Whether you enjoy eating a slice of cake at special occasions or not, the nutrition behind it is important to understand. You’ll be happy to know that a piece of cake has many healthy benefits!
It contains proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. It also has fibers from fruits and vegetables that help improve your digestion.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a key part of a healthy diet and are an essential fuel source for the body. They are also a great source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients, and good-for-you fiber.
There are two main types of carbohydrates: simple sugars and complex carbohydrates. The simple type is found in white bread, sweets and desserts and contains only one or two sugar molecules linked together.
Simple carbohydrates are quick to digest and cause a rapid rise in blood sugar levels, leading to insulin secretion. They can also increase the risk of obesity and heart disease.
On the other hand, complex carbohydrates contain three or more sugar molecules linked together in long chains that take a longer time to break down. This slows the release of energy, and they are a better choice for overall health and weight control.
Another benefit of consuming complex carbohydrates is that they are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, thiamin and riboflavin. In addition, complex carbohydrates are an important source of dietary fiber, which promotes digestive health and helps keep the colon clean.
To help you make the best choices for your nutrition, read the labels on all foods you eat to determine their carbohydrate content and other nutrients. This will ensure you get the most nutritional value out of your meals and snacks, without eating excess calories or overdoing it on saturated fats.
Using a low-carb flour, such as almond or coconut flour in your recipes can help reduce the total carb content of your cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. In addition, you can use pureed fruit or a low-carb sweetener such as erythritol to reduce the amount of sugar in your cake recipe.
Fats
Fat is an important part of cake nutrition because it adds moisture, tenderness, and decadence. Whether you’re baking a cake, cupcake, or muffin, the type of fat you use will affect the texture, flavor, and appearance.
Fats come in many different forms, including butter, margarine, shortening, and emulsified shortening. They’re derived from an animal or vegetable source, and they all have functional properties that improve the appearance, flavor, palatability, and texture of baked goods.
Butter is an example of a solid fat that is made from the milk of animals like cows or sheep. It’s a rich source of saturated fat and is a good choice for baking cakes, cookies, and other pastries because it provides a buttery flavor and helps them rise effectively in the oven.
However, if you’re looking for an alternative to butter that is low in saturated fat and is easy to use, you may want to try liquid oils such as canola oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. These oils are also a great source of healthy unsaturated fats, and they add flavor to your dishes without adding calories!
Other solid fats that are a good choice for cake include vegetable shortening and lard. Vegetable shortening is lower in saturated fat than butter, and it’s a great choice for baking pastries or frying because of its higher melting point.
The fatty acids in vegetable and dairy fats behave differently during the cooking process. This makes it difficult for bakers to control the amount of triglycerides in their food. This is why oleogels are being developed to reduce SFA and trans fats in baked foods, while still providing the same flavor, color, and texture.
Proteins
Proteins are the foundation of cake nutrition, providing structure and texture, enabling water retention and allowing for flavor and color development through Maillard reaction. The main protein source in cakes is flour, whose two essential proteins – glutenin and gliaden – form a lattice of bonds in the flour to ensure hinge strength in doughs.
The proteins in flour perform many functions, such as foaming and emulsifying, viscosity building, gelling and water-binding, flavor and color development through Maillard reaction and more. They also contribute to the structure of foods by enabling protein-added ingredients to expand during baking.
Adding protein can be an effective way to bulk up cakes, but it should be done carefully. If the protein in a cake is too high, it can have negative consequences on taste, volume and texture.
Wheat flour is the basis of most conventional baked goods, and it has a protein content of between 9 and 10 percent by weight. Adding gluten free flours can change the structure of a recipe dramatically, and a cup for cup substitute may not work well in certain types of cake.
There are some great ways to add proteins to your cakes, such as using eggs, milk protein powder, peanut butter, cottage cheese and hummus. You can also experiment with gluten free flours and see what works best for you.
One of the most popular protein-fortified products is sponge cake. It can be fortified with whey, pea or soy protein to increase nutritional value or replace calorie-laden ingredients with healthy alternatives. Several studies have investigated the effects of protein incorporation on the quality of these bakery specialties, especially in terms of taste, volume, texture and overall acceptability.
Vitamins
Vitamins are a group of dietary compounds that have various roles in the body. They help to maintain a healthy immune system, protect against oxidative damage and promote proper functioning of the cells in the body.
These vitamins are found in many foods and it is essential to have them in the diet as they can improve overall health. They can also prevent heart disease and certain cancers.
One of the most important vitamins is Vitamin A. This nutrient can be obtained by eating a variety of foods including carrots, spinach, apricots and milk. A deficiency of this vitamin can lead to night blindness and other symptoms.
Another essential vitamin is Vitamin B. This nutrient helps reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, lowers bad cholesterol, and increases good cholesterol. It can also slow down memory loss associated with aging and is needed by pregnant women.
This vitamin also helps to prevent anemia and is a key part of the immune system. It is also important for bone health and may help to reduce the risk of bone fractures.
A very common mineral, Iron is an essential element for almost all living organisms and participates in a wide range of highly complex metabolic processes. It plays a critical role in blood clotting and helps to produce red blood cells.
A very vital nutrient, Vitamin C is an antioxidant that can be found in numerous fruits and vegetables. It helps to maintain the health of bones, blood vessels and skin. It is also essential for the formation of collagen in the body and is required for wound healing. It also helps to keep the nervous system functioning properly.
Minerals
The minerals we need for good health are all found in our food, and it is important to eat enough of them. Minerals include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, molybdenum and selenium.
These minerals help the body keep bones strong, maintain proper function and balance, protect against disease, promote good digestion, support the immune system and aid in energy metabolism. They can be found in a variety of foods, including many fruits and vegetables.
Zinc, for instance, is a key mineral that helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses, strengthens hair, skin and nails and aids wound healing. It also plays an important role in the production of proteins and DNA, the genetic material in all cells.
Manganese is another key mineral that helps the body protect against oxygen-related damage and damage from UV (ultraviolet) light. It is also important for the formation of collagen, a protein that supports tissue growth and structure.
Selenium is a trace mineral that promotes healthy skin, eyes and lungs. It is also required for the proper activity of a group of enzymes called glutahione peroxidases, which play an important role in detoxification processes and protection against oxidative stress.
In a study done by the Cote d’Ivoire University, researchers analyzed the minerals and vitamins contents of six cakes enriched with powders of almonds from Terminalia catappa. The results showed that the enriched cake 4 had the highest contribution to the recommended daily intakes of the essential nutrients.