Almost on autopilot, she preheats the oven and then reaches for her measuring cups, mixing bowl and whisk. It’s a recipe she has made several times. She opens the cupboards, pulls out the dry ingredients and measures them into a bowl. She takes a few steps to the fridge for some eggs and mala. She extends her hand for the oil and boiling water. As the cake batter comes together, the smell of chocolate is already amazing. She pours the batter into the cake tin and it bakes. 30 minutes later … chocolate cake. After letting it cool, she cuts a slice … ready to dig in. It doesn’t taste right. No sugar. 🤦🏿♀️
This will happen – at the very least once – in one’s baking lifetime. However, it’s not the end of the world. There’s ways to salvage the cake. Granted, it will not taste the same as a cake baked with sugar, but it will be palatable.
- Make a trifle. Cut up the cake in pieces. Put it in the bottom of a clear bowl or glasses. Pour a good amount of whisky or baileys (optional). Then layer with thick custard. Add another layer of sweet whipped cream topped with some fruit or jam.
- Pour a drizzle over it. Make a syrup by boiling 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. When the sugar has dissolved it is ready. (You probably need 1/4 cup of syrup.) Poke several holes in the cake and gently brush the warm syrup on the cake. Be careful not to drown it and make it soggy.
- Cut the cake in two or even three to make a layered cake. Brush each layer with syrup. Then sandwich with jam or icing.
- Make a bread pudding. Cut up the cake and dry it in the oven lightly like you are toasting it. Make a custard: egg, milk, sugar, flavoring. Layer the dry cake on a dish and pour the custard over it and bake.
- Crumble the cake. Make an icing like ganache and mix it with the cake crumbs to make cake balls or cake pops. Cover in coconut or sprinkles.
- Serve with ice cream, sweet yoghurt, or custard.
It’s not the end of the world.
