Turning a cake recipe from sweet to savory

[Anonymous]

Clearly i need to upgrade my palate. i've never had a savory cake but some of those recipes sound tasty!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Wild Mushroom Polenta Cake Recipe -green - yellow | cookingontheweekends.com
Print
Savory Polenta Cake with Mushrooms
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs

This savory polenta is deliciously full of delicious, fresh herbs and and earthy, caramelized mushrooms.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: savory cake recipes, vegetarian comfort foods
Servings: 12
Calories: 265 kcal
Author: Valentina K. Wein
Ingredients
8 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, washed and dried, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fresh sage, washed and dried, finely chopped
1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, broken into small pieces
2 cups instant polenta
1 1/2 cups potato flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 cups Sautéed Sherry Mushrooms (click here for recipe)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter



https://cookingontheweekends.com/savory-polenta-cake-with-mushrooms/

That looks delicious but it was made by substituting

Someone didn’t take a recipe and substitute polenta for flour, and sherry mushrooms for funfetti and Parmesan for sugar. That’s just not how it works

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Wild Mushroom Polenta Cake Recipe -green - yellow | cookingontheweekends.com
Print
Savory Polenta Cake with Mushrooms
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs

This savory polenta is deliciously full of delicious, fresh herbs and and earthy, caramelized mushrooms.

Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: savory cake recipes, vegetarian comfort foods
Servings: 12
Calories: 265 kcal
Author: Valentina K. Wein
Ingredients
8 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, washed and dried, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon fresh sage, washed and dried, finely chopped
1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms, broken into small pieces
2 cups instant polenta
1 1/2 cups potato flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 cups Sautéed Sherry Mushrooms (click here for recipe)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter



https://cookingontheweekends.com/savory-polenta-cake-with-mushrooms/

That looks delicious but it was made by substituting

Someone didn’t take a recipe and substitute polenta for flour, and sherry mushrooms for funfetti and Parmesan for sugar. That’s just not how it works

People make all kinds of substitutions in recipes, all the time. Especially those who are creative and enjoy cooking and baking.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why I'm the first one posting this, but here goes.

OP, there isn't really an easy substitute for sugar in a sweet cake recipe. As others have pointed out, sugar plays a huge role in texture, which is something you've indicated you want to maintain.

You can substitute type of sugar (e.g., apple sauce or banana for white sugar), but the substitution will likely change the chemistry of the recipe and therefore the texture.

You can also muck about with coconut or almond flour, or adding alcohol, eggs/oil, etc. in an effort to reduce the amount of white sugar in the recipe while maintaining a similar texture.

But, again, you will likely only be able to exactly replicate the texture of the cake you're making by replicating the current ingredient list.

There are a number of examples online of bakers attempting to reduce sugar in various recipes and what they did to try and maintain texture with less sugar. I would suggest searching for these so you can see what previous bakers tried and what the results were. You can decide for yourself how these options might work (or not) with your recipe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why I'm the first one posting this, but here goes.

OP, there isn't really an easy substitute for sugar in a sweet cake recipe. As others have pointed out, sugar plays a huge role in texture, which is something you've indicated you want to maintain.

You can substitute type of sugar (e.g., apple sauce or banana for white sugar), but the substitution will likely change the chemistry of the recipe and therefore the texture.

You can also muck about with coconut or almond flour, or adding alcohol, eggs/oil, etc. in an effort to reduce the amount of white sugar in the recipe while maintaining a similar texture.

But, again, you will likely only be able to exactly replicate the texture of the cake you're making by replicating the current ingredient list.

There are a number of examples online of bakers attempting to reduce sugar in various recipes and what they did to try and maintain texture with less sugar. I would suggest searching for these so you can see what previous bakers tried and what the results were. You can decide for yourself how these options might work (or not) with your recipe.

Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

What a rube I must be. I’ve never heard the term, savory cake,” but many of you are using the term like it is an actual thing.


sa·vor·y. /?s?v(?)r?/

adjective
1. (of food) belonging to the category that is salty or spicy rather than sweet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why I'm the first one posting this, but here goes.

OP, there isn't really an easy substitute for sugar in a sweet cake recipe. As others have pointed out, sugar plays a huge role in texture, which is something you've indicated you want to maintain.

