IWe’re launching the isomalt baking section with a spectacular recipe: sugar-free pumpkin cake.
We have a bit of a love-hate relationship with sugar, don’t we? On the one hand, we’re increasingly aware of the importance of healthy eating and developing healthy habits, but on the other hand, we still can’t resist a good sweet treat. That’s certainly true for me, as I have a serious sweet tooth, but I’m aware that I need to change my mindset when it comes to baking and pastry.
Even in my early days in the world of pastry, before specializing in isomalt techniques, I always tried to reduce the sugar in recipes as much as possible without changing the structure of the preparation, and above all, without making sure I liked the taste. I have to say that, although I have a sweet tooth, I don’t like overly sweet or heavy treats. Nowadays there are many sugar substitutes, but since I specialize in isomalt… well, I started making things with this ingredient.
At the end of this post, I’ll share my impressions of isomalt versus sugar. Before getting into the recipe, I need to point out that, although isomalt has the same structure as sugar and we can substitute them one-to-one, you have to adjust your mindset; you’re not working with sugar, so the preparations aren’t the same.
Now…let’s get to the recipe!
INGREDIENTS
PUMPKIN CAKE A
- 300g pumpkin
- 4 eggs
- 180g isomalt
- 200ml sunflower oil
- 280g flour
- 7g baking powder
- 7g bicarbonate
- 4g salt
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 80g sugar-free chocolate
Step-by-step process
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC
- Cut the pumpkin into pieces and boil them for 15 minutes. Drain and mash.
- Beat the eggs together with the isomalt until you have a smooth cream. If the isomalt hasn’t completely dissolved, don’t worry, I’ll explain at the end.
- Add the oil, salt, and pumpkin. Stir until combined.
- Add the previously sifted dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Grease the pan or line it with parchment paper and pour in the batter. I used a metal loaf pan.
- Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds and sugar-free chocolate pieces on top. You can also add them to the mixture before pouring it into the pan (this is a matter of taste).
- Lower the oven temperature to 170ºC and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Points to consider
Isomalt has half the sweetening power of sugar, so your baked goods will be less sweet than if you made them with sugar. With this cake, you won’t notice it at all, as it’s incredibly flavorful and the pumpkin adds a lovely touch of sweetness. If you’re using granulated isomalt, you can grind it slightly without completely pulverizing it. If you notice it doesn’t dissolve completely while you’re mixing, don’t worry; it won’t be noticeable in the final result because it dissolves completely during baking.
Baked goods made with isomalt are lighter and fluffier than those made with sucrose, or regular sugar. I hope you try it and let me know how it turns out. Now you don’t have to buy isomalt just for decorations! So, dare to try sugar-free baking with isomalt as a substitute.
Leave me a comment if you have any questions 😉
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