Low carb cakes?!

[SayraT]

I know that I probably shouldn't ask this just now since we've not even started bootcamp yet but does anyone have a good low carb cake/similar recipe?

The reason I ask is that my birthday is at the end of January and I make cakes for the office quite often. Everyone would think it was very strange if I don't make a cake and I don't really want to tell anyone that I am LCing.

Recently one of my colleagues has been diagnosed at coeliac so I thought I could pass my low carb cake off as an attempt to do a gluten free cake so she can have some too.

Would a cheesecake be acceptable? You can find loads of recipes if you google a low carb cheesecake, at least.

I've tried making a cheesecake base with melted chocolate, butter and ground almonds. It tasted great, but I think I got the amounts a bit wrong as it was a bit too crumbly - hence suggesting google. For the filling you don't really need to make many changes at all from the normal, just maybe either different sweetening (depending on your take on artificial stuff; I've used stevia) or just a bit less sugar.

(With any sweetening, almonds, chocolate etc it's obviously not suitable to Bootcamp rules, but maybe a better option than some other more wheaty, sugary cakes.)

You can make cakes using almond flour as well as Splenda cocoa powder etc. lots of recipes out there!

Chocolate mousse or jelly and whipped cream.

Thanks for the suggestions so far, I know that I won't manage to get an ideal cake but just better than a normal cake! I did google but there were quite a lot of different ideas and thought I'd ask for recipes that others have had success with.

I will look up cheesecake recipes although not too keen on using sweeteners...maybe I could "forget" to put sugar in it!

I've made a really nice chocolate almonds cake when LCing.

4oz butter
4oz ground almonds
4 tablespoons of Splenda
Big tablespoon cocoa powder
2 eggs
Few drops of almond extract.

Mix it all and pour into a single cake tin, cook for 20-25 mins at 160.

Serve with thick double cream

Btw, I made it up, so you might find a more reliable recipe out there, but for me, when cake-deprived, it was amazing!

Lynda I was kind of thinking of just making one up myself, I could do something like yours, how sweet was it? Could I use less sweetener do you think?

Osmiornica I will, I don't think I know anyone that becomes ill from sweeteners. Most of the people in my office regularly (as in every day) drink diet coke which I assume has lots of sweeteners in it.

That is one thing I don't like, I'd rather not use sweeteners but will it taste awful if I completely omit them?

You can use coconut flour instead of normal flour. A word of warning about it. It used loads of liquid. So only use 15-20% coconut flour then a normal recipe and maybe add some extra liquid. Also it keeps absorbing liquid until it's cooked so mix quick and get straight in the oven.
You can also experiment with flavourings that aren't carby but taste sweet. Like cinnamon and apple cider vinegar. I'm thinking a coconut and apple cake could be pretty tasty. I personally would use normal sugar in a birthday cake but maybe half the recommend amount.
Or you can make homemade truffles with 70% or 80% chocolate.

Unfortunately I can't use coconut flour as one of the men at work is allergic to coconut!

I like the idea of the truffles, I could just have one and let everyone else eat the rest.

I don't have to take something in but I normally do (boss buys cakes too and if I make my own then I won't have to eat the bought ones) and everyone would think it very odd if I didn't.

What about using xylitol? It's a natural sweetener and tastes just like sugar with no horrible chemical after taste.

Truffles are good because they are pretty low carb and very high fat. so one or two is loads and they look fancy and taste yummy. Their might be a recipe on the low carb thread. but if not this one looks yummy low-carb-support.com/dark-chocolate-truffles-low-carb-sugar-free/ you can roll them in cocoa too.

I was going to suggest truffles.

This isn't a bad compromise - it does contain sugar but I've made it before and it's amazing.

Nigella's Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake

I'd be tempted to give too much sweetener a miss and maybe put half the amount of sugar in and see how you go. I have found over the years that most cakes sweetened artifically taste pretty odd really.

My recipe was tasty, not as sweet as a 'proper' cake but the almondy additions help. It can go a bit dry once it cools down though, so make it fresh.

Forgot to add a teaspoon of baking powder!

It won't rise a huge amount, but I guess without the baking powder it might be more brownie like and dense.

Wish I'd had breakfast before staring this!

...before starting this.

What about using Stevia instead of Splenda? You need to use much less and it's not an artificial sweetener, it's ground up plants and entirely natural - it's about 16 times as sweet as sugar though so you do use much less and need to use more 'binder' type thing in it like egg whites.

Nigella also does a squidgy chocolate log made with eggs and no flour plus fresh cream. I have made it using xylitol and it was lovely.

Pagewatch: ooh do you have the recipe for that? Sounds amazing. Haven't baked with xylitol yet but have tasted it and it's just like sugar. Is it a convincing substitute in cakes? I'm confused about thenet carbs in xylitol too. Is it carb free do you know?

I'm a numpty - it is Delias recipe

It's easy and tastes fab.

I don't have any xylitol to hand to check carbs. I just baked it when I was trying to cut sugar rather than as a low carb thing.

Thanks Pagwatch. Looks delicious! No almond flour?

Nope. Just eggs.

Thanks for all these suggestions. I am still not sure what is best but I'll have a proper look at the recipes and if I try then out I'll let you know how they go.

As an aside I've lost 4 pounds since last Monday!

So like a chocolate omlette? I'm intrigued!

I'm making cupcakes for my kids birthday next week and have just had a bit of a practice of making the icing. I mixed cream cheese with almond butter and xylitol and it was absolutely divine. It was weird not getting a sugar rush afterwards!