You can substitute type of sugar (e.g., apple sauce or banana for white sugar), but the substitution will likely change the chemistry of the recipe and therefore the texture.

You can also muck about with coconut or almond flour, or adding alcohol, eggs/oil, etc. in an effort to reduce the amount of white sugar in the recipe while maintaining a similar texture.

But, again, you will likely only be able to exactly replicate the texture of the cake you're making by replicating the current ingredient list.

There are a number of examples online of bakers attempting to reduce sugar in various recipes and what they did to try and maintain texture with less sugar. I would suggest searching for these so you can see what previous bakers tried and what the results were. You can decide for yourself how these options might work (or not) with your recipe.

Thank you!!

PP again.

You're welcome.

Another option might be to look at historical recipes or European ones, for similar cakes. Sugar shortages - like during WWII - forced bakers to adjust recipes. European baked goods tend to be lower sugar in general. (Not every recipe obviously!)

It would be more work to comb through these other recipes, but if you did find one that approximates your cake, it would save you a lot of experimenting with different ratios of ingredients.

Good luck. With your cake and this slightly crazy thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, a savory cake is called bread. OP you want bread.

I wish the non-bakers would quit posting dumb responses. I have a recipe for a rosemary-herb coffee cake and it is delicious. It is made in a Bundt pan, you know, the pans used to make Bundt cakes. Never heard of Bundt bread.

Post your savory cake, coward

Meat cake
TORTA DI CARNE
Ingredients for 4 servings:
Dough:
300 gr white flour
125 gr butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp of fennel seeds
Some milk
Some pinches of salt
Filling:
250 gr minced beef meat
20 gr butter
250 gr sausage
30 gr dried mushrooms
100 gr Fontina cheese (1 whole slice)
2 leaves of lauro
1 onion
1 tbsp tomatoe sauce
Dry white wine
Some broth
Extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
Salt
http://www.cookitaliano.com/recipes/meat-cake-14278/

That's not a cake. Just look at the ingredients. I'm not sure why you're claiming it's a cake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, a savory cake is called bread. OP you want bread.

I wish the non-bakers would quit posting dumb responses. I have a recipe for a rosemary-herb coffee cake and it is delicious. It is made in a Bundt pan, you know, the pans used to make Bundt cakes. Never heard of Bundt bread.

Post your savory cake, coward

Meat cake
TORTA DI CARNE
Ingredients for 4 servings:
Dough:
300 gr white flour
125 gr butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp of fennel seeds
Some milk
Some pinches of salt
Filling:
250 gr minced beef meat
20 gr butter
250 gr sausage
30 gr dried mushrooms
100 gr Fontina cheese (1 whole slice)
2 leaves of lauro
1 onion
1 tbsp tomatoe sauce
Dry white wine
Some broth
Extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
Salt
http://www.cookitaliano.com/recipes/meat-cake-14278/

That's not a cake. Just look at the ingredients. I'm not sure why you're claiming it's a cake.

The original recipe was clearly translated from Italian into English and whoever did it translated "torta" into cake. Which is incorrect in this context. It's a layered dish, hence "torta" and nothing comparable to the meaning of cake in the English speaking world. In Italy tortas can be either sweet or savory but not even Italians would call American cakes the sweet version of savory tortas.

When I was growing up my grandmother would make meatcakes in gravy, which was effectively hamburgers in gravy. But despite the name, no one ever confused it with "cakes" as we understand it.

The only savory "cakes" I can think of are the old hotcakes, which was basically pancakes. But nothing like regular cakes. In short, you can't take a typical cake recipe and make it savory because omitting the sugar turns it into something else entirely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, a savory cake is called bread. OP you want bread.

I wish the non-bakers would quit posting dumb responses. I have a recipe for a rosemary-herb coffee cake and it is delicious. It is made in a Bundt pan, you know, the pans used to make Bundt cakes. Never heard of Bundt bread.

Post your savory cake, coward

Meat cake
TORTA DI CARNE
Ingredients for 4 servings:
Dough:
300 gr white flour
125 gr butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp of fennel seeds
Some milk
Some pinches of salt
Filling:
250 gr minced beef meat
20 gr butter
250 gr sausage
30 gr dried mushrooms
100 gr Fontina cheese (1 whole slice)
2 leaves of lauro
1 onion
1 tbsp tomatoe sauce
Dry white wine
Some broth
Extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
Salt
http://www.cookitaliano.com/recipes/meat-cake-14278/

That's not a cake. Just look at the ingredients. I'm not sure why you're claiming it's a cake.

