Zero sugar cakes / similar

[jago25_98]

I would like to develop my own recipe for a sugar free cake/biscuit.

The problem is that the basis for cakes rely on fat and sugar creaming.

How do the makers of sugar free and low carb bars do it?

Do the sugar alternatives behave similar to sugar for cooking? It's not the sweet taste we are worried about but the binding effect. If we think about flapjack it has treacle to bind it. What can we use instead?

I want to make something that tastes great but is totally good to eat, and isn't too expensive.

Other than this problem there are plenty of ingredients to use:

• eggs
  olive oil
  oats
  skimmed milk
  baking powder
  yogurt
  wholewheat / rice / tapioca flour
  fat agent?
  dried fruit
  nuts
  vanilla essence

[Diane1415]

as a vegan I don't use eggs and have found that...
If you are only concerned about teh binding properties then you could use

In baking only
3 Tablespoons of ground flax seeds = one egg
1/2 banana = one egg
1/4 cup of silken tofu blended in a blender to smooth it out = one egg
3 Tablespoons of un-sweetened apple sauce = one egg
1 Tablespoon os psylium husks + 2 tablespoons of water + one egg
My Favourite is
1 1/2 teaspoon of powdered egg replacer + 2 tablespoons of water = one egg - it is made with potato starch, tapioca starch, and corn starch + some other stuff
and I use Stevia as a sweetener
1 teaspoon of stevia = one sup of sugar
hope that helps

[jago25_98]

Thanks for the advice, even though I'm not vegan.

Today I had some time spare to experiment so I mixed:

- 8 eggs, beaten
- an unidentified amount of whey - a heck of a lot
in fact
- some milk
- some musli
- liberal amount of dinely ground stevia leaves
- and fake vanilla flavouring on the other side

I put this on a pan greased with olive oil.

After just 15 minutes when I checked it I had a browned layer. Looked amazing!

http://www.ajpearce.co.uk/files/DSC00130.JPG

But how did it taste?

- awful! Bland and dry! Very, very heavy to eat too - hard to eat more than one slice when very hungery - most wierd!! Still, it was a goal to have something filling for bodybuilding. Not bad for 90% protein.

How can I fix this without resorting to honey?

[Diane1415]

Sugar-Free and Low Carb Bar makers use artificial chemical sweeteners and soy lecithin as a binder
I take it you are not concerned ablut the fat , just the sugar.
You could use Xyletol at $12 a pound, it is really good though, tastes just like sugar without the calouries or spiking the insulin.
OR Splenda - though that is processed with clorine - not good for the arteries.
OR stevia powder, the white stuff. I used the leaf and found it tasted like sweet tea, not something you want in your baked goods.
The Natural sweeteners - to get away from the chemicals
date sugar
barley malt - I've never used this but it will work as a liquid sweetener
dried cane juice - sucanat
I use dates and stevia as well as the Xylitol and Sucanat - my preference is the stevia - it just seems more natural - Don't go over the ratio of 1t/1C or it will have a pornounced licorise taste.
I use dates when I use the blender, it pulverises them without an off-taste.
In the Low-Carb Cooking With Stevia cookbook
BAKING MIX
2 C soy flour
4 C soy protein isolate (?)
4 T Baking soda
2 t stevia blend - one of the processed white powders out there, usually at a ratio of 1 to 4 instead of the 1 to 48 making it easier to use
2 t salt
In a food processor, blend all ingredients together. Store in an air-tight container.

maybe this will get you started.
I have a large jar of the unprocessed stevia leaf - don't know what to do with it.
Good Luck