Sugar Free Cake

Name: Sugar Free Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 large egg; 160 grams (1 ¼ cup) wholewheat flour (replace with oat flour, almond flour or all purpose flour); 65 grams (⅓ cup) granulated sugar-free sweetener (I recommend erythritol, monk fruit sweetener, allulose); 30 grams (2 tbsp) canola oil (replace with vegetable oil, melted coconut oil, melted butter); 20 grams (3 tbsp) cocoa powder (unsweetened); 1 ½ tsp baking powder; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ⅙ tsp salt; 120 ml (½ cup) milk of choice (dairy-free or dairy); 40 grams (¼ cup) sugar-free chocolate chips (optional)

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This easy Sugar Free Cake is so rich and delicious that you’ll never guess it healthy and sugar-free. Offering a low carb and high protein alternative, this sugar free cake recipe is perfect for any diet.

Why sugar free cake?
What can I use instead of sugar in cake?
What ingredients are in sugar-free cake?
How to make sugar free cake at home
Adapt the recipe to your diet
Storage directions
Tips for the best sugar free cake recipe
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
More sugar-free dessert recipes
Sugar Free Cake Recipe

Why sugar free cake?

I developed this easy sugar free cake recipe for all those who have the biggest sweet tooth but want to reduce their sugar intake. Maybe you are follow a low carb diet, or maybe you just want to eat healthier. This cookie dough cake is for you! It’s as rich and decadent as a bakery treat, but with no sugar, fewer calories and little impact on your blood sugar levels. Believe me, have a bite and you won’t be able to resist.

What can I use instead of sugar in cake?

When it comes to sugar-free desserts, a question that many people have is what to use instead of sugar. The choice of the right sweetener is key for making the best sugar free cake. Sweet, delightful, and without strong aftertastes.

There are many sugar alternatives on the market, but not all of them are good. That’s why I’m providing you with a list of the best calorie-free sweeteners to make sugar-free cake from scratch.

Erythritol: Powdered erythritol is hands down the the option. Substituting common sugar in a 1:1 ratio, it provides sweetness with minimal net carbs and no impact on the blood sugar levels. Most importantly, erythritol doesn’t leave a bitter or chemical-like aftertaste.
Monk Fruit Extract: Also known as Luo Han Guo, monk fruit extract features an intensely sweet taste with zero added calories. Differently from the erythritol, monk fruit extract has a subtle taste that many find unpleasant. For this reason it is often combined with other sweeteners to smooth out its aftertaste.
Allulose: Allulose is a low carb sweetener characterized by a taste and texture that is very similar to sugar, but with almost no net carbs and calories. Similar to erythritol, it does not have an overpowering aftertaste. However, it shows a lower sweetening power, meaning that larger quantities may be needed.

What ingredients are in sugar-free cake?

If you wonder what are sugar free cakes made of, keep on reading. In the next lines, you will find a list of all the ingredients that this easy recipe requires.

Wet ingredients

Egg. One large egg helps bind the batter while giving your low sugar dessert better taste and moisture.
Canola oil. The addition of cooking fats improves the cake texture, making it softer and moister. You can replace with another vegetable oil of your choice, melted coconut oil, or melted butter.
Milk of choice. This recipe uses unsweetened almond milk, but you can choose any other dairy or dairy-free milk without sugar. Great picks are sugar-free soy milk, natural oat milk, and semi-skimmed milk.
Vanilla extract. A teaspoon vanilla extract improves the taste of this cake without sugar.

Dry ingredients

Whole-wheat flour. I like baking with whole-wheat flour because it is unrefined and more wholesome. You can replace with spelt flour, oat flour, almond flour or regular all purpose flour.
Sugar-free sweetener. To make cake with no sugar, this recipe uses granulated erythritol. The best alternatives are monk fruit sweetener, allulose, and xylitol. I do not recommend stevia because it has a strong aftertaste.
Cocoa powder. Choose unsweetened pure cocoa powder because it has no added sugar.
Baking powder. This will help your sugarless cake rise.
Salt. A pinch of salt balances the sweetness level and acts as flavor enhancer.

