The Huge Problem With Swapping Out Your Cake's Cane Sugar For A Different Sweetener

Cake fails; both beginner and professional bakers have been there. You're excited to experiment with a new cake recipe, visualizing a window-display-worthy cake, only to be met with a creation more suited to a haunted house. Often, the problem occurs when you're experimenting with substituting cane sugar with another sweetener. So why is cane sugar, which is different from granulated, hard to replace? According to Joy Wilson, a pro baker and cookbook author, cane sugar does more than just make your cake taste delicious; it also keeps your cake structurally sound.

"Sugar helps with moisture, browning, and tenderness of our baked goods," explains Wilson. Wilson, who is also known as Joy the Baker, told Tasting Table that sugar binds ingredients together, without drying them out. "It locks in water, keeps the crumb soft, and even helps with leavening by aerating butter when you cream them together," explains Wilson.

Artificial sweeteners, in particular, fall short when it comes to cake baking. Unlike cane sugar, they don't melt smoothly, and your cake will lack that light, tender texture you typically expect when biting into a well-baked cake. According to Wilson, that's "because some [artificial sweeteners] don't caramelize or retain moisture, so your cake might turn out dry or not rise properly."

If you're health-conscious and prefer keto-friendly cake recipes, like this carrot pound cake, or perhaps crave a different kind of sweetness than cane sugar, you might want tips on how to ensure that you are baking a cake that is both flavorful and structurally sound. The question is: Can you bake a great cake without cane sugar? "You can, but it's a bit of a personality shift for the cake," says Wilson.

Wilson says substituting cane sugar with coconut sugar is a solid choice and will give you a richer, caramel flavor. Popular liquid substitutes for sugar, like maple syrup or honey, are also good substitutes according to Wilson, "but you'll need to reduce the liquid elsewhere," she advises.

For those who are fans of artificial sweeteners, you might need to lower your baking expectations."I find it's best to look for a recipe developed for the sweetener you're using," says Wilson. In general, artificial sweeteners, like Splenda, are not a great option when baking cakes, as they often leave cakes dry and dense. The bottom line is this: "Without sugar, cake would be dense and sad and no one wants a sad cake," says Wilson.