The original recipe was clearly translated from Italian into English and whoever did it translated "torta" into cake. Which is incorrect in this context. It's a layered dish, hence "torta" and nothing comparable to the meaning of cake in the English speaking world. In Italy tortas can be either sweet or savory but not even Italians would call American cakes the sweet version of savory tortas.

When I was growing up my grandmother would make meatcakes in gravy, which was effectively hamburgers in gravy. But despite the name, no one ever confused it with "cakes" as we understand it.

The only savory "cakes" I can think of are the old hotcakes, which was basically pancakes. But nothing like regular cakes. In short, you can't take a typical cake recipe and make it savory because omitting the sugar turns it into something else entirely.

OMG unreal. This is not a vocabulary question. There is a CAKE RECIPE that needs to be converted to a SAVORY RECIPE using whatever noun you want to call it at that point. A cake recipe minus sugar, plus sugar substitute. So what could be used in place of the sugar? That is a very simple question.

Apparently it can't be done no matter what it's called once it comes out of the oven (which is totally irrelevant).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:thanks, all. I'm trying to turn an existing cake from sweet to savory because it has an amazing consistency and mouth-feel, and I want to get that same thing in something not sweet. I don't want to make bread or quick bread. I know all parts of a recipe are like part of a chemical reaction which is why I was wondering what to replace the sugar with. It sounds like it can't be done. : (

Thanks anyway.

Post the recipe, let us see what we can do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to all who responded in a helpful manner. I have a specific cake I'm trying to turn from sweet to savory, but I'm going to look up the suggestions and other recipe options posted when I get a chance and maybe give them a try. I'm not free to post the recipe here or I would. (I'm sure this will get the fur up on the cackling hyenas who have invaded over this thread.)

Thanks again to all the normal food people out there.

I posted about savory cakes. Why can’t you share your recipe?

Because it's my DC's recipe and I promised I wouldn't. Long family story. : )

Your child has a secret family recipe?

Could be an adult child. My younger child was baking from scratch by 8.

Could also be from the other side of the family, which makes it DC’s recipe, which may not be available to OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, a savory cake is called bread. OP you want bread.

I wish the non-bakers would quit posting dumb responses. I have a recipe for a rosemary-herb coffee cake and it is delicious. It is made in a Bundt pan, you know, the pans used to make Bundt cakes. Never heard of Bundt bread.

Post your savory cake, coward

Meat cake
TORTA DI CARNE
Ingredients for 4 servings:
Dough:
300 gr white flour
125 gr butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp of fennel seeds
Some milk
Some pinches of salt
Filling:
250 gr minced beef meat
20 gr butter
250 gr sausage
30 gr dried mushrooms
100 gr Fontina cheese (1 whole slice)
2 leaves of lauro
1 onion
1 tbsp tomatoe sauce
Dry white wine
Some broth
Extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
Salt
http://www.cookitaliano.com/recipes/meat-cake-14278/

That's not a cake. Just look at the ingredients. I'm not sure why you're claiming it's a cake.

The original recipe was clearly translated from Italian into English and whoever did it translated "torta" into cake. Which is incorrect in this context. It's a layered dish, hence "torta" and nothing comparable to the meaning of cake in the English speaking world. In Italy tortas can be either sweet or savory but not even Italians would call American cakes the sweet version of savory tortas.

When I was growing up my grandmother would make meatcakes in gravy, which was effectively hamburgers in gravy. But despite the name, no one ever confused it with "cakes" as we understand it.

The only savory "cakes" I can think of are the old hotcakes, which was basically pancakes. But nothing like regular cakes. In short, you can't take a typical cake recipe and make it savory because omitting the sugar turns it into something else entirely.

OMG unreal. This is not a vocabulary question. There is a CAKE RECIPE that needs to be converted to a SAVORY RECIPE using whatever noun you want to call it at that point. A cake recipe minus sugar, plus sugar substitute. So what could be used in place of the sugar? That is a very simple question.

Apparently it can't be done no matter what it's called once it comes out of the oven (which is totally irrelevant).

