How to make a cake with no flour, eggs, sugar or butter
No celebration feels complete without cake. This Christmas, sink your teeth into one that is not as sinful. “It’s entirely possible to make a healthy cake that has the same mouthfeel as a traditional one. All you have to do is substitute the right ingredients with the right nutritious alternatives,” says clinical dietitian and nutritionist Geetanjali Mengi.
Flour
Nutrient-deficient white flour or maida can be substituted with a healthy, fiber-rich 50:50 combination of semolina and ragi flour. “This gives fantastic porosity and texture. When making the batter, instead of using whole-fat milk or cream, use almond or soy milk. Yogurt too can be used as it gives the cake a good consistency,” says Mengi.
Homebaker Tara Kapur, whose Bombay Bizare Baker makes healthy desserts, says that to make a gluten-free cake, rice, coconut, almond or ragi flour can be used too. “Add apple cider vinegar to help the cake rise,” she advises.
Butter / margarine
These contain saturated and trans fats, which are bad for your heart. “Using ghee made from cow’s milk is a better option as it has healthier fats, is rich in Vitamin A and antioxidants and gives the same mouthfeel as butter would,” says Mengi.
If you’re not averse to sampling a slightly denser cake, crushed nuts can be added to applesauce or banana puree and used in place of butter / ghee.
Sugar
“If you’re looking for a carbohydrate with a lower glycemic index (read less sugar content), use coconut sugar or jaggery,” says Kapur.
Alternatively, you could use just half the amount of sugar recommended in the recipe, and substitute with apple or pumpkin sauce. Spices like nutmeg and cinnamon powder can be added to boost the flavor of the cake.
Eggs
Using two egg whites in place of a whole egg can bring down the calorie and fat count of your cake. “To skip eggs altogether, mix one tablespoon of Omega-3-rich ground flaxseed with two tablespoons of water to make one ‘flax egg’. Let the flax egg sit for some time so it coagulates,” says Kapur.
Icing
Opt for glacé icing (made using icing sugar and water) instead of buttercream. Replacing regular cream with soya cream or hung curd can help you make a low-calorie icing that has the same mouthfeel as traditional icing. “Beat the ingredients on ice to get the right consistency. Natural flavouring agents like vanilla, chopped fruit or nuts can be added for taste,” says Mengi. Alternatively, melon seed paste mixed with a bit of hung curd also give the same consistency as traditional icing.
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