Healthy Cakes: What Makes a Cake Nutritious and Delicious?
Nothing tops a freshly baked, sweet, and savoury cake, and this is something we can all agree on, right? This delicious treat is a must-have for birthdays, anniversaries, major milestones in your life, and several other formal and informal events.
However, most people cannot help but feel guilty while having a cake, especially when they are looking to eat healthy and nutritious. Having a cake when you are trying to cut back your sugar, fat, and gluten intake makes you feel kind of low. This prevents you from truly appreciating this amazing dessert.
However, one way to get rid of this guilt while also enjoying your favourite flavours is by opting for healthy cakes. Cakes made from healthy and nourishing ingredients are the best way to satisfy your sweet tooth without any side effects.
This blog lists a few ways you can make healthy, nutritious, and delicious cakes. So, keep on reading till the end to learn how to make a cake that is best for your health and long-term fitness goals.
- Reduce Unsaturated Fat
- Use Applesauce Instead of Butter/Oil
- Cut Back on Sugar
- Use Healthier Fats
- Choose Whole Wheat Flour
- Throw in Some Fruits and Veggies
- Add Dark Chocolate
- Use Nut Flour and Nut Butter
- Use Healthier Icing Alternatives
Reduce Unsaturated Fat
You need to reduce the amount of unsaturated fat in your cakes, and one effective way to do that is by replacing butter with margarine in your recipes. Margarine makes your cakes fluffier and lighter in terms of texture.
You can also do that by using olive or canola oil instead of butter. These oils make the cakes moist, and they work like magic, especially for carrot or banana cakes.
Use Applesauce Instead of Butter/Oil
Butter is a key ingredient in many cakes. However, it is rich in fats, which makes it a poor choice, especially when you want to lose weight or eat healthy.
You can make a perfectly nutritious and sugar free healthy cake by reducing the amount of butter by a third. To make up for it, you can add an equal amount of applesauce.
The addition of applesauce can promote weight management and digestive health. Applesauce also contains more antioxidants, and it improves your heart health, which makes it a perfect alternative to butter.
Cut Back on Sugar
Another way to make your cake nutritious and delicious is by reducing the amount of sugar in your recipe by about 25%. If your recipe requires one cup of sugar, you can use 3/4 cup instead to make the cake without a considerable difference in taste or texture.
Even better is when you cut back sugar completely and opt for natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. These sugar alternatives give you the sweetness you need with the added benefits of nutrients.
Use Healthier Fats
There are many healthier fat options that you can use to make delicious cakes. Ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, or Greek yoghurt are a perfect substitute for butter and even margarine. Using these ingredients reduces the saturated fat content from your recipes while giving you unique flavours at the same time.
You can also consider hazelnut flour, peanut butter, or almond flour for your recipes to further get your much-needed dose of healthy fats and proteins.
Choose Whole Wheat Flour
One way to limit the fibre content of your cakes is by using whole wheat flour instead of white flour in your recipes. You can use whole grains like whole wheat flour, spelt flour, or oat flour in place of refined flour to make healthy and nutritious cakes.
There are many reasons to choose healthy cakes that contain ingredients like wheat flour. These white flour alternatives give you vitamins, potassium, iron, and other minerals that keep you physically fit without compromising on the taste and texture.
Some people don’t find the taste of whole grains appealing. These people can try half whole wheat and half white flour to reduce their intake while also enjoying a similar flavour.
Throw in Some Fruits and Veggies
Many fruits and vegetables contain natural sugars that can give your healthy cheesecake or some other cake variety the moisture and rich texture you are looking for.
You can use grated zucchini, pureed sweet potatoes, mashed avocado, carrots, apples, berries, and bananas to make healthy cakes that look as well as taste delicious.
Add Dark Chocolate
You also need to minimize the use of milk chocolate in your cake recipes. You can instead go for dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solids. This adds more flavour to your cakes while reducing the sugar at the same time.
Dark chocolate is much healthier owing to its high antioxidant content, which keeps your body protected.
Use Healthier Icing Alternatives
Make sure not to use a very thick layer of icing on your cakes, as it contains a very high concentration of fats and carbs. Instead using a very thin glaze that contains an icing sugar and water mixture.
You can also sprinkle a few tablespoons of cocoa powder on your cake instead of icing sugar. And finally, when making a layered cake, use as little icing as possible between the layers. It is also a good idea to avoid frosting the sides of the cake to ensure it stays healthy.
Conclusion
When making a delectable cake, you literally have so many healthy ingredient options to try. You can mess around with different natural sugar and flour alternatives, add fruits and veggies, and try organic and ketogenic ingredients to make cakes that not only look perfect but also give you an amazing taste and health benefits at the same time.
This is why you need to make your next cake with these ingredients that promote your well-being and take you one step closer to your fitness and health goals without compromising on deliciousness.
Visit hOLa Keto today to order our healthy, delicious, sugar and gluten-free 100% keto cakes for all occasions to get the best flavour without compromising your health and fitness in any way.