Baked Dessert Tweaks: Lower-fat, Lower-carb, etc...

[Darienne]

Too much sugar in your recipe, I fear.  If you have one suitable, don't hesitate to send it to me, Deryn.

[Deryn]

No knowing how much sugar is too much sugar for you, I am not sure what I would be recommending/looking for but how about a 'mug cake' like this one? (disclaimer - I haven't tried it and I did find others with lower sugar content - as low as 2 tbsp. but this one is definitely higher fiber which has to be a good thing, right?)

 

http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-recipe-doctor/2009/05/5-minute-chocolate-mug-cake-makeover.html

[Darienne]

Somehow I have missed the last dozen or so posts on this thread and so missed seeing Deryn's chocolate cake recipe:http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-recipe-doctor/2009/05/5-minute-chocolate-mug-cake-makeover.html

 

We'll try it today...with some substitutions which will up the caloric intake.  We don't use 'fat free' cream or sour cream and I'll sub yoghut for sour cream (which I can't keep in the house because it calls to me at all hours...)   I'll report back.

[Darienne]

Report (for what it's worth).  The original untweaked recipe has 3 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of sugar.  Subbing for the butter in the 'tweaked' recipe is 1 tablespoon of oil plus 2 tablespoons of fat-free sour  cream and the sugar is reduced to 3 tablespoons from 4.  Using whole-wheat flour ???  I don't know what taste difference that makes.

So the cake didn't taste as good as the original.  Butter makes it better. Always.  Everyone knows that.  And basically the savings in calories comes from eating only half the cake...which is what we do anyhow.  The recipe person say: 240 calories.  My 1/2 recipe is 195 calories and tastes better.

Also her recipe at 240 calories would obviously omit her 'optional' chocolate chips, the 'light' vanilla bean ice cream and sliced strawberries or other fruit.  As far as I can tell...it's a boondoggle.

 

Oh...but thanks for the thought, Deryn.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Darienne (log)

[Deryn]

It was just a 'suggestion', Darienne. Wasn't 'my' recipe. Sorry if it was not a success in terms of taste for you but thanks for reporting the results.

I am not sure why the whole wheat flour other than perhaps it provides a bit of fiber (and nutrition) not found in regular AP flour. Low 'whatever' recipes often use that trick to supposedly 'reduce' calories by claiming that even if the calories are there, they are never absorbed and therefore can be taken off the final total. Who knows if it is true enough for a cake to make much difference though. Whole wheat flour probably makes the cake 'heavier' than AP would too - perhaps to give the impression you are eating a richer cake (although it could also make the cake drier too which wouldn't be a plus in my book).

I would not use fat free anything either so I don't blame you for subbing there.

[Darienne]

Thanks Deryn.  I never thought it was your recipe.  But I have made the 3-Minute Chocolate cake on a number of occasions, just for the fun of it.  This one was not a disaster...bravely we choked it down... ...but I won't make it again.