baking with xylitol and stevia - HELP

[schmamy]

So after my recent thread on a diabetic-friendly cake, I found a recipe at healthyindulgences.blogspot.com (thanks, Shannon!) and tried out "Healthy Yellow Cupcakes" with "Healthy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting." These are gluten-free, sugar-free cupcakes made with LOTS of eggs, a can of beans, coconut flour, xylitol and stevia...the frosting is xylitol, stevia, cocoa powder, butter, etc.

They were good. But they were also very dense--more like muffins than cupcakes in terms of texture. I'm not ruling them out yet...DH was very surprised by how good they were (this was our first experience with natural sugar substitutes, and given the horrible aftertaste we're accustomed to when we think "sugar substitute" we did not have high expectations He took them to work this morning and they went over VERY well among people who don't eat healthy foods (in fact the guys were requesting to be guinea pigs again with a cake--they suggested I need to make it in cake form, not cupcakes, just to be sure )

But I'm not sure how they would go over with my dad (the diabetic for whom I'm making a cake)...so I'm wondering whether I should try for something a little closer to "white cake from a box." I'm thinking of experimenting today with a traditional white cake recipe, but subbing white whole wheat flour, and using xylitol/stevia in place of the sugar. Not quite as healthy and diabetic-friendly as the cupcakes, but still definitely better than the boxed stuff.

Is that possible/realistic? And if so...how do I substitute? A couple of websites I looked at were saying you could sub xylitol for sugar cup-for-cup. Though another site said you use cup-for-cup powdered xylitol, but less crystallized xylitol. ????? It'd be nice if I could use stevia, though, and not have to use so much xylitol. But if I sub stevia, will that screw up the texture of the cake? What do you think?

For reference, the healthy recipe used 2/3 c. xylitol and 3/4 tsp. stevia extract. The traditional white cake recipe I'm looking at calls for 1 3/4 c. sugar. I can type out/link to the exact recipes if that would help.

[schmamy]

anyone? please? I wanted to bake this afternoon...

[newday]

when i baked w/stevia it was bitter.

sorry - no help here.

[Apple-Saucy]

I had bad luck with stevia...the cake tasted "green" the xylitol worked much better for me in baking.

I know I use whole wheat flour in a lot of things I just add extra baking powder/soda and occasionally some yeast to lighten it up.

[curlymopmom]

I did something similar for my father-in-law. I made a chocolate cake with black beans and I used agave nectar and stevia as a substitute. I found it bitter, but not too dense - seemed like a regular chocolate cake. I don't have the recipe handy (not at home) or I'd put the ratios here to compare to your recipe.

In my research, I didn't think you subbed cup for cup. But I'm subbing to see what you find out. I'm sorry I don't really have anything helpful to offer!

[Apple-Saucy]

Xylitol is 2x's a sweet as sugar. If the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar you use 1/2 a cup of Xylitol. (that's if your Xylitol is granulated or "crystal")