If you’re new here, since 2019, I’ve sold probably at least 20,000 keto lala cakes (my cupcake version. If you read this entire post, you will glean some of my expert keto baking tips that have helped me to be a consistent baker that enjoys repeat customers.

My latest new flavor is a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and peppermint buttercream.

This recipe for chocolate ganache peppermint starts with our chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. It’s great by itself and I sell a lot of these also available in a dairy free version. However, Christmas calls for peppermint frosting and this combination is great.

Tips for How to Make Great Keto Chocolate Cake

• Choose the right cocoa powder.
• Choose the right chocolate for the ganache.
• Choose the right milk/cream for the ganache.
• Learn how to make buttercream when you have to start with cold butter.
• Learn how to bake with almond flour.

Cocoa Powder

Keto chocolate cake took about a month of trial and error. It was always about the cocoa powder. It has to be rich in flavor the dense almond flour. My favorites are:

• Better Body Foods Organic Cacao
• Anthony’s Organic Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

The Right Sugar Free Chocolate – Choc Zero

I am a serious purchaser of Choc Zero. I have found Choc Zero dark chocolate chips to be the closest to traditional dark chocolate. These are great for a perfect ganache or keto chocolate chip cookies. I also love their other products (like maple syrup and hazelnut spread). As an affiliate I earn a commission when you purchase. Use SPINACHTIGER10 to get a discount.

Making the Right Sugar Free Ganache

You can make ganache two ways, traditional (heavy cream) or dairy free with unsweetened coconut milk. I have found we love the dairy free version best. I use the Whole Foods full fat unsweetened coconut milk. The ratio is 1 to 2 liquid to chocolate. I 1/2 cup coconut milk (or heavy cream) and 1 cup choc zero dark chocolate chips in a stainless bowl over a pan of simmering water (called a bain marie). Stir chocolate and milk or cream until all chocolate is melted.

TIPS: Be careful not to over heat as the chocolate will break. However, if you do this, add more liquid, and it will usually come back together. Chocolate ganache should be applied after it has slightly cooled and the cakes have completely cooled. Ganache can be refrigerated for a week, and frozen for a few months.

NOTE: Traditional ganache is made thus: Chop chocolate. Heat heavy cream. Pour heavy cream over chopped chocolate. Wait five minutes. Stir. I have found that with Choc Zero dark chocolate chips, I get same wonderful ganache putting milk/cream with chocolate in the bowl, heating together.

Peppermint Buttercream

All you need is unsalted butter, Swerve Confectioner’s, salt and peppermint extract. If you want to color your peppermint buttercream, use pink food gel. You need to get the butter to the right temperature to begin mixing. Mix on medium low until butter changes color from very yellow to light yellow. Then add confectioner’s sweetener 1/2 cup at a time.

Ratio: 1-1. In other words, for every stick of butter (1/2 cup) to 1/2 cup sweetener. The exception to this is if you are making a LOT of frosting as I do for the bakery. Once we get past 2 cups butter, we can pull back on the sweetener. TIP: Taste as you go. And don’t forget the salt.

TIPS: Butter is still too cold to easily make buttercream in the winter, even when leaving it out of the refrigerator overnight. There are a few things you can do to combat this.

• Cut butter into small pieces and arrange on a flat plate, covered with plastic wrap the night before. I stick mine in the microwave to keep it out of the way. You want butter between 65-70 degrees F.
• If your butter is still too cold (under 60 F.) place your butter in a steel bowl and get a larger bowl of hot water. Place first bowl over the hot water and begin beating. You may only need five seconds. Don’t let the butter get melty. This also works well if you’ve forgotten to take the butter out.
• If you make the buttercream, before you make the cakes, you may need to rebeat it. I usually use a hand beater for buttercream.
• Adding extracts. Add a little at a time and continue to taste. After a few minutes the buttercream may absorb more of the flavor. Wait ten minutes prior to using and taste again.

Baking with Almond Flour and Coconut Flour

I have found in my 20,000 cakes that the combination of almond flour and coconut flour is still the best combination for a low carb, gluten free cake batter.

Coconut flour absorbs liquid and both flours have no real rising power. This does mean you will have to use a lot of eggs, and I use six per recipe. The cake texture tends to fall apart if you don’t use something like xanthan gum to hold it together. However, don’t feel you HAVE to use the gum. It will still taste good.

TIP: Do not use a toothpick to test doneness. It’s inaccurate. A more reliable method is to take your cakes temperature in the middle. Cake is done at 210 degrees, so take it out at 207, but not before. I’ve had cakes be semi-raw in middle when I “thought” the cake looked done.

Best Keto Chocolate Cake Recipe

What makes a chocolate cake good? I believe a good chocolate cake is firm enough to hold frosting or ganache, yet moist enough to elicit a deep chocolate flavor. Dry cake loses its flavor. Almond flour and coconut flour need a good amount of cocoa powder to drive taste, but they can also dry a cake out. I choose to use avocado oil (or olive oil) instead of butter, which ensures moisture, and enough fat like sour cream or coconut milk. Also, I also bloom the cocoa powder with boiling water to open up flavor.

