Coconut Flour Cake (Coconut Flour Genoise)

Coconut flour is one of the best low carb flours for baking. It is made from fresh coconut meat. The meat is dried and ground into a very fine powder. Its nutritional value is by far better than wheat flour. It is high in fiber, protein, low in carbs and gluten free!!! Coconut flour can be quite expensive, but it yields more than wheat flour. I use Bob's Red Mill Coconut Flour for my baking ($6-$7 for 1 lb).  Not only is it great for baking,  but it can also be used as thickening agent for soups, sauces and gravies as well!!! Keep in mind that coconut flour absorbs more liquid than wheat flour, so when adjusting recipes that call for wheat flour, you'll have to increase the amount of water, oil, or eggs.

10 Eggs at room temperature
8 oz Splenda or Stevia
3oz Vegetable oil
1/2 Cup Sifted Coconut Flour
1/8 Tsp Baking Soda

Preheat oven at 365 F

Mix sweetener with eggs over double boiler (Bain Marie or Water bath) to 110 F . Use a cooking thermometer to measure temperature.

Whip eggs and sweetener with an electric mixer on high speed. The eggs have to become very foamy, thick and triple in volume. They will become very light in color too.

Sift coconut flour with baking soda together. Add the flour little by little and fold into eggs slowly using your hand or a spatula. Add oil. Pour batter into an oiled cake pan. Bake for 20- 30 minutes or until done.

The above is the recipe for the cake alone, without any filling or icing. What you put into and above it is your choice, but I typically like to fill it with Chocolate Ganache and top it with Chantilly Cream and fresh strawberries, sprinkled with some unsweetened shredded chocolate.

Depending on the size of the cake, you can cut it in one or two layers using a serrated knife. To moisten and give more flavor to the cake you can add to some dark rum and/or coffee liquor mixed with vanilla extract. If using canned fruits such as pineapples or peaches, you can use the syrup that comes with the fruit to moisten and flavor the layers as well.

Chantilly Cream for Icing

Chantilly Cream is a great multi-purpose icing for cakes, pies and other pastries. It is extremely easy to prepare and extremely tasty too!

8 oz Chilled Heavy Cream
1 or 2 oz Splenda or Stevia
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Make sure the mixing bowl and the mixer paddles you are using are chilled too.

With an electric mixer, whip on medium speed for 20 seconds, then whip on high speed until soft peaks form. Don't over whip, it will turn into butter. Add sweetener and vanilla extract to your liking.

Chocolate Ganache Filling

While it may be difficult to imagine, it is quite easy to make a low-carb chocolate filling and/or icing for cakes and other pastries.

4 oz Baker's Dark (100% Cacao) Unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 oz Heavy Cream
Splenda or Stevia to your liking

Place chopped chocolate into a bowl.

Mix sweetener with heavy cream in a medium pot. Give it a good stir. Bring heavy cream to a boil. Add to chopped chocolate in the bowl. Mix well using a hand whip. Make sure to dissolve all lumps, until completely smooth.Cover and cool down in refrigerator (has to become very thick, almost solid to use as filling).

Low Carb Pumpkin Pie

Besides Halloween, October is one of my favorite months because of all the great desserts that one can make. The below pie recipe will blow your mind (at least it does mine)!! I should say that this is not a low low carb recipe as pumpkins themselves are relatively high in carbs, but by not using sugar and wheat, we are definitely reducing the total carbs. Best of all, you won't even notice that is sugar and wheat free because it is as delicious as the "real thing".

The crust is made with almond meal, which Trader Joe's carries for just $3.99 for a 16 oz bag. I certainly recommend getting it there because it is the cheapest I've been able to find it anywhere.

Crust:
1 1/2 Cups Almond Meal
3 Tbsp Melted unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. Splenda or Stevia
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla extract

Preheat oven at 350F

Mix Almond meal with powdered sweetener using your hands. Add melted butter and Vanilla
Then use your fingertips to press it into a pie pan. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.


Filling:

1 Can (15 oz) Pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 1/4 Cups Heavy cream
1/4 Tsp. Nutmeg
14/ Tsp. Ground Cloves
1 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tsp Vanilla extract

Increase oven temp to 400F

Mix filling ingredients together using an electric mixer or a hand whip. Pour batter into the almond crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 F and bake for 50- 55 minutes or until done (poke with a toothpick until it comes out dry).

You can adjust the recipe to you liking by adding Ground Ginger and/or using Evaporated Milk instead of Heavy cream.


I like to serve the pie at room temperature, though this too is to your liking.