is there such a thing as a cake for diabetics?

[schmamy]

So my mom asked me to make a cake for my dad's birthday next week. His favorite is white cake with chocolate frosting, and I know they both will be expecting cake from a box and frosting from a can. (Which is actually yummy to me, in spite of my desire to move toward healthy eating and my enjoyment of cooking from scratch :shifty )

But my dad is an insulin-dependent diabetic. Which you would never know from his diet :-/ Cake like that is the last thing he should be eating.

So I'm wondering, is there such a thing as a diabetic-friendly cake recipe? I'm totally willing to make both the cake and frosting from scratch...but it can't be too weird or they won't like it. I've thought about trying Splenda, even though I am philosophically opposed to fake sugar...but I'm afraid it would ruin the taste. I can't abide the aftertaste of fake sugar. My exposure to Splenda--in flavored water, maybe? I can't remember--was not positive.

HELP!

[klpmommy]

I've made several "diabetic" cakes/desserts and they all taste bad. Blechy.

What about finding a recipe that is more fruit sweetened based rather than sugar?

[trustingGod2]

I just did a quick search online and found quite a few recipes just look up diabetic cake recipes and the double chocolate looks yummy also replace sugar with Splenda

[TuneMyHeart]

Here is great blog with sugar-free recipes. http://healthyindulgences.blogspot.com/

[schmamy]

I should have specified...it pretty much has to be white cake and chocolate frosting.

---------- Post added at 04:02 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:50 PM ----------

Here is great blog with sugar-free recipes. http://healthyindulgences.blogspot.com/

ooh, Shannon, that looks promising...IF I can get my hands on some xylitol and coconut flour without having to pay an arm and a leg. think Whole Foods sells either/both? I was planning to go there (or I could go to Trader Joes, they are right near each other) on Friday...

[crunchymum]

xylitol is a good, non icky sugar sub. :)

[TuneMyHeart]

I know you can find xylitol at WF's, but I have no idea about the coconut flour. A gluten-free mama might know, or you could call WF.

Good luck!

[crunchymum]

i have a recipe for chocolate frosting, but i've never tried it, so beware. :)

chocolate buttercream frosting
6 T butter, softened
2 c powdered xylitol, sifted
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 - 3 T milk
1 t vanilla

beat butter until creamy. combine xylitol and cocoa and gradually beat into butter alternately with milk until spreadable consistency.

[Herbwifemama]

I altered a cake from "Sweet and Sugar Free"- if you read the reviews at amazon, they're pretty much all true. :shifty- but I added about a T of sugar and experimented with the amount of stevia in dd's chocolate cake for her 2nd birthday, and it came out AMAZING! :yes I didn't use a "healthy" frosting, so that might have helped, but if I had had more time, I would have figured something out. Dh's birthday cake had whipped ganache frosting, and the result was a rich chocolate thick frosting with very little sugar.

[schmamy]

Dh's birthday cake had whipped ganache frosting, and the result was a rich chocolate thick frosting with very little sugar.

recipe? :listen

[Herbwifemama]

http://www.joyofbaking.com/ganache.html

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/how-to-make-whipped-chocolate-ganache-071514

[schmamy]

so I tried the Healthy Indulgences recipes for yellow cupcakes and chocolate frosting over the weekend. they turned out well...but I'm still thinking/experimenting. new thread:

http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/community/showthread.php?t=334044

[milkmommy]

Well FWIW its the carbs in the cake to worry not so much the sugar. The flour used to make the cake is just as bad if not more so than subsituting the sugar... Saying that I'll honestly say make the cake like your would (there are recipies to help say with the frosting) I'll use chocolate cool whip :shifty cut the pieces small weight so he can get an accurate carb count (or make cupcakes) match it with a low fat good protein low carb meal allow him the responsibility of matching his carbs to his insulin and enjoy. ;) Plan a family walk after dinner to aid his insulin...
FWIW is he on MDI (multiple daily injections) or an insulin pump.. Its a bit trickier with MDI but doable and easier with a pump to cover some high carb meals.

