[yummymummycakes]

I have been asked to make a birthday cake for a young boy who is diabetic.

I have never made a cake for a diabetic before and to be honest really dont know what is allow and what isnt.

Can someone please explain to me what is allowed and what isnt?

Are diabetics better with things like raw sugar rather than refined? Can you have sugar at all?? Is chocolate allowed???

The list of questions just goes on......

Can someone give me some advise on this please?

Thank you

[waawa17]

Ask the person who asked you to make the cake for specific guidelines. All people are different. Many diabetics can eat sweet treats, just adjusting their insulin accordingly; some can't. There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all "diabetic cake".

[jorgo]

Ask the person who asked you to make the cake for specific guidelines. All people are different. Many diabetics can eat sweet treats, just adjusting their insulin accordingly; some can't. There's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all "diabetic cake".

its kinda an enigma
type 1 dieabetics ( of which this boy would be because he IS a child) can pretty much eat whatever they want to eat if everything is balanced and they account for it all with their insulin injection ( no i'm not sayin ALL of them i'm saying the general population that are stable)

but i'd be guessing they want something a little less sweet so he can eat some of the other crap without having an overload of sugar

if this was for a ( let just say) 60 yr old man with type 2 diabetes they'd be looking for the LOWEST sugar possible option

your best bet is to ask the person who asked you if they require any dietary considerations
my bet is they wont

[jorgo]

secondly there is a magazine available in the grocery stores called "diabetic living" it often has cakes and slices and stuff

[itsaboysworld]

Google a Diabetic friendly cake recipe. It may suggest a sugar substitute.

Id also ask this question in the children with SN's section as you will get a more informed response.

[yummymummycakes]

Thank you ladies.

All the mum has said is that he cant have lot of sugar

[Chelara]

Maybe make 2 quite thin layers of cake and sandwich between them some low joule jelly, custard, cream etc so that there's less carbs and it's lower gi. Ice cream cake would probably be better also. Ice with cream instead of icing, strawberries and berries dont affect blood sugar so that would make a nice topping. Yo could also look at flour less cake made with almond meal, nuts are great, flour not so great and those cakes are very rich so a small portion would do

For a regular cake I him a sponge would probably be best as its light, higher I protein because of all the eggs and lends itself to being filled and topped with cream or custard etc.

[geckosrule]

There are lots of natural sugar substitutes available these days. I use Natvia which is made from Stevia.

and like others have said.....Google "diabetic friendly cakes"

[ally-rose]

My son and husband are both type 1 diabetics. I agree with the previous poster in saying that most type 1 diabetics can eat what everyone else can, but in moderation, adjusting insulin accordingly.

As a mum of a diabetic child, the most important thing for me would be to know exactly what's in the cake and in what quantities (grams per serving) so that I can work out his dose correctly.

Diabetics need insulin for the carb content - not just the refined sugar ingredients.

strawberries and berries dont affect blood sugar so that would make a nice topping

Actually that's not true. Whilst strawberries are low carb, berries are not. Both contain carbohydrate and will affect blood sugar. As does cream. Almond meal is lower GI and has LESS carb, but will still require insulin.

I would just use less refined sugar and make sure you give the mum a copy of the recipe with the exact breakdown of the ingredients.

[AvadaKedavra]

Maybe make 2 quite thin layers of cake and sandwich between them some low joule jelly, custard, cream etc so that there's less carbs and it's lower gi. Ice cream cake would probably be better also. Ice with cream instead of icing, strawberries and berries dont affect blood sugar so that would make a nice topping. Yo could also look at flour less cake made with almond meal, nuts are great, flour not so great and those cakes are very rich so a small portion would do

For a regular cake I him a sponge would probably be best as its light, higher I protein because of all the eggs and lends itself to being filled and topped with cream or custard etc.

Strawberries and berries don't affect blood sugar? Um, yes they do!

Just ask mum what the guidelines are and what he likes! Chances are they have decided to let him have a little splurge on his birthday and will allow him to eat a small piece of anything, and then adjust with extra insulin. The refined flour in the cake will cause as much a blood sugar rise as the sugar. There is no such thing as cake that is 'good' for a diabetic, type 1 or type 2 (incidentally to the PP who said type 2 diabetics have to avoid all sugar - that's wrong too - it depends why they are diabetic and what meds they are on including if they need insulin or not).

A chocolate cake with white flour and icing really isn't that much worse than a nut cake with cream and strawberries; one way or another extra insulin will be needed. So make the poor kid a cake he actually likes - if they are going to the effort of letting him have a special day and managing it with extra blood tests and insulin, at least let that effort be for something he loves, rather than a sugar free flour free icky version of a cake!

But no one on this forum can answer the question, OP, because it all comes down to the parents plan of how to manage the diabetes on the day. Of they want a sugar free flour free cake, that's fine. But if they want to just let him have what 'normal food' he wants and give him extra insulin, that's fine too. Just ask mum what he would like and what you are and aren't allowed to use! And if he says to make him a 'normal' cake don't be too surprised!