A dairy free, gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free chocolate cake, ideal for anyone diabetic or for allergy sufferers. So good you won’t notice what’s missing!
A few days before my father-in-law’s 94th birthday, DH set me a challenge. His Dad was recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, but, being in his nineties, he’s finding it a little hard to adapt to his new eating regime. In particular, after 93 years of eating cake, biscuits, sweets, chocolates etc., he’s developed something of a fondness for them. And hasn’t taken kindly to the idea of giving them up.
Diabetic chocolate cake
So, as a birthday treat, DH wanted me to create a birthday cake that his diabetic Dad would be able to eat a large helping of – and even have seconds! – without any worries at all. A sugar-free, low-carb birthday cake. How hard could it be?!
Lower carb alternatives
I used coconut flour, as it is significantly lower in carbohydrate than wheat flour, and you also only need to use a fraction of the amount. But chocolate cake needs sugar, right? Or at least sweetener. I considered the alternatives…
- Fructose (aka fruit sugar) is easier for some diabetics to metabolise, but is still a carbohydrate and most importantly, doesn’t work well in baking.
- Xylitol, which I’ve used in limited amounts before, is not metabolised, so doesn’t count as a dietary carbohydrate. It’s OK, but can cause tummy upsets in large quantities – not what you want from a birthday cake!
- Stevia, which is much sweeter than sugar so can’t be substituted into a recipe easily.
- Erythritol, which is a sugar-alcohol like xylitol, and also is not metabolised, so counts as zero dietary carbs. It doesn’t have the side-effects of other similar products, and can be substituted 1:1 for sugar. Bingo!
The proof of the pudding…
I have to admit, the mixture didn’t look promising. To quote my daughter Kipper, “That looks HORRIBLE, Mummy!” But once it was baked it was actually pretty good! We put a dollop of batter into a cupcake case and baked it separately as a tester – I didn’t want to serve my FIL a horrible cake on his birthday, after all – and having had a cautious nibble, Kipper then scoffed almost the whole thing. (She generously let me and DH have a tiny taste each).
Rather than icing, we covered the top of the cake in whipped cream and raspberries. With a few birthday candles this diabetic chocolate cake looked very festive! DH’s Dad was suitably chuffed, and we all tucked in to slices of delicious low-carb birthday cake and cups of tea. Hip hip! HOORAY!
Low carb chocolate celebration cake
I wouldn’t go so far as to claim that this cake is ‘healthy’ or ‘diet’ as it does still contain a good dose of fat. However, if you’re looking for a delicious celebration cake and working to dietary restrictions, this recipe is pretty darned good! The cake itself was dairy free, gluten-free, nut-free, sugar-free and low carb. Obviously the whipped cream topping adds a dairy element, but you could easily skip that and use a non-dairy alternative like coconut or soya. Just don’t forget the candles!
I reckon that an average slice of this cake contains only about 9g carbohydrate, of which only 1g is sugar – compared to about 50g carbs (of which almost 40g is sugar!) in a slice of standard chocolate cake!
I’m quite looking forward to DH’s next cooking challenge now!
Take the stress out of meal planning! Get deliciously easy, family-friendly recipes like this one delivered straight to your inbox. Click here to sign up. (I’ll never pass on your email address to anyone.)
📖 Recipe
Gluten free 'diabetic' chocolate cake
Ingredients
- 175 g soft margarine (or butter)
- 150 g granulated erythritol sweetener
- 5 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 g coconut flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 25 g cocoa powder
To decorate (optional)
- 300 ml whipping or double cream
- 200 g fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 23cm (9 inch) round cake tin with greaseproof paper or baking parchment.
- Cream the margarine (or butter) and erythritol together until light and fluffy - at least five minutes in a stand mixer.
- Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the vanilla in a jug. Measure out the coconut flour, baking powder and cocoa and mix together in a separate bowl.
- Gradually add the eggs to the margarine mixture, and beat well to combine. The mixture may begin to curdle slightly - if this happens add a spoonful of the flour mixture with the eggs.
- Finally, gently mix in the coconut flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour into the prepared tin and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool.
- Once cool, remove the cake from the tin and place on a serving plate. Whip the cream (if using) and spread it over the top of the cake. Arrange the raspberries on the cream. Serve & enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
More delicious celebration cakes
If you’re looking for a gluten-free cake, this lemon and almond cake with lavender is delicious.
If it’s a vegan cake you’re after, try this fabulous vegan chocolate babka, or this moist and flavourful carrot cake.
Since it’s sugar-free and low-carb, and since it uses plenty of eggs, I’m linking this recipe up to Simply Eggcellent, which this month is looking for healthy recipes.
