Chocolate chip honey cake recipe (no sugar added) (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you don't add sugar to cake? ›

Sugar helps cakes stay moist after baking. A completely sugar-free cake will dry out quickly, so wrap cooled cakes in cling film to prevent moisture loss.

A good honey cake is made with honey as the primary sweetener. It will probably also have some granulated sugar, because that contributes to the structure, but it isn't honey cake without honey in the mix.

Honey results in a moister, fluffier texture.

While you sometimes want the drier, crisper texture of sugar — such as when baking gingersnaps — many cakes, cupcakes and other baked goods benefit from the texture of honey.

“Vinegar is a secret ingredient that can make your cakes light and fluffy.” One of the great things about using vinegar in cakes is that it's versatile.

You can bake cakes that are significantly less sweet, but the only way to cut sugar completely is to use artificial sweeteners. Sugar adds more to cakes than a sweet taste. Beets, carrots and fruit all make excellent natural sweeteners.

To substitute 1 cup of sugar: Use 2/3 cup honey. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you need to use less. Decrease other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup, because there's water in the honey too.

Honey is much sweeter than sugar, so use 1/2 - 2/3 cup honey for every cup of sugar in your recipe. Because honey is sweeter than sugar, you might not want to substitute at a 1-1 ratio (even though you can up to one cup). We recommend experimenting with a ratio of 1/2 - 2/3 cups honey to 1 cup sugar.

"Honey's advantages over sugar include a slightly lower glycemic index (i.e. it doesn't affect your blood-sugar levels as much)," Dr. Dixon says. 10 "It also contains more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, such as calcium, potassium, vitamin C, zinc, phenolic acids, and flavonoids."

Clover Honey

It is known for its sweet taste, which can add a great deal of flavor without overpowering the recipe. One of the most popular uses for clover honey is honey cake.

What is the best honey flavor for baking? ›

Clover honey: With its pleasantly mild taste and flowery aroma, clover honey is a popular choice for tabletop or baked goods.

Most cakes will call for a leavening agent like baking powder or baking soda. These create the bubbles you need for the cake to rise. If the flour you use is self-raising, it already has a leavening agent in it. Make sure your butter is room temperature, and beat the butter and sugar together until properly creamed.

One common ingredient swap that is known to help make cakes remarkably moist is using milk instead of water. Try switching out any water in your recipe for full-fat milk or buttermilk for a moist, decadent texture. Another ingredient that can enhance the moisture of your cake is mayonnaise.

Flour is perhaps the most important ingredient in a cake mix, as it creates the basic structure of the entire cake. A major component of flour is gluten, which is a protein that provides a way for the cake to bind to itself.

It actually contributes a moist and tender texture to many baked goods. When creamed with butter and sugar, it can also assist in leavening recipes like cakes for a light and fluffy texture. Sugar is also involved in the processes of caramelization and Maillard browning which impact both flavor and texture.

Cutting out or limiting added sugar has several benefits. You might increase your intake of nutrient-rich foods, manage your weight, and reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Still, you might feel an intense and out-of-control craving for sugar if you cut out or limit carbs, your body's primary energy source.

Sugar easily binds with water, which accomplishes two main things. 1) It locks in moisture, keeping your baked goods from drying out; and 2) It inhibits the development of gluten which keeps your cookies, cakes and sweet breads softer. Variances in sugar type will create different outcomes here.

Undermixed butter and sugar looks gritty and chunky, which can lead to dense cookies and cakes. It is possible to overmix the butter and sugar. If you overmix, the butter will separate out of the mixture and it will be grainy and soupy. Be sure to stop once your butter becomes light and fluffy.