Diabetic Cotton Cake (Low-Sugar Japanese Sponge)
Soft • Fluffy • No added sugar • Lower carb option included
🥣 Ingredients (8-inch round pan)
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 4 oz (115g) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ⅓ cup powdered monk fruit or erythritol (divided)
- ¼ cup cake flour
(For lower carb: use ¼ cup superfine almond flour + 1 tsp cornstarch) - ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar (for egg whites)
- Pinch of salt
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Prep
- Preheat oven to 320°F (160°C).
- Line bottom and sides of 8-inch round pan with parchment.
- Wrap outside with foil (for water bath).
2️⃣ Cream Cheese Base
- Melt cream cheese, butter, and almond milk over low heat. Stir smooth.
- Remove from heat. Whisk in half of the sweetener.
- Add egg yolks one at a time.
- Stir in flour (or almond flour mix), vanilla, and salt.
- Mix until smooth (strain if you want ultra-silky texture).
3️⃣ Meringue
- Beat egg whites + cream of tartar until foamy.
- Slowly add remaining sweetener.
- Beat to soft-medium peaks (not stiff).
4️⃣ Fold
- Gently fold meringue into batter in 3 additions.
- Keep it airy—don’t overmix.
5️⃣ Bake (Water Bath)
- Pour into pan and tap lightly to release bubbles.
- Place in larger pan and add hot water halfway up sides.
- Bake 55–65 minutes.
- Turn oven off, crack door, rest 15 minutes.
- Cool completely before removing.
❄️ Chill for Best Texture
Refrigerate 3–4 hours for that signature cotton softness.
Dust lightly with powdered monk fruit if desired.
📊 Approximate Nutrition (8 slices)
With almond flour version:
- Net carbs: 3–4g per slice
- Protein: 5–6g
- No added sugar
With cake flour version:
- Net carbs: 7–9g per slice
💡 Tips for Perfect Cotton Texture
- Soft peaks only — stiff peaks cause cracking.
- Low temperature is key.
- Cool slowly to prevent collapse.
- Use room-temperature eggs for better volume.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
- 🥥 A coconut cotton cake version
- 🍋 Lemon diabetic cotton cake
- 💪 High-protein version (with Greek yogurt)
- 🧁 Cupcake-style cotton cakes