Besides the main ingredients, I like stirring into my dough some sugar-free dark chocolate chips. The additional chocolate drops can be omitted, they are not essential for the recipe to work. But let me tell you, they will take your sugar-free loaf to the next level.

How to make sugar free cake at home

Make the batter. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg, canola oil, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Add whole-wheat flour and baking powder to the wet ingredients. Stir, while gradually pouring in milk, until you get a smooth sugarless cake batter. Optionally, you can now fold through some sugar-free chocolate chips.

Prepare for baking. Separate the batter into 2 separate bowls, in equal amounts. Add unsweetened cocoa powder to one of the bowls and quickly mix to combine. Starting with the chocolate batter first, transfer the mixture to your prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with more sugar-free chocolate chips on top, if desired.

Bake and let cool. Bake sugar-free cake in hot oven for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool at room temperature before serving.

Adapt the recipe to your diet

Whether vegan, high protein or low carb, in the next lines you are going to learn how to adapt this sugar-free cookie dough cake recipe to your own dietary preferences. The different options can also be combined together, if you wish.

High protein cake without sugar. Make the dessert using a mix of flour and protein powder; my recommendation is 110 grams (1 scant cup) of wholewheat flour plus 50 grams (½ cup) of protein powder (note: milk quantity may vary). Or try my sugar-free chocolate protein cake recioe!
Low carb keto loaf. Replace whole-wheat flour with almond flour (note: you may need less milk).
Vegan sugarless cake. Use a flaxseed egg instead of the egg.
Gluten-free cake with no sugar. Substitute whole-wheat flour with gluten-free oat flour, almond flour or gluten-free baking flour (note: you may need less milk).
Dairy-free loaf. Prepare this recipe with nondairy milk, such as almond milk, soy milk or oat milk.

Storage directions

At room temperature. Let cool completely and then transfer to an airtight food container. At room temperature, the loaf maintains its freshness for up to 3 days.
In the fridge. For a longer preservation, let cool and then place in a food container; refrigerate for a maximum of 4 days.
In the freezer. This sugar free cake freezes well. Once it has cooled, wrap in zipper bags and store in the freezer. The dessert will last for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw and reheat in hot oven until it is warm and fluffy once again.

Tips for the best sugar free cake recipe

Sweeten your dessert with erythritol, monk fruit sweeteners, or allulose. I find that those are the best alternatives to sugar because they do have overpowering aftertastes.
Do not omit the oil with the plan of cutting calories. In sugar free recipes, oil helps baked goods get rich and moist without sugar.
Customize the recipe to your own diet and taste preferences. Make it high protein, low carb, vegan. Or mix in fresh blueberries, raspberries, walnuts, extra cocoa powder to make a chocolate cake with no sugar.
Do not over-mix the ingredients, as too much air would be incorporated into the batter. This would make your sugarless cake quite dry and tough.
Let the loaf cool for at least 15 minutes before eating. Once it has cooled, you’ll be able to better taste all the good flavors.

FAQ – Frequently asked questions

Can I omit cocoa powder?

Yes, you are free to skip the cocoa powder. In this case, cocoa needs to be replaced with the same amount of flour, or the batter won’t have the same consistency.

Does sugar-free taste sweet?

Yes, it does. This no sugar cake recipe uses calorie-free alternatives to give a sweet and delicious flavor that is very similar to the original. For the best taste, I recommend sweetening with erythritol, monk fruit sweetener, or allulose.

Are sugar-free desserts healthier?

Sugar-free desserts can be healthier than sugary treats because they contain fewer calories and may help manage blood sugar levels. However, there is much more to consider besides just sugar. Ingredients, quantities and serving sizes are what will determine the nutritional values of your dessert.

Does sugar-free cake have less calories?

Yes, sugar-free cake recipes tend to have fewer calories than the regular because they do not use sugar. However, the specific nutritional values will depend on the complete list of ingredients used.