked products.

The first and the most important component to substitute is the white flour. It is rich in fast-absorbing carbs and high in calories. Thus, it can cause a substantial rise in blood glucose levels. Therefore, replacing it with healthier flours like almond or coconut may be one of the strategies.

However, substituting white flour is not always an option. Thus, another strategy could be using wholemeal flour instead. For example, one may combine wholemeal flour with white flour in a 50:50 ratio. One may also try replacing flour with oats, which would add much-needed dietary fiber to the cake. Increasing dietary fiber may also help lower cholesterol.

Butter in moderation is not bad. However, some cakes may require it in more significant amounts. One may substitute butter with healthier oils like rapeseed oil mixed with Greek yogurt or mashed bananas. One would need some experimenting.

Substituting sugar may also pose a challenge. Of course, one may use an artificial sweetener instead. However, the problem is that these sweeteners have different properties. They may not provide a similar texture to the cake. So, another way could be trying to sweeten cakes with the help of fruits, raisins, currants. In many recipes, fresh fruits may also help add sweetness. For example, one may use apples or pears.

Look for cakes made specifically for those living with diabetes

To sum up, when living with diabetes, one may use some of the ideas mentioned below or look for cakes made specifically for those living with diabetes.

• Cakes with lots of fruits and berries. They can be pretty sweet and still may not contain loads of carbs. Generally, berries mix quite well with various desserts.
• Replacing wheat flour with almond flour. It will make not only very healthy cakes but also low in carbs; for example, pumpkin pie made by replacing wheat flour with almond flour. It would also be suitable for those living with gluten intolerance.
• Frosted cakes. One may add huge amounts of vegetables or fruit purees to such cakes. Frosting helps maintain the shape. One may sparingly use artificial sweeteners in such cakes, too.
• Cheesecake. It is good in a way that substituting wheat flour is relatively straightforward. Thus, one may use almond flour, shredded coconut, melted butter, stevia to prepare the base. For the filling, one may use cream cheese, eggs, artificial sweetener, some lemon, and vanilla.

These are just some ideas to show that one can learn to use less wheat flour and sugar in cakes with some practice and yet get fantastic results.

(Related Article: Fruit Diabetics Can Eat)