Bakery Biz, January-February, 2022
Dr. Rajeev Tyagi, Senior Scientist & Head of R&D at Tropilite Foods Pvt. Ltd, India talks about healthy alternatives for baking and throws light on the options which one should prefer to be able to enjoy baking products.
It will sell like hot cakes… provided they are healthy! As the baking world evolves, healthier options are in demand. We are now living in the world of alternatives and if we have to choose, why not choose the healthy and tasty ones? But are there any healthy substitutes to the classic art of cake making? Let’s take a look:
Jaggery instead of brown sugar
We can easily use jaggery as a brown sugar substitute for sticky buns, coffee cakes, babka, and pull-apart bread, as well as the saucy mixture at the bottom of the pineapple and upside-down cakes. We can also use jaggery to sweeten the fruit portion of crisps, crumble, and cobblers.
Traditionally, jaggery is used as a more natural sweetener. Some culinary facts – Of the total world production, more than 70% of the jaggery is produced in India. All the more reason we should start using jaggery in our cakes and other desserts.
Whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour
We can use wheat flour mainly due to the fiber content. It helps stabilize blood sugar levels when consuming sugary pastries. Additionally, it lowers blood cholesterol and promotes weight loss.
Millet cake batter instead of regular flour
Tender, mild, and finely ground, millet flour lends loft and tender texture to baked goods. When ground to flour, millet’s soft, starchy consistency makes it ideal for glutenfree baking.
Gluten-free cake mixes
If you’re considering healthier options to satisfy your sweet tooth, why not go all out? Gluten-free cake mixes keep you up to date with your healthy lifestyle. Although, a gluten-free diet isn’t for everybody, if you’re into it, it’s always good to know about special gluten-free cake mixes.
Multigrain cake batter
Why stick with one kind of flour when you can mix and match and make it healthier? Multigrain flour has higher nutritional content, it aids in digestion, improves metabolism, and protects immunity.
It’s definitely richer in taste, colour, and texture because of the blend of diverse whole grains.
Use fruits and vegetables to make the cakes even more healthy
While we are using healthy flours and natural sweeteners, why not add the nutritional value of the cakes by adding fruits and veggies? Using fruit and vegetables also adds fiber and sweetness. They also help keep your cakes and scones moist. And by using sweet vegetables such as carrots, beetroots, or fruit such as apples, berries, or pineapples, you can easily cut down the sugar portions.
The baking world is definitely moving towards healthier alternatives. Starting from the international baking community to the local culinary heroes, everyone is stressing about the natural, healthier ingredient options. But how about other baked goods? Take bread for example. Instead of using plain flour which is not always recommended as a healthy option, how about using wheat flour? The extra fiber helps aid in digestion and has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, etc. We can use multigrain flour to make it even healthier. These flour substitutes can be used to bake cookies, brownies, etc too.
But it’s a risky affair to deal with healthy substitutes while maintaining the same taste, structure, shape, and even the cake goodness. Cake connoisseurs can figure out the difference in ingredients, not only that, they will also be able to tell the difference between a real cake with not-sohealthy ingredients and a healthy version.
So, how to combat this conundrum effortlessly?
It takes a little more time to get adjusted with the substitute ingredients. Sometimes, the taste might be a tad different than the original recipe. But when we are going for healthier alternatives, why not relish the original taste of these healthy ingredients as well?
If you’re feeling particularly lazy to bake, bring home Tropolite’s healthier cake mixes, bread, and even whipped cream powder. They not only match the original taste of the cakes but you can eat it without feeling the sweet tooth guilt. If you are a professional baker/chef, get in touch with the dealers of Tropolite within your city. And if you’re a home baker you can easily order off the ingredients from tropilite.com or amazon it! Happy baking!
