Lemon Crock Pot Cake

This is a good serviceable dessert. It comes together easily and of course takes care of itself in a slow cooker. The flavor is quite good, the texture fine.

You can add a fruit puree as a topping, or whipped cream. A ganache might be quite effective as well.

This looks rather plain, but dressed up with a topping, it becomes a fine company dessert.

Enjoy.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

3 tablespoons sweetener of your choice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup whipping cream

Juice from two lemons (about 2 tablespoons)

Zest from two lemons

2 eggs

TOPPING:

3 tablespoons granulated sweetener of your choice

1/2 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and xanthan gum in medium bowl.
2. Whisk together butter, whipping cream, lemon juice, zest and egg in large bowl.
3. Add dry mix to wet mix and combine until well blended. Spread into 2-4 quart slow cooker crock lined with aluminum foil.

TOPPING:

1. Combine all topping ingredients in bowl and pour over cake batter in crock.
2. Cover crock pot and cook on high setting about 2-3 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
3. Serve warm with fresh fruit and whipped cream, if desired.

SERVES: 8

NOTES: Since slow cookers come in so many sizes and powers, it’s rather difficult to give the correct time for cooking. But since slow cooking is slow, you have plenty of wiggle room. Just start checking early and every fifteen minutes or so after the first hour and a half or so.

SOURCE: Lowcarbyum

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Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting*

Cream cheese frostings are simple to make and go with so many things. Just change the one ingredient and it can be slathered pretty much on anything you want a frosting for.

This one features peanut butter.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
• 3 tbsp butter, softened
• 1/4 c sugar of your choice (I used Stevia)
• 1/2 c peanut butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Use a whisk and vigorously mix the ingredients until smooth and of one consistency.
2. Refrigerate if you want to stiffen it up.

SERVINGS: Makes enough for a 8 x 10 cake

NOTES: You can change the peanut butter to lemon curd, or preserves of any type. Bananas would work. If using fruit, I’d chop it first and then drain really well first, maybe using just a couple of tbsps of juices to flavor the frosting a bit more.

SOURCE: Sherry Peyton

Caramel Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream*

Oh ice cream, the food of gods. Move over ambrosia, you got nothin’.

This passes muster with stevia sugar substitute just perfectly, and it was delicious.

If you love custard type ice cream, then do try this one.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup sugar of your choice
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar or 1 tbsp molasses
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup unsweetened almond or cashew milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp vodka (optional, helps reduce iciness)
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 3 ounces sugar-free dark chocolate or high % cacao chocolate, chopped well

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Set a medium bowl over an ice bath and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, combine butter, sweetener and coconut sugar or molasses. When butter has melted, whisk to combine well. Bring to a boil and cook 3 to 5 minutes, being careful not to burn it.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt.
4. Slowly add cream, whisking constantly. Mixture may bubble vigorously. Stir in almond or cashew milk. Return to medium heat and cook, whisking frequently, until mixture reaches 170F on an instant read thermometer.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks until smooth. Slowly add about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Then slowly return egg yolks to hot cream in saucepan, whisking constantly. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 180F on an instant read thermometer.
6. Pour custard into bowl set over ice bath and cool 10 minutes. Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours, preferably longer.
7. Whisk in vodka, if using, and then sprinkle surface with xanthan gum and whisk vigorously to combine. Pour mixture into the canister of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions.
8. Once churned, transfer half to an airtight container and sprinkle with half the chopped chocolate. Top with remaining ice cream and chocolate and stir to mix in well. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm but not rock hard, about 2 hours. Or dump the chocolate on top and just mix in lightly.

SERVINGS: 4

NOTES: You could also add some pecans or walnuts. But don’t over do since you will miss the subtle flavor of the caramel.

SOURCE: All Day I Dream About Food

Lemon Ricotta Cake*

This turned out so wonderfully with my changes that I think you could make this almost any flavor you want to.

I’m keen to try it as a chocolate cake perhaps.

It’s wonderful as is, and it’s great with a nice berry topping of your choice.

Keeps well in the fridge as well.

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 Cup Softened Butter
• 1/2 Cup Granulated Stevia
• Zest From 3 Large Lemons
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
• 3 Large Eggs, Separated
• 1 Cup Full Fat Ricotta Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Plus  All-purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• Dash of Salt
• Fresh Strawberries for topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease and flour a 7 or 8 inch spring-form pan.
3. Beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
4. Add the lemon zest, extract, egg yolks and ricotta cheese and beat until smooth.
5. Mix together the flourS, baking powder and salt, and beat into the butter mixture just until combined.
6. Wash your beaters well, and then beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff.
7. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter then spoon the batter into your prepared tin.
8. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester stuck into the center comes out clean.
9. Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.

