birthday cake for a diabetic?
so my mother's birthday is rapidly approaching, and she's asked that i bake her a birthday cake. obviously, i don't want to make it too full of sugar or fat or whatever, but i'd also like to avoid adding any kind of crazy chemicals or replacements(ie, no splenda, no margarine, etc)--natural replacements are fine(ie, honey or agave nectar or whatever)...chocolate cake would be preferable, but any "plain" (my mother is not particularly open-minded toward food) would be fine.
thanks!
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11 Comments:
Making a Gateau de crepes would allow you to reduce the sugar considerably. This classic french cake made from layered crepes could get most all of its sweetness from a sugar free fruit spread between the crepes and still be glazed in chocolate. Raspberries or orange are commonly paired with chocolate. Don't forget that starch turns to sugar and still effects insulin levels so even with reduced sugar moderation is called for. Happy Birthday Mom!
inkandsausages at 9:37PM on 09/13/09
Insulin mixed into the frosting. Yum!
Haha. Just kidding. I actually don't know anything about diabetic cooking.
wunami at 9:56PM on 09/13/09
@wunami--
I don't even know what to say to that...my amusement at your "at least i'm honest"-ness has overshadowed any annoyance i've felt at having a fraction of my life wasted.
rasellers0 at 1:00AM on 09/14/09
There are a lot of diabetic cookbooks and there's the Diabetic Association that has a website as well, with recipes on the site. American Diabetic Association, maybe? Someone else will chime in with the exact addy, I'm sure. I'd suggest getting the recipes from a recognized source, though, so you're getting the correct info. I see a lot of posts from well-meaning people who suggest substitutions that are just wrong. Which isn't so bad if it's just a weight-loss diet going wrong, but when it's a health issue, it's not so good to guess at what might be acceptable.
I was at a used bookstore today, and there were quite a number of diabetic cookbooks on the shelves, so if you cook for her often, that would be an option if you was a book to browse through. Or the library probably has some, if this is a more rare event.
dbcurrie at 2:16AM on 09/14/09
Locarb Angel Food Cake with choice of pour on toppings. See http://ezinearticles.com/?Angel-Food-Cake---Low -Carb-Version . My work is done here citizen !
jfitz at 7:19AM on 09/14/09
I've used Emerils flourless chocolate cake with good results for diabetics. Yes chocolate has sugar, but there is very little added sugar and no flour to jump glycemic numbers. Dont forget, its not just about "sugar" carbs are even worse. However be warned, the cake I'm talking about is very heavy and rich. The good part of that is a small slice really does satisfy.
huneybumper at 7:33AM on 09/14/09
The flourless torte with splenda works. Peanutbutter works real well with splenda. Maybe with chocolate frosting. Angel food cake with splenda.
Splenda for baking is a 1 to 1 substitute just replace equal amount of splenda out of a recipe to sugar. Caveats baked goods do not rise as high and do not brown as well so chocolate will be good because it is dark and if you do not like the color of the cake cover it in frosting.
JerzeeTomato at 9:03AM on 09/14/09
I personally stay away from any artificial sweeteners. Thats my only advice as a non-desert-er :) good luck!
hungrychristel at 11:51AM on 09/14/09
cream puffs with a little fresh fruit (do not dust with powdered sugar)
angel food cake, fresh fruit (with Splenda), whipped cream
in MODERATION
CJ McD at 3:37PM on 09/14/09
I agree with @dbcurrie about checking those sources for ideas. And @CJ's idea about angelfood cake - I've fed that to friends. You can make a chocolate angelfood cake easily, top slices with whipped cream and toasted almonds. Or put it together in layers and oranges or some other fruit between.
morgancain at 8:33PM on 09/14/09
My dad is diabetic and I've often made him a pie on his birthday. It helps that he loves pie but there is so little sugar in the crust and the filling can easily be sweetened with natural sugars or with just very sweet fruit. He has a bad liver so I try not to use artificial sweeteners for things he eats.
Along the same vein, perhaps something like a birthday trifle can work? They look so festive in a nice glass bowl. I've seen some trifles done with enriched breads like brioche and all is needed is some natural sweetener in the whipped cream, creme anglaise and to macerate the fruit.
As a rule of thumb, desserts that may not need sugar to aerate and thus leaven may be safest but I haven't had a whole lot of experience in baking with natural sweeteners.
bigfatmouth at 2:14AM on 09/15/09