Indulging in chocolate desserts can be difficult when trying to limit sugar intake. However, with sugar free devil’s food cake mix, you can enjoy the rich chocolate flavour without all the added sugar.
Discover how to make a moist, delicious chocolate cake using sugar-free mixes and sweeteners to create a pure chocolate bliss treat.
What is Devil’s Food Cake?
Devil’s Food Cake is a classic American chocolate cake with cocoa powder. It gets its name from its vibrant, decadent chocolate flavour. Traditional recipes call for butter, eggs, flour, and granulated sugar to create a tender crumb and moist texture.
The addition of chocolate provides intense chocolate flavour. Devil’s food cake is commonly iced or filled with chocolate frosting or ganache to complement the cake’s chocolate flavour. It’s a popular choice for chocolate-loving cake enthusiasts.
Benefits of Sugar Free Devil’s Food Cake
While devil’s food cake is undeniably delicious, it contains a significant amount of added sugar, mainly from granulated or brown sugar in the cake batter.
Using a sugar-free cake mix alternative, you can reduce the sugar and calories in Devil’s Food cake while maintaining plenty of chocolate taste.
Benefits of sugar free devil’s food cake include:
- Reduced sugar and carb intake compared to regular Devil’s Food cake recipes
- Lower calorie count per slice for less dietary guilt
- It can be part of a diabetic diet when sugar free ingredients are used
- It doesn’t sacrifice rich chocolate flavour
- It helps limit added sugars in your diet
Choosing a Sugar Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix
To bake sugar free devil’s food cake at home, you’ll need to start with a sugar free cake mix. There are a few options on the market specifically intended to reduce sugar and calories in chocolate cake.
Popular brands of sugar free devil’s food cake mix include:
- Pillsbury Sugar Free Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
- Betty Crocker Double Chocolate Cake Mix
- Duncan Hines Moist Delights Sugar-Free Chocolate Cake Mix
- Grocery store generic brands of sugar free chocolate or Devil’s Food Cake mix
Be sure to check the nutrition label when selecting a mix. Sugar-free combinations will be lower in sugar, while sugar-free/calorie-free mixes will be lowest in calories and carbs. Gluten-free cake mixes are also available for gluten-sensitive diets.
Sweetening Sugar Free Devil’s Food Cake
When baking with sugar free cake mixes, you’ll need to swap out granulated sugar for low-calorie sugar alternatives to keep the cake sugar free.
Popular sugar free sweeteners include:
- Stevia – Plant-based sweetener that substitutes 1:1 for sugar
- Monk fruit sweetener – Fruit extract that mimics sugar sweetness with zero calories
- Erythritol – A sugar alcohol that provides sweetness without spiking blood sugar
- Xylitol – Reduced calorie sugar alcohol popular in sugar free baking
- Yacon syrup – Low glycemic sweetener from the yacon plant
- Allulose – Low-calorie sugar that tastes and bakes like sugar
Use the amount of sugar substitute called for on the cake mix package. Granulated stevia blends or erythritol can typically replace granulated sugar directly. Liquid sweeteners like yacon syrup may alter moisture content, so compensate accordingly.
Making Sugar Free Devil’s Food Cake
Sugar free devil’s food cake is simple to whip up at home. Follow your cake mix instructions, swapping in sugar free sweeteners as needed.
Here is a basic sugar free devil’s food cake recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 box (15-18oz) sugar free devil’s food cake mix
- Oil, eggs, and water per cake mix instructions
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar substitute
- Optional: chocolate chips, cocoa powder, espresso powder
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to the temperature listed on the cake mix box. Grease a 9″ x 13″ cake pan or line with parchment.
- Combine cake mix, sugar substitute, oil, eggs, and water in a large bowl. Mix on low speed 1-2 minutes until blended. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips or sprinkle with cocoa powder/espresso powder if desired.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting or serving.
Customize your sugar free chocolate cake by adding chocolate chips, nut butter, cinnamon, coffee, or extracts like vanilla or almond. Top with sugar free chocolate frosting or chocolate ganache.
Sugar Free Devil’s Food Cake Mix Frosting
Every devil’s food cake needs a creamy chocolate frosting. Lighten up traditional chocolate buttercream with sugar-free frosting made using these tasty ingredients:
- Sugar-free chocolate chips + nonfat milk – Melt chips with milk and allow to cool to thicken
- Sugar-free chocolate pudding mix – Whisk with nonfat milk per pudding directions
- Sugar-free hazelnut spread – Flavor frosting with nutty chocolate-hazelnut taste
- Sugar-free caramel dip – Drizzle on cake layers for a salted caramel flavour
- Sugar-free fudge sauce – Pour over cake or blend into frosting
- Sugar-free peanut butter – Incorporate into frosting for chocolate peanut butter
- Cocoa powder + powdered sugar substitute – Whip into classic chocolate buttercream
Let your creativity run wild with different sugar-free flavour combinations!
Tips for Moist Sugar Free Devil’s Food Cake
Chocolate cake made without regular granulated sugar does tend to be dense and dry. Here are some tips to help keep the sugar-free chocolate cake moist:
- Replace oil with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce
- Use extra egg whites to add moisture
- Substitute nonfat milk or coffee for some of the water
- Use oil spray to grease the cake pan generously
- Avoid overmixing batter
- Bake cake on a lower oven rack to prevent drying
- Cool the cake completely before frosting
With careful baking techniques, your sugar free devil’s food cake can stay deliciously moist and tender.
Storing and Freezing Sugar Free Devil’s Food Cake
Leftover cake can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. For extended storage, refrigerate the cake for 5-7 days. Well-wrapped slices can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Since sugar-free cakes dry out faster, seal them in an airtight container or bag. You can place a slice of bread or apple with the cake to help keep it moist. Frozen cake slices are great ready-to-go chocolate snacks.
Have Any Side Effects?
Sugar free devil’s food cake does not have any known side effects. However, if you’re on a low-calorie diet, eating this cake will cause you to gain weight.
If you’re planning on cooking the cake on your own, then be careful not to over-bake it. Over baking, it can cause the cake to become rubbery and a little harsh in texture.
Enjoy Guilt-Free Chocolate with Sugar Free Devil’s Food Cake
With the help of sugar free cake mixes and sweeteners, you can indulge in rich devil’s food cake without all the added sugar.
Whip up a batch to share at a party or have on hand for chocolate cravings. Store extras in the freezer for quick desserts anytime.
Satisfy your chocolate obsession and your healthy diet at the same time with heavenly sugar free devil’s food cake. It’s a chocoholic’s dream come true!
