The world is getting their fitness mode on as improving and maintaining one’s health is on everybody’s radar. With people focusing more on having a healthy lifestyle, it has become important to take good care of oneself and further compelled them to incorporate healthy food in their diet.
But if I talk about keeping your diet healthy, your mind would straightaway jump to vegetables and fruits. You will neglect the possibility of incorporating foods like cakes, chips, etc., into your diet. This is because food items like cakes are often considered to be unhealthy.
But this doesn’t mean that you have to avoid eating these items. Don’t lose hope yet because, in this article, I’ll tell you about a few ways you can make the cakes you bake healthy. So, maintain that smile on your face because your favorite dessert isn’t going anywhere!
What Makes Cakes Unhealthy?
From red-velvet to black forest, cakes are wonderful for any occasion. Even on a regular day, sitting in your pajamas with a plate containing a cake slice is nothing less than a dream. But now that you’re on this path of eating healthy, You’ll have to force yourself to not indulge in this particular pleasure.
To tell you all the ways you can make your cake healthier, I would first like you to have an idea of what exactly makes it unhealthy. After understanding the factors that make cakes unhealthy, only then can we move on to transforming them into a healthier option.
It’s no secret that when it comes to calories, cakes are “Richie-Rich.” An average chocolate cake slice without frosting contains about 250-350 calories. Yeah, cakes are clever in luring you in and adding into your calorie intake *evil laugh*
Next up in the list of unhealthy factors of a cake is its fat content. As you may already know, most of the fat in a food item comes from the number of calories. A chocolate cake slice has about 14-16 grams of fat. With frosting, you’ll get a total of 22-25 grams of fat in a slice. Intimidating, right?
Now, the last unhealthy factor of a cake we’ll talk about is its sugar content. Just like mitochondria is the powerhouse of a cell, cakes are the storehouses of sugar. Each slice of a cake has a whopping 26-30 grams of sugar at least. Just talking about the amount of sugar it has makes my teeth hurt.
Now that we know about all that makes a cake unhealthy let’s get onto making it healthier. To health, we go!
How To Make Your Cake A Healthy One?
Eating healthy reminds us that most of our favorite cakes don’t fall under this category. So, to deal with that, I’ll give you an alternative. I suggest you bake a cake at home and give it a healthy twist.
Now, you’d be wondering, how can you bake a healthy cake? Don’t worry; I’ve got it all covered. Consider the below-mentioned list of ways to make your cake healthy and have a tasty dessert for yourself. So, Are you ready? Come on then!
1. Using Whole Wheat Flour Instead Of White Flour
Whole wheat flour is healthier than white flour, so you can substitute it while baking your cake at your convenience. There are other white flour substitutes available in the market, for example, spelled, barley, etc. You can try any of these to add crunch or flavor to your cake.
2. Using Unsaturated Fat
You can use unsaturated fat instead of butter. Unsaturated fat is healthier and gives a lighter texture to the cake than the one baked with saturated fat. You can use oil to make the cake moist and delicious.
3. Healthy Additions To The Cake
Adding toppings like freshly chopped fruits or dry fruits will not only make your cake healthier but also flavorful. Fresh fruits are rich in fiber, and dry fruits are rich in vitamins and proteins, adding to the nutritional value of your cake. You can also add chia seeds, flax seeds, etc., to make it even better.
4. Avoid Using Sugar Glaze
Use drizzle glacé (water) icing rather than a generous coat of sugar glaze. Doing this will switch the sugar content from the “too sweet” category to “moderately sweet.” Instead of glazing sugar, you can dust some icing sugar on the top of the cake for final touches, giving it a professional finish.
5. Making The Portion Size Smaller
While indulging in your cakey pleasures, keep in mind that the lesser, the better. Hence, keep the size of your portion smaller or bake a mini version of the cake. This will ensure the consumption of low fat and calories.
6. Lessen The Usage Of Cream
Avoid layering each layer of a tiered cake or so with a huge amount of cream. It would undoubtedly taste good, but it won’t be good for your body. It tends to increase the cholesterol level and sugar levels of a heart and diabetic patient, respectively.
If you can, choose to go for cakes that aren’t frosted and are without cream. They taste equally good, if not better, and are also better for your health.
7. Substituting Sugar With Jaggery
Try adding jaggery to your cake in place of sugar. If that alternative isn’t to your liking, then you can substitute sugar with coconut sugar, maple syrup, or honey. This will make your cake healthier to consume.
8. Using Vegan Ingredients
Usage of vegan ingredients will make your cake tasty as well as healthy. You can use products like flaxseed eggs as a replacement for chicken eggs. Use coconut, almond, or any non-dairy milk instead of cow’s milk. Similarly, use agave or maple syrup for honey, etc.
9. Using Natural Ingredients
Using natural ingredients like vanilla extract, cinnamon, cocoa powder, etc., not only adds an additional flavor to the cake and makes it healthier. These products have their beneficial natural properties and add to the overall health benefits of the cake.
10. Be Careful While Using Baking Powder/ Soda
Baking powder/soda acts as great leavening agents while baking, but they aren’t very healthy. So, while purchasing them, look for the GMO label or the aluminum-free baking powder and soda as they are healthier than the normal ones.
Conclusion
Cakes are a favorite of many and are the most delicious of desserts. It would break my heart if you had to go on without them just for the sake of your healthy diet. That is why I felt it important to discuss how you can make them healthier in this article.
Follow the ways mentioned above and let it lead you to healthy baking the next time you’re craving a slice of cake!