Ingredients: eggs, almond flour, coconut flour, avocado oil, cocoa powder, boiling water, sour cream or coconut milk, salt, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum.

Baking Cups

I like using these tart liners for my cakes, which I call lala cakes. The ganache and or frosting is then more easily balanced with the cake. You can order these on Amazon.

Piping Tips: You can use a number of piping tips for the frosting. Here some on Amazon.

More Cakes You Might Like

• Keto Black and White Cupcakes
• Keto Spice Cupcakes with Maple Frosting
• Keto Texas Sheet Cake
• Keto Cream Cheese Brownies
• Keto Peanut Butter Frosting

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Keto Dairy Free Chocolate Ganache Cake

Grain Free, Keto, Paleo, Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Course Keto Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten free chocolate cake, keto brownies, keto cake, keto chocolate cake, paleo chocolate cake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12 pieces

Calories 252kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 4 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Swerve granulated
• 1/2 cup avocado oil or olive oil
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup Choc Zero Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk or heavy cream
• Dash sea satl or Maldon Flaked Salt

Peppermint Buttercream

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup Swerve Confectioner's Sweetener
• dash salt
• 6 drops peppermint extract or more as needed

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. or 180 C.
• Mix dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour: baking powder, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum. Set aside.
• Beat eggs in mixer until very well incorporated on high.
• Stream oil in while mixer is running. This emulsifies the oil to the eggs.
• Add Swerve confectioner's or erythritol of choice.
• In separate bowl mix cocoa powder, with hot water. It may be thick and that's okay. The boiling water blooms the powders for extra flavor.
• Add in coconut milk to cocoa mixture, as cocoa mixture will be quite thick. You can use heavy cream instead of coconut milk
• Add this cocoa mixture to egg mixture.
• Add in dry mixture, and mix just until mixed. Do not over-mix.
• If making cupcakes, bake at 350 Degrees F. (180 C) for 20 to 25 mins. or until center reaches 207 Degrees F. Always check at 18 minutes.

Chocolate Ganache

• Set a stainless bowl over a saucepan that has about 2 inches of water. Melt chocolate with coconut milk (or heavy cream) on low until all chocolate is melted.
• Slightly cool ganache. Pour over each cooled cupcake.
• Cool completely (can refrigerate for twenty minutes). Once ganache is set, you can pipe buttercream as desired.

Peppermint Buttercream

• See blog post for all the tips for buttercream. You want butter to be between 65 and 70 degrees F. to beat.
• Beat butter until it color changes to lighter yellow. Add confectioner's 1/2 cup at a time.
• Add peppermint extract a little at a time until desired taste. Brands carry different strength.
• If you want to color your peppermint use a pink gel. Mix the gel with a little milk or cream first before adding to buttercream. Add a little at a time until desired color.

Notes

 

You can use 1/4 cup heavy cream with 1/4 cup water also.

DAIRY FREE OPTION:  Instead of almond milk and sour cream, you can substitute with 2/3 cup of coconut milk. 

Nutrition

Serving: 112 | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Fiber: 4g

The post Keto Chocolate Ganache with Peppermint Buttercream appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is big seller at Christmas time in my keto grain free bakery. 

How do you make sugar free keto peppermint frosting?

Swerve confectioner’s sweetener, butter, peppermint extract. 

Swerve, a powdered erythritol,  makes it’s super easy to make beautiful creamy sugar free frosting, that is very keto friendly. They make a granulated and confectioner’s version. Sugar free eating couldn’t be easier or more delicious. 

I took notes from my keto vanilla buttercream and replaced most of the vanilla extract with peppermint extract. Read here why I love Swerve. 

Making Keto Peppermint Buttercream Frosting

My rule of thumb for the perfect keto buttercream is 1/2 cup Swerve confectioner’s sweetener to 1/2 cup butter. 

Since it’s December, there is a challenge to face when it comes to making buttercream. The butter, at room temperature, is too hard. 

What is the perfect butter temperature for making buttercream frosting?

Butter should be between 65 and 68 degrees and be able to bend with flexibility. I will sit the butter on top of my stove. You will need to be careful, however, that the butter isn’t too soft. If it’s too hard or too soft, you will never be able to get it to that perfect smooth, creamy, able to pipe consistency. 

Sugar Free Sprinkles

The Sprinkle Company makes sugar free sprinkles in several colors. I was lucky enough to have been gifted these Christmas sugar sprinkles just in time.

Keto Chocolate Cupcakes

My recipe for keto chocolate cupcakes is delicious, kitchen tested and sold weekly in my keto bakery. I think it’s perfect. I use almond flour and coconut flour, cacao powder, Swerve, and coffee. The texture is a sponge cake that rivals any wheat-based sponge. 

More Keto Sweets from Spinach Tiger

Keto Vanilla Buttercream

Keto Chocolate Buttercream

Keto Cream Cheese Frosting

Low Carb Chocolate Cake

Keto Red Velvet Cupcakes

Keto Spice Bundt Cake

Keto Sugar Free Cookies

More Keto Sweets from Spinach Tiger

  Keto White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

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Peppermint Buttercream Frosting with Keto Chocolate Cupcakes

The most delicious low carb chocolate cupcake recipe you can imagine. Moist and chocolatey and not compromised.

