If it tastes so good then it can’t be that good. Right?
Well that’s not entirely true. It depends on how you look at it. Cake is one of the most amazing foods in the whole world. It’s soft and sweet, it can be full of flavor and it tastes really good with a cup of coffee after a tough afternoon.
Most of the time, cake has been called as an unhealthy food because people believe that healthy food should be low fat and sugar. There is too much history and tradition bound up in cakes to eliminate them from our diet. But, is it a right thing to do to give this beautiful thing a ‘junk food’ label? Is there something good about cake?
Believe it or not, there are some health benefits of eating cake. This time we are going to talk about my favorite and everyone’s favorite cake, and that is sponge cake. Thus, you won’t believe that there are many health benefits of eating cake everyday.
What is Sponge Cake?
There might be more kinds of cakes in the world than you could sample in a lifetime, but most of them fall into two categories : foam and butter. Foam cakes are comprised of flour, sugar, eggs, butter (in some cases) and flavoring.
They get their light, fluffy texture from air beaten into egg whites, and as a bonus, they’re not as unhealthy as other types of cake. Some are completely fat free. You may also read about Health Benefits of Sponge Cake
Butter cakes, such as pound cake, depend on a chemical leavening product such as baking soda or baking powder. Of course, butter cakes tend to contain significant quantities of butter (or margarine or shortening), which adds firmness and heft. Otherwise, the ingredient list is similar to foam cakes: flour, sugar, butter and flavoring.
Sponge cake, similar to other foam cakes, relies on beaten eggs to make it light as a feather. However, sponge cakes are richer than foam cakes because they contain the egg yolks as well as the whites.
How Many Calories in Sponge Cake?
Why do people commonly think that sponge cake can caused weight gain? What is exactly sponge cake contains from? According to Weightloss Resources, every 100 grams of sponge cake contains :
- 459 calorie
- 6.4 gr protein
- 52.4 gr carbohydrate
- 26.3 gr fat
- 9 gr fibre
However, some sponge cakes are less ‘unhealthy’. If you bake your own cakes, you can make substitutions to improve their nutritional profile, so you can have a slice of cake without consuming the very high amounts of calories, fat and sugar.
So here we are, the health benefits of sponge cake is given below.
1. It helps beat depression and makes you happy
Mood is incredibly important when it comes to your health. Yet, it’s something we neglect. We read so much about what we need to eat, and what we need to do to keep ourselves healthy, but your happiness has a huge impact on your body. You may also read about Health Benefits of Fruitcake
When you are unhappy, you sleep less, you don’t take care of yourself, your energy levels drop, your skin suffers, and you can start to feel unwell. You’re certainly much less likely to exercise when you are unhappy. A soft slice of sponge cake and conversation with a good friend can make you happy. Don’t underestimate the power of a small treat.
2. It gives you energy
Carbohydrate is an excellent source of energy. Yes, overindulge, and you’ll get a horrible slump later on when your blood sugar drops, but for a quick boost, there’s not much better than a small, sugary snack. Sponge cake can literally keep you going and get you through a tough day. You may also read about Health Benefits of Rice Cakes
3. It’s a great source of calcium and protein
Eggs are one of the best sources of protein, and butter, milk, and chocolate are all excellent sources of calcium. We hear a lot about how bad sugar is, and how we should cut our fat intake, but don’t forget, some of the ingredients in our favorite treats are essential to a healthy lifestyle. You may also read about Health Benefits of Winter Fruits
4. It can be full of vitamins
If you want to add even more goodness to your sponge cakes, add some fresh fruits. My chocolate and raspberry brownies are full of fresh raspberries, and my pear upside-down cake uses real, healthy pears.
5. It has good things in it
There are many health benefits of eating cake everyday. Chocolate cake? Chocolate-y antioxidants. Carrot cake? Vitamin-y carrots. Coffee and walnut cake? Omega-3 oil-y walnuts. Sultana scone? Sultana-y fibre. See what we’re doing here? Some cake ingredient PR. Try it; there’s always something you can spin as ‘a bit healthy’ – even E-number infested bright pink and yellow Battenburg ‘has almond in the marzipan’. You may also read about Health Benefits of Cheeseburgers
6. It can help you lose weight
That’s right! But you do have to eat it in the morning though, not your usual afternoon tea slot. Because a study a few years ago showed eating a dessert as part of a balanced 600-calorie breakfast helped dieters lose weight, with a lower chance of piling the pounds back on than those who were not having a sneaky breakfast pudding. It’s all about metabolism early in the day being more active than later.
More health benefits of eating cake everyday:
- It’s yummy!
- You can be at your good time while having a slice of sponge cake!
- Delicious cake can always makes you feel good!
- You are happier after eating sponge cake!
- No worries!
- Forget your diet, be happy with cakes!
You may also read about Health Benefits of Cheese Pizza
Cautions of Eating Sponge Cake
I’m obviously not saying you should all start eating non-stop sponge cake. Eat heavier foods such as cake at lunchtime, around the middle of the day, then have a light dinner, suggests Dr. Gabe Mirkin, a practicing physician, radio talk show host and author of the book “The Healthy Heart Miracle.”
Eating heavy meals late in the day may cause you to gain weight because your body does not have time left in the day to burn off the calories, says Mirkin. And eat cake in moderate amounts after a meal, not instead of a meal, advises weight loss expert Deirdra Price, author of the book “Healing of the Hungry Self.” Price defines a moderate amount as whatever you can fit in the palm of your hand.
As part of a healthy balanced diet with lots of fantastic family meals, there are some great benefits of eating sponge cake and it can be a wonderful addition to your diet. It’s by no means something that needs avoiding. Fill it with wonderful ingredients and flavours, make it yourself, so you know exactly what you are eating and enjoy a tasty slice of cake.
So it’s pretty clear that sponge cakes are not universally unhealthy. Raise a plate to the health benefits of a humble slice.
Warnings : Don’t binge or overeat when it comes to cake. Indulge your cravings without going overboard.