So much for using Splenda in place of sugar! - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

LLV · 05-11-2007, 10:12 AM

I made a cake last night and used Splenda in equal amounts in place of the sugar the recipe called for.

I took a few bites of this cake and tossed it out. Not only was it WAY too sweet, the aftertaste was horrible.

Has anyone had any luck using Splenda in place of sugar? Or is there anyone else who doesn't like it? It's not that I don't LIKE Splenda as a sweetener, like on cereal and whatnot (although I prefer Equal to Splenda because it's not as sweet) but WOW! This was way too sweet for my liking and next time I make this cake, I'm just using regular sugar.

Jade235 · 05-11-2007, 10:27 AM

I've heard that an equal amount of Splenda and sugar are not really equal, Splenda is more concentrated or something like that. Maybe try the recipe again and use half the sugar it calls for? No expert here, just guessing. Hope it helps.

LindaT · 05-11-2007, 11:08 AM

What I generally do with a recipe is start with replacing part of the sugar with Splenda instead of all if it right off the bat. Some recipes, IMHO just do not work with replacing all of the sugar. Most recipes it seems I get to 1/4 - 1/3 Sugar and 3/4 - 2/3 Splenda.

Have you checked out the Splenda web site? They might have some recipes that they have already tested out for cakes that do work well with Splenda.

mandalinn82 · 05-11-2007, 11:28 AM

Yes - you can't replace all the sugar at once. All of my frozen yogurt recipes use 1/8 cup sugar and 1/4 cup splenda...this seems to help with the texture issues and the "too sweet" issues, while still keeping the calories to a minimum. Cake ingredients are (fairly) cheap...do some experimenting over the next couple weeks to see if you can make a recipe you're happy with that incorporates maybe 3/4 splenda and 1/4 sugar.

jillybean720 · 05-11-2007, 11:30 AM

You know, I never understood this. I have a box of Splenda at home, and on the side, it says to use it cup for cup like sugar, 1 cup sugar = 1 cup Splenda. However, on the front of the box, it says the contents of the box contains as much sweetness as a whole pound of sugar, which means the Splenda is SWEETER than the sugar. If Splenda is sweeter, then why do they say 1 cup = 1 cup? There HAS to be a better conversion to level off the flavor.

I have had the same problem. I don't use Splenda in my own recipes anymore because I ALWAYS end up with that funky rotton lemony aftertaste, and I can't stand it.

LLV · 05-11-2007, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillybean720

You know, I never understood this. I have a box of Splenda at home, and on the side, it says to use it cup for cup like sugar, 1 cup sugar = 1 cup Splenda. However, on the front of the box, it says the contents of the box contains as much sweetness as a whole pound of sugar, which means the Splenda is SWEETER than the sugar. If Splenda is sweeter, then why do they say 1 cup = 1 cup? There HAS to be a better conversion to level off the flavor.

I have had the same problem. I don't use Splenda in my own recipes anymore because I ALWAYS end up with that funky rotton lemony aftertaste, and I can't stand it.

LOL, good observations, never though of it that way before.

And me too, that taste was awful.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions!

Su-Bee · 05-11-2007, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillybean720

You know, I never understood this. I have a box of Splenda at home, and on the side, it says to use it cup for cup like sugar, 1 cup sugar = 1 cup Splenda. However, on the front of the box, it says the contents of the box contains as much sweetness as a whole pound of sugar, which means the Splenda is SWEETER than the sugar. If Splenda is sweeter, then why do they say 1 cup = 1 cup? There HAS to be a better conversion to level off the flavor.

By volume (cups), Splenda is supposed to be the same as sugar.

By weight (pounds), Splenda is sweeter.

Your box doesn't weigh anything near a pound, but it should have as many cups of Splenda in it as a pound bag would have cups of sugar.

baffled111 · 05-11-2007, 12:36 PM

I've tried baking with Splenda, but no matter how much I reduce the amount of sweetner in a recipe, I still wind up with that yucky splenda chemical taste. I don't use it at all anymore. I think it would be better to just reduce the overall amount of sugar and leave it at that.

shananigans · 05-11-2007, 01:08 PM

You may want to try xylitol. Xylitol is a natural substance found in fibrous vegetables and fruit, as well as in corn cobs and various hardwood trees like birch. It has 1/3 few calories than sugar, no nasty aftertaste, and has a very low glycemic index. I usually use 1/2 the volume of sugar called for in the recipe and then sweeten the batter to taste after everything is mixed. Almost indistinguishable from sugar in baked goods, and also works well in place of sugar in almost anything. The brand name I used to buy is Perfect Sweet, though my Whole Foods has not been able to carry it for some time due to an issue with the supplier. I may have to resort to ordering it on the internet. Any powdered or granulated xylitol product you can find should work though. As a bonus, it’s also good for your teeth and stabilizes insulin.

jillybean720 · 05-11-2007, 01:48 PM

I have some xylitol at home, too. Just be careful if you're using it in any large quantity, as it can cause, umm, unfriendly issues (for me, it's lots of gas, cramping, and many many trips to the facilities)

Elanajel · 05-12-2007, 08:59 PM

I won't bake with artificial sweetners at all. Just don't feel comfortable doing it, and don't want my kids exposed to it.

I cut the sugar by at least a third, and I use unsweetened applesauce or a little blackstrap molasses to balance it.

Over time, your taste buds adjust; these less sweet items will taste better ro you.

LLV · 05-13-2007, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elanajel

I won't bake with artificial sweetners at all. Just don't feel comfortable doing it, and don't want my kids exposed to it.

I cut the sugar by at least a third, and I use unsweetened applesauce or a little blackstrap molasses to balance it.

Anytime I make a cake or any other like recipe that calls for oil, I always use unsweetened applesauce in place of the oil. I made brownies once and used vanilla yogurt in place of the oil and they were the fudgiest, chewiest brownies I've ever had!

But I don't think I'll replace the sugar again. I might use a little LESS sugar than the recipe calls for, but I'm not going to replace it with artificial sweeteners again.

That's like one time I used egg substitute in place of whole eggs in a cake one time and that thing was as flat as a pancake, LOL. I'll never do that again, either, unless the recipe specifically calls for egg substitute.