Was not the cake dated far back to the French revolution? It held its prominence much before there was even any preservatives or additives in the market. So when did the cake get so complicated? Behind every creamy fulfilling and creative cake is a sure fact that it’s ingredients have had a little exaggeration.  There are undeniably a large amount of bakers that focus on a healthy cake but a larger still that don’t.

 

A lot goes into making the perfect cake. All that colours, the flawless designs, that rich glaze and beyond satisfying flavours are just the icing on the cake. There’s a lot more within the cake that skips the eye. Food additive are chemicals that are added to your food to keep it fresh, enhance their colour, the flavour and their texture. Here 10 such additives that turn your cake from a delicious to a deadly dessert.

1. Ready-made mixes

Anything that leads to a short-cut, or a time saver is nothing but a compromise. The efforts of making something from scratch is reflected on the end product. This goes for baking too! All the sugar, flour and butter are not the same if they come packages. Though it minimizes the effort, you don’t pay a baker to only put half the hard work into something you’d cherish. Ready Made or Pre-Mixes contains preservatives, Artificial Flavours and many other additives. It’s one thing to use mixes at home to cut down on the baking procedures but another thing to follow that at a bakery as well. Commercial bakeries use pre-mixes to reduce the cost. Most egg free sponge cakes, brownies are being made with such Pre-Mixes. 

 

2. Gold leafs

Nothings speaks elegance like that of a beautifully accented cake which embodies its richness and fullness. Gold and silver garnishes are popularly used for decorations on cakes and desserts. However, all that glitters is not gold and in possible cases the edible gold could come in more than the required quantity. Though gold leafs hold not much toxins that can damage one’s health, they still pose a threat if taken in larger than the measured amount.

 

3. Preservatives

Preservatives are purely there to add on to the shelf life of the product. This only aids in increases in the manufacturer’s profit and entirely at your expense. The effects of consuming preserved food in excess can lead to health hazards that are much deadlier than the deed. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are preservatives that affect the neurological system of your brain, alter behaviour and have the potential to cause cancer. Tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) is a chemical preservative so deadly that just five grams can kill you.

 

4. Margarine

It goes by the book that margarine contains animal fat and is bad for your health. If you’ve pulled your breakfast with the thought that butter is what’s unhealthy then think twice. Research has confirmed that margarine is nothing but chemical gunk which the profit-grabbing manufacturer will admit. Margarines can always be substituted with healthier options like cream cheese which are less in calorie and fat of butter isn’t your thing. Unsweetened applesauce also helps cut fat and add vitamin C into a perfectly put-together cake. Though it is way cheaper than butter, quality can never be compromised when it comes with food.

 

5. Sweeteners

Sweeteners offer the taste of sweetness without adding sugar; but at what cost? In fact sugar in itself is lesser a trouble than the artificial sweeteners. While these artificial sweeteners can trick you into believing that you are losing weight, they actually add up to quicker chances of obesity. Apart from the issues of weight they also hit directly to the heart causing a possibility for recurring heart problems.

 

6. Sprinkles and Glazes

Who doesn’t like sprinkles? A glaze is just as gorgeous as it is grand on a cake. In fact they are the desert magnets to an otherwise boring looking cake. But what actually goes into making these sprinkles? They are nothing but pure sugar and empty calories. True to its name, they are only used as a little bit of decoration on your food. These colourful sprinkles are packed with colours, chemicals and fillers.  Glaze is yet another food additive and it is used to make fruits look fresh for longer.

 

7.Artificial food colouring

Artificial colours in your brilliantly sorted cake can act as a chemical bomb! The overload of toxic colours in your food is as bad as it is for your physical health as it is for your mental growth.

It is added to make the cake from turning into a creative mess. All that food colouring spikes the shelf life of your average cake and lets you sustain its taste, texture and appearance. Food colouring can affect the health in more ways than one directing themselves into your immune system and causing severe allergic reactions and possible growths of tumour. There will never be a cake that is colour free but substituting the colour rush with natural components to provide a healthier finish is a better alternative to a creative and colourful cake.

 

8. Tinned fruit squashes

Tinned fruit can come in healthier packages but nothing can substitute a fresh bowl. The health risks that arise on using squashes with artificial flavours and colours is paramount. In fact the whole essence of the fresh fruit is lost while duplicating it in a tin. In a practical prospective, Vitamin C is heat sensitive and can be destroyed in the canning process. This makes the whole concept of putting fruits in a tin a complete no-brainer.

 

9. Monosodium Glutamate

Monosodium Glutamate, popularly known as MSG is basically a food enhancer which is essential in giving your processed food that added rich taste. So much of our foods are exposed to MSG that there are occurrences of infantile obesity as well! This just goes to show that our eating patterns are destructive right from the start. It also is a major reason for headaches and allergic reactions.

Keeping your cake additive free is highly recommended. But keeping the MSG far away from your cake is vital.

 

10. Artificial flavours

Artificial flavours are not harmful as it would seem but it does give rise to possible negative effects on your health. Artificial flavours of two types; nature identical flavours and synthetic flavours. Of the two, synthetic flavours are more hazardous than nature Identical flavours. The best alternative would be to use real and natural fruits and spices. Who wouldn’t want a strawberry cake to be made of fresh strawberry extracts than the artificial processed flavour. In the long run it is a deal breaker to your health. Its crux is just chemicals which is by the book against a healthy lifestyle.

 

 

 

For most people, additives do not affect them in the short run. However, 50 of the 400 approved additives have been proven to cause adverse reactions in people. Some food additives are more to cause reactions in sensitive people. The reactions can even get fatal at times.  Finding a cake that is baked just right without these alarming additives, is quite rare. Chocko Choza is one such cake bakers who present to you the ideal kind of cake to suit your every occasion. Not only are we preservative free, we also stay away from all the above mentioned additives without compromising on quality. While we admit to using food colouring, it’s certainly not used in party cakes. We are conscious that our cakes could be the first food for a newly born. We focus on taking the cake world down a health road and lead other bakers to do the same as well. So what are you waiting for? Cakes can be both happy and healthy with Chocko Choza!