Name: Sugar-Free Birthday Cake Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 7 eggs; 1/3 cup Greek yogurt; 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup cacao powder; 4 oz melted butter; 2 cups flour; ½ cup milk; 1 ¼ cup powdered erythritol; 3 tsp baking powder; 1 good pinch of salt; 1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, sugar-free; 1 cup heavy cream

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If you need a sugar-free cake for someone you love that is diabetic or on a sugar-free diet, or you simply want to enjoy a guilt-free chocolate cake, then you are in a right place.

This chocolate cake is made without sugar, but that doesn’t mean it lacks a rich taste! Many people believe the sugar is a must in desserts…well it is, but it is also very important which type of sugar you use.

Which Sweetener Should You Use?

Not all sugars are equal, even the sugar-free alternatives. Sugar or sweetener that will not affect your sugar-blood levels is the right one, but with so many options, what do you choose?

Sugar, as in further text called sweetener, comes in two main forms; nutritive and non-nutritive. Artificial sweeteners have no nutritional value, while sugar alcohols and natural sweeteners such as honey boast some nutritional benefits.

Artificial sweeteners are something you’ve probably seen before; small packets in your local diner, but they are also found in diet drinks, light yogurt, gum, and some candies.

Most artificial sweeteners are intense sweeteners, as these are several times sweeter than white table sugar. Splenda, for example, is 600 times sweeter than regular sugar.

There are different brands and sweeteners to choose from, but I personally like Splenda. There are many others, but after some of my research, I discovered that some may cause a stomach ache.

When it comes to sugar alcohols, this type of sugar is extracted from natural fiber in fruit and vegetables. The most popular are sorbitol, xylitol, and erythritol.

Fruit sugars can raise a blood sugar, but not enough to cause any harm.

Natural sweeteners are plant-based extracts, and most popular are Stevia and monk fruit. Just like other sweeteners, these can be several hundred times sweeter than sugar, so always keep that on mind.

These sweeteners are considered to be perfectly safe for diabetics.

How To Use Sweeteners In Baking

Because many sugar substitutes are much sweeter than the sugar, it takes a smaller amount to achieve the desired sweetness. Therefore, when cooking or baking with these sweeteners, your recipe needs to be adjusted.

Here are some other things to keep in mind:

Your baked goods may be lighter in color, because the artificial sweeteners don’t brown as nicely as real sugar.
The cooking time may need to be adjusted.
There may be a texture or aftertaste you are not used to. Erythritol is known to give a mint taste in baked goods.
The volume of cake or baked goods may be less, because you are using more potent sweetener.

Making Sugar-Free Sponge Cake

Sponge cake is pretty basic when you look at the ingredients. I used the classic cake ingredients, but just went with the powdered Erythritol instead of sugar.

Although erythritol has a minty aftertaste, I find it perfect for this chocolate combo. Also, erythritol is the easiest one to swap in the recipe.

For perfectly moist and fluffy sponge cake, my secret ingredient is yogurt. Sometimes, I whisk the egg whites separately with yogurt. That is something everyone should try!

Once you have the ingredients ready, you will just whisk together the dry and liquid ingredients. You can do it in a food blender as well.

If you are using the blender, add liquid ingredients first and then the dry ones so your batter does not stick to the blender blades.

Making The Ganache

Chocolate ganache is my go-to whenever I make chocolate cakes. For this one, I decided to make it a filling and topping. The ganache is made with heavy cream and sugar-free dark chocolate.

When making ganache, you have to heat your heavy cream, but do not boil it. When you see the bubbles around the edges, it is time to remove it from the stove.

Add in your chopped chocolate and let it rest for a few minutes before you start stirring. Sometimes, the ganache can split, and if it does, do not panic. Just place the ganache in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

As soon as the ganache is cooled, it will become like a chocolate spread. Spread the ganache over the sponge cakes, and stack them.

Let the cake chill for few hours in the fridge before slicing and serving.

Decorating The Cake

As this is a sugar-free cake, I personally recommend decorating it with fresh fruits. Blueberries, strawberries, or even sugar-free chocolate-coated mandarins are a perfect option.

Sugar-free Chocolate Cake

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serving: 12

Ingredients

The sponge cake:

7 eggs
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cacao powder
4 oz melted butter
2 cups flour
½ cup milk
1 ¼ cup powdered erythritol
3 tsp baking powder
1 good pinch of salt

For the ganache:

1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips, sugar-free
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 9-inch spring forms with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with butter and sweetener.

3. Add yogurt and whisk until smooth.

4. Sift in the flour, cacao, and baking powder.

5. Stir until you have a smooth mixture. Divide the batter between two spring forms and bake them for 30 minutes.

6. Once the sponge cake is baked, let it cool in a spring form.

7. Heat heavy cream in a sauce pot over medium heat. Once the bubbles appear around the edges, add in chopped chocolate.

8. Let the chocolate rest for a few minutes and then stir until smooth. Let the ganache cool.

9. Remove the sponge cake and spread over half the ganache. Spread the remaining ganache over the second sponge cake and stack the layers.

10. Chill the cake for few hours in a fridge. Decorate with fresh fruits if desired.