Mel
Can I make this using all-purpose flour? What amount should I use? (I hear it’s about a 1:4 ration for coconut:AP flour …would that work?)
Helen
Hi Mel. I wouldn’t recommend using AP flour for this recipe. The ratios of flour to liquid are quite different and the end result would probably not be what you hoped! If you don’t need the cake to be low carb or gluten-free, and are happy using AP flour, there are many other chocolate cake recipes available which will probably suit you better. All the best, Helen.
Nancy
Baking powder contains gluten… do you know if there’s a gluten free baking powder option available?
I’m going to make this using lacto-free butter / cream as my friend is lactose & gluten intolerant & also pre-diabetic!
Helen
Hi Nancy. Yes, you can get gluten-free baking powder. Freee (Dove’s Farm) makes one, and the own-brand baking powder from Waitrose is made with rice flour, so it should be gluten free. I think Marks and Spencer also makes a gluten free baking powder in their ‘Made Without’ range. Hopefully you will be able to find something suitable. I hope your friend enjoys the cake!
Jill
Hi can this be made with almond flour instead of coconut . Thanks
Jill
Helen
Hi Jill, I’ve never made this with almond flour but I suspect that it would not simply be a 1:1 substitution as the two flours behave quite differently in recipes. Sorry I can’t be more help. All the best, Helen.
Kirsty Hijacked by Twins
Oooh this looks so good! I must give this a try! Thank you for sharing with #cookblogshare x
Dominic Franks (@belleaukitchen)
oooh yes! A low carb cake, now that’s a wonderful thing isn’t it? I love the crumb on this cake, it looks like the texture is divine. Thanks so much for linking to Simply Eggcellent x
Helen
Thanks Dom! The texture was great – especially considering what it looked like going into the oven! Thanks for organising Simply Eggcellent 🙂
larabeeuk
This looks and sounds great! I e been looking for a low/no sugar cake recipe! Definitely pinning this one xx #cookblogshare
Helen
Thanks! Happy to help 🙂
Lukeosaurus And Me
Wow, that looks amazing. The cake looks lovely and fluffy. I’ve learned that if it looks a bit grim in the mixing bowl, it’ll probably end up fine – just don’t show it to anyone at this stage! Ray xx #CookBlogShare
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
What a fabulous surprise for your father in law, to receive a delicious birthday cake that he can eat and enjoy! My father-in-law also had to alter his eating in his 90s, which he obviously wasn’t too impressed by; it certainly takes some thinking about.
#cookblogshare
Angela
Mandy Mazliah
Wow – what an amazing result! I bet he was over the moon. I remember my Grandad having similar struggles later in life at having to give up sweet treats when he was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes – wish I’d had your recipe to hand then! Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare x
Helen
Thanks Mandy. I think he was pretty chuffed! I’m sure we’ll be bringing this recipe out again for more birthdays and celebrations 🙂
fabfood4all
What a delicious looking cake, I’ve never seen coconut flour and really want to find some now:-)
Helen
Thanks 🙂
I think you can find coconut flour in health food shops. It’s very absorbent so you need loads of liquid/eggs, and it does take a bit of getting used to, but it’s great for low-carb baking. I should experiment with it more.
Sue Gordon
Hi
Thanks for this recipe, I’m baking for the wife of an89 year old that has diabetes and is gluten intolerant.
Can the recipe be adapted to a Victoria sponge recipe is it just a simple matter of substituting the 25g of cocoa for more coconut flour
Thanks
Sue G
Helen
Hi Sue. You can certainly do that for a non-chocolate cake but the flavour won’t be exactly the same as a ‘normal’ sponge as the coconut flour does have a mild coconut flavour. If you omit the cocoa I would add in some vanilla or lemon/orange zest instead. Hope this helps! And happy birthday to your friend!
munchiesandmunchkins
Ah how lovely of you, my mum has type 2 diabetes and I think she would love this as she really misses cakes and chocolate! I will definitely be trying this! xx
Helen
Thanks! I hope your Mum likes it 🙂
HedgeComber
Bless him! I can just imagine his face when being told in his 90’s he had to give up the things he loved. Think in the same situation that I would have shoved those orders where the sun doesn’t shine 😀
Janie x
Helen
LOL! He did take a bit of persuasion… I think my MIL just stopped buying biscuits etc. so he didn’t have much choice!
choclette
It looks delicious and how nice to have a cake when you’re diabetic. I really must use coconut flour more often.
Helen
Thanks Choclette. It certainly seemed to be appreciated. I also need to use more coconut flour – I have a HUGE bag, and only ever seem to need a little bit at a time!