Sunday, December 2, 2012

Yellow Pound Cake w/ Rich Chocolate Almond Frosting/Glaze

Last night I made my first grain and sugar free cake.  I made a Yellow Pound Cake w/ Rich Chocolate Almond Frosting/Glaze.  It turned out really good.  I baked it in a 6-cup Bundt pan and it was a little tricky getting it out of the pan because I forgot to flour the pan after greasing it...so next time I will make sure to do that.  I have lots of baking experience using regular wheat flour, but this was my first grain free alternative flour cake.  I basically made the recipe up as I went along and kept my fingers crossed that it would turn out good -- and I'm happy to report that it did.  I intentionally did not make it overly sweet since I don't like things very sweet any more.  I would describe this cake as a yellow cake with a texture very similar to pound cake.  The frosting/glaze is thick and rich with a very deep dark chocolate flavor and not overly sweet, although you could easily sweeten it more if you wanted to.  Hubby and I enjoyed a piece after dinner last night with a cup of strong Italian Roast coffee and it was delicious.  Based on the size of the slices we ate tonight, we should get about 20 slices from the cake -- that is a LOT!  Our slices were about 1-inch thick.

Below is the recipe as well as a number of photos at various stages.  I wanted to make sure the cake wasn't overly heavy or dense since I was using almond flour which tends to be a bit heavier and oilier.  I also wanted to get some rise in the cake -- and I surely got plenty of rise (you will see what I'm talking about in the photos below).  I got so much rise that while it was in the oven baking, I was actually worried that it would rise right out of the pan and all over my oven -- but thankfully, it did not.  Note that I used "extra light" olive oil in this cake recipe which has no discernible olive taste -- do not substitute the stronger tasting extra virgin olive oil (you could substitute melted butter for the oil if you prefer).  If you prefer your cakes a bit sweeter, you can increase the sweetener in both the cake and the frosting/glaze recipes, if desired.  The amount of sweetness was perfect for my taste.  The frosting/glaze recipe makes a very rich, thick, and dark deep chocolate flavored frosting.  You could add additional sweetener if you prefer a sweeter frosting or glaze.  Check out the recipe and photos below.  Enjoy!

Voila!
I put 5 cups of batter in a 6-cup pan thinking it wouldn't rise much...
Guess I was wrong...the cake actually rose a lot!
As you can see, it almost rose right out of my bundt pan...yikes!
This is what it looked like on top after it came out of the oven
BOOM!
 


Yellow Pound Cake w/ Rich Chocolate Frosting/Glaze

Cake Ingredients:

3 cups almond flour (blanched)
1 cup Swerve sweetener (or equivalent to 1 cup sugar sweetness)
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Celtic or sea salt
6 eggs (I used a combination of Egg Beaters and whole eggs)
1/2 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons "extra light" olive oil (do not use strong flavored extra  
      virgin olive oil)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla (I used concentrated double vanilla from Penzey's)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
15 drops NuNaturals alcohol free stevia (or equivalent to 2 teaspoons sugar sweetness)
3/4 cup water

Rich Chocolate Almond Frosting/Glaze Ingredients:

5 - 6 tablespoons coconut oil
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Ghirardelli or Green & Blacks)
Dash of sea salt
6 tablespoons Swerve sweetener
22 drops NuNaturals alcohol free stevia (or equivalent to about 3 teaspoons sugar sweetness)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons unsalted almond butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions for Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 6-cup Bundt type pan very well with butter and dust with flour; set aside.  In a large bowl, mix almond flour, Swerve sweetener, protein powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl; using a wire whisk, stir to mix and sift any lumps in the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, mix eggs, oil, vanilla, vinegar, stevia drops and water; beat with a whisk until well blended.  Add liquid mixture into dry ingredients and mix well; beat with a whisk or hand mixer until well blended and smooth (about 2-3 minutes).  Pour batter into well greased AND floured baking pan.  This recipe makes approximately 5 cups of cake batter.  Place bundt cake in oven and bake approximately 50-55 minutes at 325 degrees or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean (begin checking cake for doneness after about 30 minutes or if making 2 layers begin to check after 20 minutes).  Let cool approximately 5 to 10 minutes; invert onto a plate and let cool completely (if necessary, gently use a rubber spatula to loosen the edges of the cake from the pan).  Frost or glaze as desired.  

***NoteThis recipe can also be used to bake two 8-inch round layers or a square or rectangular cake.  If making 2 separate layers, the cooking time would need to be reduced, so check baking times. If using a Bundt pan, make sure to liberally grease pan and flour well so it doesn't stick when removing from pan.  Taste batter for sweetness after mixing and before pouring into pan (add up to an additional 1/2 cup of Swerve or sweetener of choice if a sweeter cake is desired).