OMG honey.

Just make the cake without the sugar and see what happens. Do report back and let us know about the mess in your pan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why I'm the first one posting this, but here goes.

OP, there isn't really an easy substitute for sugar in a sweet cake recipe. As others have pointed out, sugar plays a huge role in texture, which is something you've indicated you want to maintain.

You can substitute type of sugar (e.g., apple sauce or banana for white sugar), but the substitution will likely change the chemistry of the recipe and therefore the texture.

You can also muck about with coconut or almond flour, or adding alcohol, eggs/oil, etc. in an effort to reduce the amount of white sugar in the recipe while maintaining a similar texture.

But, again, you will likely only be able to exactly replicate the texture of the cake you're making by replicating the current ingredient list.

There are a number of examples online of bakers attempting to reduce sugar in various recipes and what they did to try and maintain texture with less sugar. I would suggest searching for these so you can see what previous bakers tried and what the results were. You can decide for yourself how these options might work (or not) with your recipe.

Actually, people did, on the first page. These are the fourth and sixth posts below.

I think the bottom response is the most helpful and would highly encourage anyone interested in turning a cake recipe from sweet to savory to reread it.
Someone who really knows what they are talking about spent a lot of time writing a very detailed, thorough answer early on in this conversation. (Thanks, PP!)

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is possible. Sugar plays a role in the texture of the cake, not just flavor, so you have to change more than just the sugar. Maybe look up recipes for savory quick bread and muffins.

Anonymous wrote:Not really -- a cake is typically comprised of carbohydrates (from the flour and sugar), fats (from butter or oil), and proteins (from the eggs and flour). Each of these contributes to the texture of a cake. Sugar is not just for taste, but is hydrophilic, maintaining moisture from the eggs and other liquids in the finished product. If you simply took sugar out of the recipe, you will likely end up with a dry, crumbly product with very little flavor. You would have to play with the proportions of liquid and protein, and even then will end up with a tasteless product because sugar is what contributes to the caramelization of the outside of the cake. You can google some savory quickbreads (i.e. beer and cheese bread), but even those recipes tend to contain a good amount of sugar. You would be better off making a yeasted bread, where time and fermentation leads to the conversion of the basic starches in flour into tastier compounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, a savory cake is called bread. OP you want bread.

I wish the non-bakers would quit posting dumb responses. I have a recipe for a rosemary-herb coffee cake and it is delicious. It is made in a Bundt pan, you know, the pans used to make Bundt cakes. Never heard of Bundt bread.

Post your savory cake, coward

Meat cake
TORTA DI CARNE
Ingredients for 4 servings:
Dough:
300 gr white flour
125 gr butter
2 eggs
2 tbsp of fennel seeds
Some milk
Some pinches of salt
Filling:
250 gr minced beef meat
20 gr butter
250 gr sausage
30 gr dried mushrooms
100 gr Fontina cheese (1 whole slice)
2 leaves of lauro
1 onion
1 tbsp tomatoe sauce
Dry white wine
Some broth
Extra virgin olive oil
Pepper
Salt
http://www.cookitaliano.com/recipes/meat-cake-14278/

That's not a cake. Just look at the ingredients. I'm not sure why you're claiming it's a cake.

The original recipe was clearly translated from Italian into English and whoever did it translated "torta" into cake. Which is incorrect in this context. It's a layered dish, hence "torta" and nothing comparable to the meaning of cake in the English speaking world. In Italy tortas can be either sweet or savory but not even Italians would call American cakes the sweet version of savory tortas.

When I was growing up my grandmother would make meatcakes in gravy, which was effectively hamburgers in gravy. But despite the name, no one ever confused it with "cakes" as we understand it.

The only savory "cakes" I can think of are the old hotcakes, which was basically pancakes. But nothing like regular cakes. In short, you can't take a typical cake recipe and make it savory because omitting the sugar turns it into something else entirely.

OMG unreal. This is not a vocabulary question. There is a CAKE RECIPE that needs to be converted to a SAVORY RECIPE using whatever noun you want to call it at that point. A cake recipe minus sugar, plus sugar substitute. So what could be used in place of the sugar? That is a very simple question.

Apparently it can't be done no matter what it's called once it comes out of the oven (which is totally irrelevant).

Adjust your meds... you sound like a blast at parties.