Any input would be greatly appreciated you can use splenda, but i would do it by taste and not by measurement. Splenda can be overly sweet and has a weird aftertaste, so go easy with it.
What about Agave nectar?
I don't bake with it but I do use it for everything else (the only white sugar used in our house is for cakes which go to the customers).
Xagave is my favorite and its safe for diabetics.
http://www.xagave.com/agave-health-benefits.html
As a substitute for regular simple syrup could you use one of the sugar free coffee syrups?
I have a family of diabetics and they love the new pilsbury sugar free cake mix (I get at WalMart). I bake it according to the box and torte it/frost it with stabilized whipping cream sweetened with Splenda. They love chocolate so I usually make chocolate and brush the layers with sugar free chocolate syrup.
Hope that helps.
There's a product out there that is called Xylitol, it is a type of sugar made from corn but doesn't affect most people's blood sugar. The great thing about it is you can put it in the food processor and wiz and end up with powdered sugar. I made the Libby's Pumpkin pumpkin roll with no adverse effects to my father-in-law's blood sugar. The stuff is pricey, so be forewarned but can be substituted equally with sugar. I find it at the local Trader Joe's store.
We experimented with sugar-free baking for several months and came to the conclusion that there's nothing out there that will make a product we're satisfied with. Stevia came the closest, but it is derived from sunflower and can be cross-reactive with nuts (we are a nut-free bakery).
Xylitol also worked well taste-wise, but it can cause nasty GI-related side effects in many people.
And don't forget that flour is also very high on the glycemic index, so most diabetics wouldn't be able to tolerate more than a small piece of cake anyway. Our advice to customers who ask about sugar-free cakes is to have a few bites of great-tasting traditional cake instead of a regular-sized piece of barely passable cake.
We experimented with sugar-free baking for several months and came to the conclusion that there's nothing out there that will make a product we're satisfied with. Stevia came the closest, but it is derived from sunflower and can be cross-reactive with nuts (we are a nut-free bakery).
Xylitol also worked well taste-wise, but it can cause nasty GI-related side effects in many people.
And don't forget that flour is also very high on the glycemic index, so most diabetics wouldn't be able to tolerate more than a small piece of cake anyway. Our advice to customers who ask about sugar-free cakes is to have a few bites of great-tasting traditional cake instead of a regular-sized piece of barely passable cake.
I highly second this. People assume that diabetes it affected only by sugar and that couldn't be farther from the truth.
Carbohydrates affect blood sugar. Sugars are carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are sugars. Cake contains LOTS of carbohydrates. The sugar in it is probably the least of the diabetic's worries.
Simple syrup is reduced sugar water, making it thick (syrupy). It's designed to moisten the cake without making it soggy. If you mix splenda with water, it doesn't thicken the same way and you get.....soggy.
Moderation--a very small piece of good cake--is the way to go.
Rae
Thank You Jason yes large amounts Xylitol can upset the GI tract as well as can ANY sugar type product that is not real plain old sugar. However I would be very careful who I would suggest to eat a piece of cake made with real sugar with them being diabetic. Some people are very careful with their diets and yes a small very occasional piece of cake wouldn't affect them as much but their are so many people that might take that suggestion and run with it stating that so and so told me so. I might suggest to my father in law to have a small piece of cake but I am aware he does not deluge himself on anything more than 2-3 times a year and I am also a nurse who is very experienced in the signs and symtoms of hypo/hyperglycemia. Take my suggestion and let that come from their doctor who will eventually be taking care of their nasty little habit when complications arise.
Sorry, got off my one of my nursey tangents, but seriously unless you are a nurse or doctor yourself please don't make suggestions to people as you don't know what their personal health history is.
Yes, it's up to every person to know their own health history.
It's up to every person to manage their own health.
It's up to every person to know what an "indulgence" is for them and how to integrate it into their diet properly.
Jason, and I, aren't speaking to any one person. We've made a generalization. We're not doctors--although I'm a medical social worker & married to a doctor--but what we advocate is valid--and validated.
On the other hand, just because a diabetic is presented with a sugar free cake doesn't in any way make it an OK food. It still contains carbohydrates and it will still tinker with their blood sugar levels. Maybe not as much as a sugar free cake, but only the individual will know.
Everyone needs to be able to absorb information and apply it appropriately to themselves--sort of not jumping off a bridge just because the other guy did--in order to survive. In other words, don't believe everything you read--investigate, question, and verify with your own MD.
Rae
Wow, thanks for all the info and options! Maybe I just ought to make something else for him or just a very small cake and invite lots of people so there won't be any left over or enough for him to have a "dad size" piece! He's not good about taking a small piece of any sweet thing -ugh-
Wow, thanks for all the info and options! Maybe I just ought to make something else for him or just a very small cake and invite lots of people so there won't be any left over or enough for him to have a "dad size" piece! He's not good about taking a small piece of any sweet thing -ugh-
That's a wonderful way of helping a person gain control!
How about a mountain of mini cupcakes, beautifully decorated, and make sure that everyone takes home any leftovers??? 
Rae
Jason, and I, aren't speaking to any one person. We've made a generalization. We're not doctors--although I'm a medical social worker & married to a doctor--but what we advocate is valid--and validated.
Exactly...the advice I give is general advice, and I'm certainly not directly telling individual diabetic customers to eat cake with sugar, I'm just sharing my own personal opinion that a small amount of good cake is better than a large amount of OK cake.
Personally I would be more worried about being sued by someone who eats a big piece of one of our sugar-free cakes and has an adverse reaction from the other carbs in the cake.
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