can I use apple sauce in this recipe?

according to cc, a piece of this cake has 26 g of sugar. I really want to bake it but need to reduce the sugar. can I use apple sauce? or Stevia?

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/08/peach-up side-down-cake.html

I appreciate any inputs.

Thanks.

Usually you add applesauce to cut the fat, but this has no fat to begin with.  So I'd use a non caloric sweetener like stevia just to get the sweetness to were it should be.  

thanks:)

I know this may be off topic but is stevia still considered controversial?

(I know the FDA still hasn't approved it as a food additive but then again pressure from the industry could have been involved.)

Original Post by tisanejane:

I know this may be off topic but is stevia still considered controversial?

(I know the FDA still hasn't approved it as a food additive but then again pressure from the industry could have been involved.)

so what is a good natural sweetener?

It's available just about everywhere as a "supplement"  but can't be used as an ingredient in processed foods.  I think it has to do more with lobbying by the corn and sugar processors than safety.  It's used in all kinds of products all over the world, except for the USA. 

I grew it one year and used the fresh dried leaves to sweeten my tea.  I got the plants from an Amish grower where it was called "sweet herb."  The plant grows like an annual and looks kind of weedy, as a lot of herb plants look.  I might grow some this summer too.

Claire, are you talking about Stevia?? I know it is available in many health stores around me. it is a bit expensive though. 

It sounds like it too good to be true. It is a plant and has 0 calories plus it tastes like sugar?? I can't ask for more. :)

I am also curious to know if I can use molass or brown sugar to replace white sugar in recipes?

whenever i bake, i use half the amount of sugar needed and use spenda instead.  so if a recipe calls for a cup of sugar i'll use 1/2 cup of spenda, actually probably a little less than a cup otehrwise it comes out too sweet.  The thing about that is, sugar does have baking properties and so you can't just elliminate it from some recipies, the consistency becomes a little weird and if the recipe contains chocolate it can becomes kind of gross actually. spealnda has a sugar/splenda baking mix that you can use if you're making a make for guests and you're concerned it might not turn out well, but i usually go ahead with the splenda anyway and hope for the best.  except for one disasterous attempt at making chocolate tarts with unsweetened chocolate and splenda, it has turned out rather well and you can't even notice the substitution when making cheesecake. 

i took a look at the link and i don't think there will be a problem using splenda instead of sugar here.  i think apple sauce might make it a little too chewy.