Reducing sugar

Auntieflo

I’m with you re Mamade. I also reduce the sugar, still sweet enough and sets ok.

I don’t agree that older recipes necessarily used less sugar. Some in my really old books, pre war, had quite a high proportion of sugar in them.

I think now though we go overboard for sugary toppings and fillings. You only have to look at some on the GBBO.

So if you were making a victoria sponge cake using the 6oz method would it still work if you reduced the 6ozs of sugar to say 3ozs???? I would be very interested to know.

The wartime recipes are worth finding, when they made cakes with very little sugar. I too have a sweet tooth, am probably addicted to sugar and always at the same time of day ie after my main meal at lunchtime. Too busy in the mornings and I don`t crave sugar after my light last meal. I think my body knows that this is my last meal and something switches off

Scones are my go-to if I need something a bit sweet, home made. You can add other things such as walnuts to scones to make them more nutritious. I never add iced tops to any bake, never make buttercream. Dried fruits, white flour are all sugar in disguise. Its a first world problem

I remember those cakes BradfordLass72 and you’re right, my mother made them and used very little in each cake along with half a teaspoon of jam and a very light dusting of icing sugar. They were nowhere near as sickly or synthetic tasting as the cupcakes made today.

I also reduce the sugar in any cake/biscuit/scone where I’m using dried fruit or carrots in a carrot cake and I never add sugar to anything savoury like some recipes suggest.

Resurgam123
I'm obese and I loathe "butter cream" stuff.

I first tasted it when I was a teenager and was almost sick. Never touched it since.

My Mum used to make Butterfly Buns with buttercream for special occasions but it was real butter and she used about 1/2 a teaspoon per bun.

Our daughter is a nutritionist and advises schools on catering. She recommends cutting sugar by a third in cakes and puddings.

I have seen apple recipes which add about 4 ozs sugar to the apples but I never add any.

I don't like artificial sweeteners although I understand that some taste ok.

I reduce the sugar too in sponges and biscuits.. I tried sweetener in biscuits and it just wasn't nice.

I never wanted to even try, what were sold as "Cup cakes"
which were just disgustingly fatty due to Butter cream toppings.

The butter and sugar on top of the cake must add a dreadful quantity more of calories.

I do make small cakes every so often which have butter and sugar in but I do not then add large amounts of butter and sugar on the top.

No wonder we have an obesity crisis.

When coconut sugar first came out here, the hype was terrific: wonder food, great for diabetics, less calories, good minerals etc.

I did a bit of research and also asked my doctor if I would benefit from it - the genral consensus is that it is little better than refined sugar. My doctor said, 'in the end, sugar, is sugar, is sugar'. It tastes a bit weird too.

I use coconut sugar.

I use the tins of Mamade which says to use 4 lbs of sugar. I thought this was too much and use 3 lbs, and still get a good set.

I nearly always reduce the sugar or sugar equivalent (honey, jam, icing etc) in most of my baking recipes. Never use substitutes either. Always works out fine. I do find most puddings, desserts and drinks far too sweet. I hate sugar substitute taste too so I'm quite selective. "Sugar free" labels can be misleading as the product often goes overboard with sorbitol or other such chemicals which are not to my taste.

Yes I reduce sugar too. DH used to have reduced sugar produce but found he was intolerant of sugar substitutes such as sorbitol so we now just cut back on sugar and watch our for the ingredients in low sugar products

Yes. I use veggies and fruit instead of processed sugar in some recipes. Beetroot cake is lovely!