Cream Cheese Frosting, sugar-free

[Matthew Kirshner]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to make a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting for a client of mine, and she inform me that the guess of honor is a type one diabetic. has anyone ever taken out the 10x sugar from the frosting and used any other ingredients as replacement sugar. I am using agrave syrup to replace the sugar in the cake itself.

Any suggestions??

matt

[Darienne]

No help from me I'm afraid. All I know is that some folks are very allergic to agave syrup. End of knowledge.

[prasantrin]

Has the client requested that you replace the sugar? (and has she consulted with the guest of honour about the cake?)

For diabetics, all carbs are problematic, not just sugars. Most diabetics (and pre-diabetics like myself) would rather have a small slice of *good* cake than a larger slice of any kind of crap made with artificial sugars or agave or stevia. The carbs are going to spike blood sugar levels regardless, so they may as well be in something that tastes good and is satisfying.

If they're that concerned about the cake, you should be looking at something like a cake made with nut flours instead of wheat flours.

[Panaderia Canadiense]

I do a lot of baking for diabetics....

In the cake itself you can raise the protein levels by substituting whole milk powder for some of the sugar (or all of it, if you're going to use a non-sucrose sweetener in place of the sugar) and by cutting a portion of the oil with yogurt. This helps to level out the blood-sugar spikes produced by the carbs. Nut flours are still carb-heavy but are also higher-protein, which contributes to a smoother rise in blood sugar than wheat or alternate grains do.

For the icing, I've had great luck with a mixture of milk powder, stevia, and cream cheese, with vanilla and a touch of orange juice. 0.9 oz of stevia is the equivalent, sweetness-wise, to 1 C of 10x confectioner's sugar.

[Lisa Shock]

Yeah, flour is a big deal for a diabetic, you could make the whole thing with artificial sweeteners and it would still be very problematic. The agave is digested a little tiny bit more slowly than sugar, but not much, especially after being cooked.

Don't forget the carrots. They are very, very high on the glycemic index and forbidden fruit for some diabetics. -Especially when cooked.

Overall, I agree with prasantrin; ask the client if they want an artificially sweetened simulacrum or a real cake. Most diabetics can take medicine to balance things out and would rather have the real thing.

[Mjx]

The chart at the bottom of this page lists the glycemic index and glycemic load of various foods, including agave nectar: http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

[Matthew Kirshner]

the funny thing is I am a type one diabetic, I should hold all the answers, but I don't substitute anything for me... I just adjust with more insulin. As far as the client is concern, she requested agave syrup as replacement, as well as pecans instead of traditional walnuts.

Panaderia, if you would not mind sharing your formula for the icing that would help, if you don't mind.

I was also thinking of using raisin puree instead of the agave syrup?

The client was pretty straight forward of what was needed, nothing else is to be replaced, just the sugar and nuts

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Sure. 8 oz of cream cheese, 4 oz of butter, 5 mL of orange juice (I use fresh), 5 mL of vanilla extract, with 4.5 oz of powder stevia and the remainder of 4 C (one pound, roughly) made up with whole powdered milk. Cream the butter and cheese together, add the OJ and vanilla, then add the stevia/milk blend until a thick icing forms.

EDIT - if you don't have access to powder-form stevia (and you may not - it's uncommon even here) you can substitute about 50-60 drops of the liquid; in this case, add it when you add the OJ and vanilla.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Panaderia Canadiense (log)