MY SUGAR-FREE BIRTHDAY CAKE

My usual dilemma: what to serve guests for dessert—in this case, my birthday cake—when I do not eat anything with sugar? Certainly, I’ve been known to serve desserts and simply abstain. But, on this occasion, I want to partake of my own celebration!

Here is my trial run—a spice cake sweetened with fruit and an artificial sweetener. I’m quite pleased with it. I intend to double the recipe to make a larger cake for my gathering. What do you think, should I do it in two layer cake pans, a sheet pan, springform, bundt pan or cupcakes?

The taste-test: Is this sugar-free applesauce cake good enough to serve to guests?

It's my birthday and it's good enough for me! The cake is light and moist, sweet enough, in my opinion.  Now to freeze it and see if it's good after defrosting.

Serving options: for me, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dollop of Greek yogurt.

Or, for those who want it sweeter, a drizzle of honey. 

Nobody needs to know the cake has no sugar. Nobody needs to know it’s made with apples and prunes. Maybe I’ll call it “spice cake”. Dried figs, also intensely sweet, could be used instead of prunes to make the applesauce. 

The apples and prunes provide sweetness, but I added a non-caloric sweetener (edulcorante) as well. I used ¼ cup of a powdered preparation containing stevia (Natreen), which is not the same as powdered stevia. I’ll make a spoon sauce using local honey cooked with cream. Folks who want something really sweet can spoon the sauce over the (plain) cake.  

The cake freezes well, so can be made in advance. The recipe makes one 9-inch cake. It can be simply doubled for two layers or a larger pan. (Larger pan will require longer baking time. 

Applesauce-Prune Spice Cake

Bizcocho de Manzanas y Ciruelas Pasas

As sweetener, I used ¼ cup of a powdered preparation containing stevia (Natreen), which is not the same as powdered stevia . If you are using a different sweetener, adjust the quantities according to package directions. (If in doubt, taste the batter.)

The cake freezes well, so can be made in advance. The recipe makes one 9-inch cake. It can be simply doubled for two layers or a larger pan. (Larger pan will require longer baking time.) 

Makes one (9-inch) cake, serving 8.

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon allspice

1 egg

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + additional for greasing the cake pan

Sweetener (optional)

1 cup apple-prune sauce (recipe follows)

1 teaspoon grated ginger

Grated orange zest

Pinch of aniseed

2 tablespoons orange or lemon juice

¼ cup ground almonds (unsweetened)

Cinnamon, to serve (optional)

Greek yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

Honey, to serve (optional)

Lightly oil a 9-inch cake pan and line with baking parchment. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Sift together the flour, soda, salt, cardamom and allspice. Place the egg in a mixing bowl and beat until light and lemony in color. Beat in the oil and the powdered sweetener, if using. Add the apple-prune sauce, ginger, orange zest and aniseed. Beat in half of the flour and other dry ingredients. Beat in the juice. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients and the ground almonds.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a thin skewer comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan 15 minutes. Unmold the cake onto a rack and allow to cool completely.

If to be served immediately, place the cake on a serving platter. If to be frozen, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and seal in a freezer bag. 

Apple-Prune Sauce

Puré de Manzanas y Ciruelas Pasas

A thick sauce of apples plus prunes sweetens the cake. 

I made enough apple-prune sauce to make a second, larger cake next week.

Sweet pears can be substituted for the apples and dried figs for the prunes.

Makes 3 cups pureed apples and prunes.

1 ¾ pounds apples (5 medium)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

10 ounces pitted prunes

2-inch cinnamon stick

Pinch of ground cloves

¼ cup sweet wine (muscatel)

Peel and core the apples. Chop them and place in a pan. Add the lemon juice. Cut the prunes in halves or quarters and add to the pan. Add the wine. Place on medium-high heat until liquid begins to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the fruit, covered, until very soft, about 20 minutes. Stir from time to time to prevent scorching. Add a little water if necessary.

Remove the pan from the heat. Discard the cinnamon stick. Use an immersion blender to blend the fruit to a puree. Keeps, covered and refrigerated, up to a week.

More sugar-free cakes:

No-Sugar Date Bars.

Failed Chocolate Birthday Cake.

Sugar-Free Chocolate-Almond Cake.

Almond Torte.