A couple of simplest steps that will make your cake/dessert recipes healthier and make you feel better (instantly and in the long run)... you'll wish you've known them earlier.
Reduce The Sugar- Seriously!
We hate to break this to you, but no one needs that much sugar in their life. Too much sugar leads to instant fatigue, bloating, more sugar cravings and some long term health issues like obesity, higher blood pressure, inflammation, diabetes, and fatty liver disease ... The truth is - desserts DON'T NEED that much sugar. The only reason why all desserts are loaded with sugar, is because sugar is the cheapest ingredient, and if it makes most of the dessert content - it makes the dessert super "cheap" to produce (and results in super expensive health complications).
We came up with a couple of super simple ways to make your recipes healthier, so you can enjoy them more often without any negative impact on your health.
Seriously - reduce the sugar seriously (40-50%)?
Unless your recipe is already SHREDDED, you can reduce your sponge sugar content for 40-50% for a start. Always look at how many portions your bake is created for, generally your sponge should not exceed 12-15g sugar/portion (10g is ideal), everything more is unnecessary and leads to potential health issues. If your recipe calls for a liquid sweetener, you'd want to sub the reduced sugar amount with apple puree/yogurt to preserve the moisture of the sponge.
Ditch vegetable oils!
To make healthy subs, use coconut/olive oil, or butter if you don't follow dairy free or vegan diet. We often sub oils and butter with coconut yogurt - it makes the sponge softer, keeps the moisture longer and is overall lighter on the stomach, especially your bubs.
Sweet on sweet on sweet?!
If your recipe is made of few components (sponge/tart base, frosting/filling, drizzle...) you don't want to make them all equally sweet, who even does that? This is how you end up with a boring overly sweet dessert with no drama effect. Decide which ONE component will be the sweet one, for example - the sponge. The other two need to stand out with texture/ flavor. Make the frosting soft and fluffy, add spices like cinnamon, ginger, lime juice and peel, or orange juice and orange peel - to add personality. Top everything up with chunks of naturally sweet (seasonal) and sour fruit for texture and wow effect. If your recipe is for a chocolate cake - make the frosting sweet-er and add bunch of sour fresh cherries on top to complement the frosting, and to add the dramatic look.
Back to the sugary frosting...
Your frosting doesn't need that much sugar...we hate to break this to you...the only reason everyone is adding that much sugar in their desserts is because sugar is one of the cheapest ingredients on earth...funny enough. Frosting that calls for 150g+ sugar is the fastest way to a) make money (creators) b) to get sick (you). Instead opt for coconut/regular whipped cream, or even yogurt in summer. If you're after a serious frosting, see our recipe for Nutjob Macadamia frosting on Southern Wild Co journal with only 70g of honey... everyone is obsessed with it...
Make it even lighter...
If your cake /dessert is layered with frosting, frost just the edges of the cake (create a wall on each layer so you an fill up the center) and fill the center with seasonal fruit for example. You will end up a much lighter refreshing dessert...could also sneak in another slice...
For more ideas or inspiration for your healthy dessert baking, here are a couple of desserts that we exclusively published at our friends' journals:
Know The Rose - Chocolate Chai Grounding Cake (a simple delicate chocolate paleo/dairy free cake for any occasion)
Southern Wild Co - Macadamia Hummingbird Cake (with Australian Macadamia frosting & Bush Honey)
Nutjob Bakery - Paleo, gluten free, dairy free Pastry recipe
Always feel free to get in touch with us via email marina@nutjobbakery.com.au or with a message on Instagram and we'll happily convert your recipe into a healthier version.