Low Sugar Gluten-free Coconut Loaf Cake
Photography by Simeon Crofts
DIETARY – Low sugar, Diabetic-friendly, Gluten-free, Vegetarian
I grew up watching my mum pull out the same tatty recipe book from a kitchen drawer every time we baked cakes as kids or ‘helped’ Mum when she made her famous lemon drizzle loaf. I always knew the recipes had been passed down, but it wasn’t until I got older, and was lucky enough to be given copies myself, that I realised just how special this collection was. These recipes had been written by my great-great-grandmother and were over 100 years old, shared by the women in my family for generations.
This particular recipe, for a coconut loaf cake, my mum recalls eating as a child when over 30 of the family would gather at my great-great-grandmother’s small East London flat on a Sunday. It was tradition to have a Sunday roast at 1pm followed by tea at 5pm (whether you were hungry or not!) Bang on 5pm, a spread of seafood, fruit, jelly and homemade cake would be put out, and the family would be called to eat in groups (as there were too many people to squeeze into one room). One such homemade cake was coconut loaf; a simple, delicious recipe that I have eaten more times than I can count. It’s certainly a childhood favourite of mine!
I like to make and share recipes that have a story or meaning, as I believe cooking stems from love and fond memories. I have been inundated with requests for more diabetic-friendly recipes since Deliciously Free launched, so I wanted to take this dear family recipe and adapt it to be low sugar and gluten-free so more people can join me in enjoying this easy-to-make cake. As with all my diabetic-friendly recipes, I have included the nutritional information per slice below, but of course, be aware that this may vary slightly between brands.
What makes the cake diabetic-friendly?
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2, but they can affect people in different ways due to factors such as insulin resistance levels, blood sugar control, the overall health of the person and so on. Sugar that we add to food is usually called ‘free sugar’, and it is this type of sugar we should all be more aware of consuming. According to Diabetes UK, the maximum recommended daily amount of free sugar intake is 30g for adults, and this could comprise of everything from cakes to ketchup. In my own cake recipe, I have kept sugar at a minimum, with approximately 5.8g of sugar per slice.
While carbohydrates are essential to us all, they are even more essential to a person with diabetes, especially a type 1 diabetic who injects insulin based on the amount of carbohydrate in any one food or drink. Diabetes Australia recommends keeping snack foods within the 15-30g of carbohydrate range for type 1 diabetics or any person with diabetes who is dependent on insulin. A slice of this coconut cake recipe is approximately 20.7g of carbohydrate, which is within this recommended range. My adapted coconut loaf cake is typically around 50-75% lower in carbohydrates than a standard loaf cake but, as with any food of this nature, should only be enjoyed as an occasional treat.
There are a couple of reasons why I did not completely eliminate the sugar from this recipe; the first being that the demerara sugar crystals add to the overall texture of the cake, and secondly because sugar substitutes often affect the taste and texture of a cake after the first day. You will find baking with sugar substitutes can frequently make a cake or biscuit go stale, dry and crumbly very quickly, usually after 24 hours. But I have found by using a blend of demerara and erythritol this did not happen, and my cake stayed fresh and delicious for a few days. I am a big fan of erythritol as it does not spike blood sugar levels, it is calorie-free, and it does not cause tooth decay. I also like that it is only about 75% as sweet as regular sugar, rather than a few hundred times sweeter like many other sugar substitutes. This makes it much easier to control and adjust in a recipe.
I very much hope you enjoy this cake, from my family to yours!
Nutrition information (per slice)
Calories – 243
Carbohydrates – 20.7g
Of which sugars – 5.8g
Low Sugar Gluten-free Coconut Loaf Cake
Ingredients:
- 113g unsalted butter, diced
- 80g erythritol
- 50g demerara sugar
- 4 tbsp whole milk
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 170g gluten-free self-raising flour
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- Pinch of salt
- 100g desiccated coconut
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan)/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line and grease a loaf tin.
- In a bowl, cream together the butter, erythritol and sugar using an electric hand-mixer set to a low speed. Add the milk and cream together once more.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs on moderate speed for 4-5 minutes until thick, pale and mousse-like.
- Combine the butter mixture and eggs together.
- Sift the flour, xanthan gum, salt and desiccated coconut into a clean bowl and stir to combine, then add to your wet mixture and fold in gently. It’s important to take your time here to keep as much of the air in as possible.
- Spoon the mixture into your tin and level slightly. Bake for 50-60 minutes – you can check your cake is cooked by inserting a skewer or knife into the centre to see if it comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.