Cake baking for cholesterol conscious diabetics

I love The Great British Bake Off as much as the next person. Mary Berry, how cool,is she, such a lovely manner etc. But in all the reviews I have read of this programme, which is so popular it is going global, nobody has pointed out, as far as I can see, that Mary Berry and her über tanned sidekick only seem interested in promoting one version of British baking. The one that is essentially about high end sponge cakes for designer garden fetes. The type that, if we are really honest, middle class white Caucasians like to go to. I was first struck by this reflection, when Berry criticised a contestant (very nicely, let it be admitted) for baking with potato flour. I have never used potato flour before, she said, and cannot imagine why you would. Well here's a reason Mary. If you are Jewish, an observer of the Passover, during which time products containing raising agents are forbidden, and you do not want a wholly cake free 8 days, then potato flour is your New Best Friend. But you wouldn't expect Berry to know about British Jewish festival baking, or indeed any diverse application of British baking. I have encountered this attitude to baking again more recently in my quest to find a cake my Dad can eat. He is diabetic and has to avoid bad cholesterol. Which means any of the sweet, stodgy stuff has to avoid sugar, egg yolk and butter. Cue instant baking paralysis. How on earth do you bake without these baking ingredients? Ask Berry and I assume her answer would be, if you cannot bake with these ingredients, then you're stuffed. There is only one way of baking. Actually two if you count the French pastry recipes she has cheerfully been co-opting, but let's not split hairs. Well, I decide to rise to the challenge independent of the Bake Off. I google diabetic recipes, and there are loads. Of course, they all use eggs. I google cholesterol free recipes, and there are loads. They all use sugar. This is about pret a porter cooking isn't it. If you are more than one category then you appear to be swimming too hard against the tide. It's No Cake For You. So does that mean that if you are a low cholesterol diabetic then baking is history? Endless fruit compote?  Of course all it means is that if nobody else is going to exercise their creative baking abilities then I must simply invent it myself.  Well, for all those of you out there who have this particular baking challenge, here goes. I mashed up 3 tubs of low fat cream cheese. Added diabetic sugar substitute, estimating the amount by, well, tasting it. Whisked the whites of two eggs and folded it into the cream cheese mix. Poured into a tin and baked for about 40 minutes. Took it out. Left it to stand for half an hour. Mixed low fat sour cream and vanilla essence together, poured it carefully on top of the cheesecake, put it back in the oven for about 20 minutes. Took it out. Chopped up strawberries and arranged them prettily on top. Put it in the fridge. Took it out the next day and served. It was a really wonderful cake. Dad was satisfyingly appreciative, which would be enough praise on its own, but non diabetics also filched a slice, which is saying something given that the table, groaning under the weight of birthday cake baking, also held a white chocolate sponge, a Nutella hazelnut cheesecake, double chocolate meringues and a mountain of Rocky Roads. It may not have been my most complex cake. But it is one of which I am the proudest. I followed my nose, used my instinct, drew on my existing knowledge, took a punt, and prayed. And it worked, and my Dad was able to indulge with all of the rest of us without feeling like a third class cake eater. The Great British Bake Off? Like so many things, it is there for the mainstream. My own Great British Bake Off has diversity written all over it.