SERVES: 8

NOTES: As I said, you can probably make this with some chocolate, or even cut up some peaches in it, or other fruit. Change the lemon to limes if you like. You can dust the top with powdered sugar, or sliced almonds. Blueberries would go very well with this as a topping with the lemon.

SOURCE: Adapted from Italian Food Forever

Oh Just the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies*

Let’s face facts. Low carb desserts are never going to taste like what they are replacing. That’s just a fact. But sometimes you get something that tastes wonderful all by itself. It’s not the gooyiest most perfect cookie you’ve ever had, but it is very very good just as it is. It’s the sort of thing that would fit in on a table of cookies and not be left uneaten at the end.

So make these if you want low carb, and even if you don’t. They are  healthier and you body will appreciate it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup oat flour OR just process rolled oats in a blender until you get a fine flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/3 c chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar substitute of your choice
• 3 tbsp full-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp vegetable or melted coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a deep bowl.
2. In a cup, stir together the remaining 3 ingredients, gently heating if the cream cheese is too firm to stir.
3. Pour wet into dry, then stir together and do not add extra liquid. It will look a bit dry, but keep stirring and scraping off the spoon as you stir. After a few minutes, it will moisten into a cookie dough batter.
4. Form a big ball, then roll into cookie dough balls. Place balls on a plate and freeze at least 30 minutes (or up to a month).
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 F and grease a cookie tray. Place balls on the tray and bake 8 minutes—they will look quite underdone when they first come out, so do not even touch them for at least 10 minutes, during which time they will firm up.

SERVES: 1 dozen

NOTES: I did this recipe as given. I grind my own oatmeal up for the flour. I used bittersweet chocolate which is my favorite but reduces the sugar a lot in the chips.

SOURCE: Chocolate Covered Kate

Crock Pot Gingerbread Cake*

I must say that I have avoided slow-cooker cakes like the plague. I figured they weren’t very good.

But in the quest to reduce carbs, well, you try a lot of new things anyway.

This actually worked amazingly well. This cake was moist (a real problem for a lot of lo-carb cakes) and very flavorful.

About the only drawback is that it’s hard to determine the exact cooking time, since slow-cookers are so varied in size and power. Just stick to “medium” and check it every thirty minutes or so after the first hour. Experienced cake bakers know how to test for doneness with the old skewer that comes out with crumbs not gooey.

 

INGREDIENTS:
2  1/4 cups almond flour or sunflower seed flour, or any combination

1/3 c Swerve or other sugar substitute

1/3 c date puree

2 tbsp coconut flour

1 tbsp dark cocoa powder

1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger (or more, if you like it really gingery)

1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

4 large eggs

2/3 cup milk

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (if using sunflower seed flour – helps keep it from turning green)

1 tsp vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

Grease the  interior of a 6 quart slow cooker well.

In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour or sunflower seed flour, sweetener, coconut flour, cocoa powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, cloves and salt.

Stir in melted butter, eggs, milk, lemon juice if using, date puree, and vanilla extract until well incorporated.

Pour into prepared slow cooker and cook on medium low  for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until set.

Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

SERVES: 10

NOTES: I used a combination of almond flour, sunflower seed flour, and whole wheat. You can use what you have pretty easily since the spices are enough to control the taste. When it has cooled in the cooker, I just inverted it onto a plate. It came out nicely in one piece.

SOURCE: Adapted from A Sweet Life

Flourless Chocolate Cake*

If you’ve noticed, when I cook low-carb, it tends to be something sweet. The rest is easy, but not so the sweet stuff.

When I get my hands on a good one, I want to make sure I have it recorded so I can make it again.

This is pretty basic and can be found in some form all over the place. I’ve tweaked it a bit to reflect my own tastes and the desire to keep even the good sugar to a minimum

Plenty of chocolaty taste here.

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz. baking chocolate (one bar)
3 whole eggs
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup best quality cocoa powder
1/3 c date puree
1/3 c Swerve or other sweetener (erythritol)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Grease a 8″ springform pan well.
3. Place the butter and the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments until all is melted. Mix well.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients, eggs last stirring each in separately. Mix well.
5. Pour into the springform pan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until center is still a bit wiggly but edges are done.

SERVES: 12

NOTES: Watch carefully. Don’t let it get over done. It will dry out if you do. Once the edges are brown and firm, you are good to go. Serve with whipped cream, powdered Swerve shaken over, or fresh raspberries or strawberries. You can also make a ganache and frost it.

SOURCE: Inspired by Detoxinista