Directions for Rich Chocolate Almond Frosting/Glaze

In a medium saucepan on low, melt coconut oil; add cocoa powder and stir until blended and smooth.  Add dash of salt and Swerve sweetener and stir until completely dissolved into the mixture.  Add almond butter, stevia, and butter, stirring or whisking until melted and smooth.  Add cream and whisk in well.  Taste to adjust desired sweetness, adding more sweetener, if necessary.  If a thinner frosting/glaze is desired, add a little additional cream to thin out; if a thicker consistency is desired, add additional almond butter.  Pour warm frosting/glaze on top of bundt cake, allowing it to run down the sides.  If spreading as a frosting on top of a cake layer, allow to cool and thicken a bit first. 



22 comments:

Tricia said...

I can not wait to try this!!! I bet this would work great for cupcakes, too. My kids will be so excited!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Tricia -- I bet it would work great as cupcakes -- for your kids, you may want to sweeten it just a tad more -- but you can taste the batter before you bake it and decide. I also think you could use peanut butter instead of almond butter to make a frosting with unless you already have a frosting that you plan to use. I wanted to make sure I showed a picture of just how much the cake rose so you people would know not to put as much batter in their pans! LOL Hope your kids enjoy it. Thanks! :-)

Mary Brewster said...

I have been enjoying your other recipes, and am sure I will make this soon. Is it the same amount of batter that overflowed, or did you reduce it a little?
Also, what is vanilla protein powder? Is there something else I can substitute for it?
Thank you so much for all your great experiments! It is great to have these recipes!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Mary! I put all the batter in that pan (a little over 5 cups in a 6-cup bundt pan) -- it actually and surprisingly did not overflow like I thought it might -- it just kept rising higher and higher! I was shocked because it is usually difficult to get almond flour baked products to rise. Vanilla protein powder is the whey or egg powder people buy to make protein shakes -- this one is vanilla sweetened with stevia (by Jay Robb). People blend them with water, fruit, etc. to make protein shakes -- you can also use their egg protein powder too. I don't know what you could substitute for it, except additional almond flour. Here is a link about cooking with protein powder in case you are interested. The additional protein keeps you full longer and helps to reduce carbs in recipes too. http://www.healthylifect.com/home/article/Try-This-Cooking-with-Protein-Powder-3521492.php

Anonymous said...

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup Swerve sweetener (or equivalent to 1 cup sugar sweetness)
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
15 drops NuNaturals alcohol free stevia (or equivalent to 2 teaspoons sugar sweetness)

Rich Chocolate Almond Frosting/Glaze Ingredients:
6 tablespoons Swerve sweetener
22 drops NuNaturals alcohol free stevia (or equivalent to about 3 teaspoons sugar sweetness)

My question is why do you use drops of sweeteners and Swerve, why not one or the other. Also protein powder doesn't seem like real food.
I do enjoy reading and trying your recipes but when it come to the sweeteners I just can't do artificial, ingredients our Grandmother's wouldn't know about.
I guess I'm not ready to make cakes and sweets part of my life just yet. I am new to being gluten free.
Cathy

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi -- The drops of sweetener provide more intense sweetness without adding much volume to the batter. It helps to add sweetness without changing the consistency. Combining sweeteners is done frequently with sugar free baking. The protein powder is both a consistency ingredient as well as it boosts the protein (from whey or egg white protein) and helps keeps you satisfied longer. I do understand how you feel about sweeteners -- but both of these sweeteners (Swerve and stevia) are considered natural sweeteners and are approved by Dr. Davis, a physician and author of Wheat Belly. I generally do not use them very often because I have lost my "sweet tooth"...but around the holidays or for special occasions, sometimes I find it nice to have them to use. If not having any sweets doesn't bother you, I wouldn't worry about it and would just enjoy other foods instead. The 2 sweeteners I use don't cause blood sugar spikes and are made with natural ingredients which is why Dr. Davis approves of their use. Everyone needs to make their own choice though. I hope you are able to find a non-sweet recipe that you like! :-)

Linda said...

Hi,
This cake looks great and I'm going to try it tomorrow for a party. When you said you floured the pan after spray I wondered with what? I'm wheat free so don't want cake to fail. I'm thinking poppy seeds and lemon peel so I don't need to frost it. Several people don't like chocolate so that frostings out. You are an inspiration. Thanks for your blog.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Thanks, Linda. I used blanched almond flour to flour the pan. Could you possibly make a frosting out of cream cheese or maybe some type of glaze using cream, sweetener and a flavoring/extract of some sort? Thanks for the kind remarks! :-)

Pat said...