Deanna

[schmamy]

really, if I used whole wheat flour that would still be bad?

he's on MDI. doesn't exercise. and as far as I can tell, does not even seem to count carbs or pay attention to what he eats. don't even get me started...

[milkmommy]

also FWIW I've have limited experience and success with xylitol (because its soo hard to find here) so I can't really comment on that I will say though as a diabetic splenda is hands down my fake sugar subsitute choice over the others. Nurasweet and such do stupid things to my numbers and actually cause some resistance blocking my insulins effectiviness but splenda doesn't. Overall though I prefer using less of real sugar and adjsuting porportion and my medication to meet the change.

Deanna

---------- Post added at 11:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:50 AM ----------

really, if I used whole wheat flour that would still be bad?

he's on MDI. doesn't exercise. and as far as I can tell, does not even seem to count carbs or pay attention to what he eats. don't even get me started...

WHole wheat flour has like 80 plus carbs per cup it is very high in carbs a just a slight notch above white flour. Its deffeintly not a part of a low carb diet. If hes not counting carbs then thats his issue. I'm not trying to dismiss your desire to not kill him :hug2 but its his responsibility to take care of him self. I'm guessing he is a type 2? I jsut say that because a type 2 wont always see the effects of say DKA as fast and drastically as a type one. If I get lazy on my insulin with in about 3 days I can feel liek I'm on deaths door. and literly be there with in a week... Type 2 though often won't realize serious issues till they loose a foot or have a stroke or go blind. :cry

Deanna

[schmamy]

yep, type 2, because of severe obesity.

interesting, I always figured whole grains were at least a dramatic improvement over white flour.

[milkmommy]

whole grains are a great addition to the diabetic who takes controll of there disease. Whole grains give energy and help regulate weight (in both trying to loose and gain) but carb count wise they both have a lot of carbs to account for and need adeuqate insulin to cover it. Ones can't say use whole wheat or eat brown rice thinking it will vastly reduce there need for insulin.

Deanna

[diamondintherough]

Haven't read all the responses yet, but dh is diabetic and he just covers things like cake with extra insulin. Is your dad in good control?

Substituting fruit juice is not going to lower the carb count.

---------- Post added at 02:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 PM ----------

Read a few responses now and have a comment about xylitol.

Xylitol is a good sugar substitute, but I noticed that the frosting recipe called for 2 cups of the stuff. Just be aware that eating too much xylitol at one time can, um, cause intestinal trouble. It is recommended that people build up their xylitol intake.

[Rabbit]

I think I would probably take the regular cake, and leave him alone about it. :hug2

[schmamy]

Haven't read all the responses yet, but dh is diabetic and he just covers things like cake with extra insulin. Is your dad in good control?

Substituting fruit juice is not going to lower the carb count.

---------- Post added at 02:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 PM ----------

Read a few responses now and have a comment about xylitol.

Xylitol is a good sugar substitute, but I noticed that the frosting recipe called for 2 cups of the stuff. Just be aware that eating too much xylitol at one time can, um, cause intestinal trouble. It is recommended that people build up their xylitol intake.


I didn't use that frosting recipe. I was :hunh at the 2 cups of xylitol compared to my other recipe...the frosting recipe I used, from the Healthy Indulgences blog, only used 1/4 c xylitol plus some stevia extract.

---------- Post added at 01:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:18 PM ----------

I think I would probably take the regular cake, and leave him alone about it. :hug2


I don't want to harp on him about it, or make a big deal of it being a healthy cake. It's a fine line, I know...the thing is, as DH says, while we can't make him eat right, we can at least demonstrate (through what we serve when he comes to our house, for example) that good, healthy foods CAN taste good. kwim?

and this cake does taste good. even DH thought so, and he'd be completely honest. believe me, I hate sugar substitutes. I'd not even think of serving this cake if it didn't taste good to ME.

it's just so hard to watch my dad eat the way he does. I don't want to enable it, you know? like, if he's going to eat that way, it's not going to be because that's what *I* served him. :sigh

[milkmommy]

I totally understand. You've done the best you can its now in his hands. I hope all enjoy!

Deanna