This is the second time I have made this cake and didn't get the "rise" out of it that you did. I thought it was the baking powder so I bought a fresh batch but the same thing happened. In any case, I had been looking for a cake recipe since being grain and sugar free. I made this for my daughter's birthday and covered it with a cream cheese icing and raspberries. It was delicious and was a great hit! I made it today for her boyfriend's birthday. Just wish it would rise more.
PS. How goes the weight loss?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Pat! I'm glad you liked the cake but not sure why you didn't get the rise I did. I almost got too much rise for the pan I used to make it! I filled it almost full anticipating it wouldn't rise that much. Are you using a non-stick pan to bake it in? Mine was non-stick and not sure if that makes any difference or not. I am actually down 60 pounds as of this past weekend if you can believe it! I am thrilled! By the way, what shape and size pan did you bake the cake in? I'm glad it at least turned out good for you. :-)

Pat said...

I did not use a non-stick pan. I used two 8" pans with parchment paper on the bottom though. 60 lbs. is amazing! Has your grain-free resistant husband benefited in any way?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Pat! I wonder if not having the slicker non-stick sides affects the rise? I am just wondering/guessing since I don't really know. It would be interesting to test dividing the same batch of batter between a non-stick vs a regular pan of equal size to see if one rises differently than the other though. I may try that one day in my spare time when the cake isn't for anything special in case I end up with one layer of cake and a pancake...LOL. My hubby's weight fluctuates, but overall he has probably lost about 10 lbs in the same time frame by following WB for "dinners only". If he would only follow it completely for a month or two, he would probably drop all his extra weight...but getting him to commit to that is an entirely different story! :-)

Lori lambert said...

I made this pound cake the other day!! I am impressed!! It's even better than the regular pound cakes!! I am making another one tonight and will share with my friends at church Sunday! I also added organic almond extrract along with the vanilla.
I am a fan of chocolate cake! I have been searching your recipes for chocolate cake made out of almond flour. I can't find anything. Have you made any of that? If you have, I would LOVE to try that! Thanks for sharing your talents with us!!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Lori! So glad you enjoyed the yellow pound cake! I have not tried to make a chocolate version yet, but I will give it a try here soon. Probably add cocoa powder and boost the sweetener a bit. You could also chop up a 70% chocolate bar (make your own chips/chunks) and fold that into the yellow cake batter as well to make a chocolate chip version. I think that would be good, too. :-)

Unknown said...

Great! Thanks! Gonna try that and will let you know how it turns out. I bought chocolate protein powder for this instead of using the vanilla. You think that would work?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Lori! I don't see why it wouldn't work -- your cake might have a hint of cocoa color...but it should be just fine. :-)

Unknown said...

Made the chocolate pound cake and a huge success!!!
Thank you! Wish I could post a pix on here.

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Lori! I'm thrilled it turned out good for you. If you have Facebook, you could post it on my FB page? Thanks for letting me know that the chocolate version turned out good, too. And, if you want to post a picture of it on the FB page...please do so! :-)

Unknown said...

Is whey powder and the protein powder the same thing ? I wanted to make this cake but didn't know ?

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi Darlene -- Yes,whey powder is a type of protein powder. There is also egg white protein powder, etc. Hope that helps! :-)

jnharsanyi said...

This is fabulous! For years I've made low carb desserts with a certain brand of mixes, but they are borderline palatable and make do in a pinch. This is unbelievably good! I just got my Honeyville almond flour in and decided this (along with the cheddar paper biscuits) would be the first thing I made. Using Swerve sweetener, I don't think anyone would realize it is low carb. It is my first foray into Swerve as well, and I have been having small slices to judge the effects of Swerve, which so far have been none. I had a sample of Nectar Vanilla Torte that I used for the protein powder, and I would recommend that brand of protein powder hands down. Comes in lots of tasty flavors too, which you could use to alter the flavor of this cake. One thing I will do in the future is use powdered Swerve for the frosting, which was gritty with granulated Swerve. And my cake didn't rise much either; I used a non-stick pan and buttered and floured it. Don't really care tho cuz my husband and I are the only ones eating it. Will experiment with beating the egg whites into soft peak and folding them in to achieve more lift in the future. Regardless of rise, it is so good and I look forward to making more of your recipes!

Gourmet Girl Cooks said...

Hi jnharsanyi,

Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the cake. I need to make it again soon. I agree...the powdered Swerve is best for frosting. I've had lots more experience using it since I made that recipe. Thanks for the tip on protein powder too. Hope you find some other recipes you like. Thanks so much for letting me know and for your kind words. :-)