Course Keto Desserts

Cuisine American

Keyword keto chocolate cupcakes, peppermint frosting

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 414kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Chocolate Cupcakes Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour 260 grams
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour 26 grams
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cups unsweetened natural cocoa powder I use Better Body Cacao
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup granulated swerve powdered erythritol
• 1/2 cup avocado oil
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/4 cup strong coffee
• baking spray

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients

• 1 cup butter unsalted room temperature
• 1 cup Confectioner’s Swerve
• 4 tablespoons cream cheese softened at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon Peppermint Extract add 1/2 teaspoon at a time
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream if needed

Instructions

Chocolate Cupcake Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk together almond four coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, Swerve. Set aside.
• Mix eggs for five full minutes.
• Stream in oil.
• Mix coffee, sour cream, almond milk, vanilla.
• Stream coffee mixture into wet ingredients.
• Add dry ingredients and mix on medium just until mixed. Don't overmix.
• Spray cupcake liners.
• Pour evenly making 12 cupcakes.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until a center is 207 degrees f. (no more than 210).
• Cool completely before frosting.

Peppermint Frosting

• Whip together butter and cream cheese until completely smooth. You may need to whip these in separate bowls. Make sure butter is softened, but not melted.
• Add the confectioner's sweetener 1/2 cup at a time. Taste before adding the final 1/2 cup. Adjust for your own sweetness.
• Add peppermint extract.
• Add heavy cream if you need to. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of boiling water instead to get a frosting easy to pipe.
• Use large round tip in piping bag to apply frosting.

Notes

In place of the coffee, you can use more buttermilk.

There is a different chocolate cake recipe here using coconut flour which was posted originally. I have improved the recipe. If you want the original find it at bottom of post.

If you don’t think the frosting is sweet enough, add up to 1/4 cup more. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 12 | Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 38g | Fiber: 6g

The post Keto Peppermint Frosting with Keto Chocolate Cupcakes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

While I was on a food press tour of Columbus Ohio, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the book, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream at Home, and this inspired me to give her ice cream base a try.  There are no eggs in the recipe. Corn starch and cream cheese are the thickening agents that help the cream and milk become the richest, creamiest ice cream ever.  While the book has recipes for buttermint and backyard mint, there was no recipe for peppermint. I used my original peppermint ice cream flavorings over the base recipe. Results are stunning, so rich, you only need a little bit to get satisfied, and that’s probably a good thing.

Based out of Columbus Ohio, Jeni’s in Nashville has some local elements.  Founder, Jeni Britton Bauer,  teamed up with  Tennessee farmers to procure  Tennessee fruit  which is taken back to Ohio and mixed with other fruits to make what some people call “the most delicious ice cream in the world.”

The magic behind Jeni’s Splendid ice cream comes from fresh ingredients, chosen with care, and then mixed in unusual ways.  Nashville is lucky enough to have a Jeni’s Ice Cream Store right here in East Nashville, which by the way is her busiest store. We think she should open another store in Williamson County very soon. In the meantime, when I’m not in East Nashville, I can pull out my cookbook and try some unusual flavors, like chamomile chardonnay, roasted strawberry and buttermilk, and her very famous salty caramel.

This might just be the Christmas ice cream that I use to make my traditional ice cream bombe, made for every Christmas Eve. Not sure yet, because I’m drumming up a red velvet ice cream and there is going to be some tough competition, unless I make two, which is beginning to sound like an even better idea!

Tell me, do you eat ice cream during the holidays? Do you have a certain sweets tradition beyond Christmas cookies?

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Christmas Ice Cream and Jeni's in East Nashville

Christmas Ice cream, made with candy canes, peppermint schnapps, adapted using base of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream.

Course Ice Cream

Cuisine American

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup ground up candy canes
• 1 whole candy cane
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1 1/2 ounces 3 tablespoons cream cheese softened
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2-4 drops of peppermint extract
• 2 teaspoons peppermint schnapps

Instructions

• Grind enough candy canes up in blender or magic bullet to make 1/4 cup.
• Whisk cream cheese in bowl until creamy.
• Set a large bowl with ice that this bowl will fit into to cool.
• Mix 2 tablespoons of milk with cornstarch to make a slurry.
• Cook remaining milk, cream, sugar corn syrup in heavy bottomed 4 quart pot, including one candy cane. Bring to rolling boil and boil for 4 minutes on medium heat.
• Remove from heat. Whisk in slurry of corn starch. Boil again until thickened, over med. high heat, about a minute.
• Pour into bowl that has the cream cheese. Place that bowl in ice bath. Cool.
• Place in refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Use your ice cream maker.
• Add in peppermint extract, peppermint schnapps and crushed candy canes during the last five minutes of ice cream churning.
• Put in plastic with lid. Cover first with parchment. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

The post Christmas Ice Cream and Jeni’s in East Nashville appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Merry Christmas to everyone. If I could, I would do for you what I did for my husband. Make one of this favorite child hood memories…peppermint ice cream. He talks about it all the time and says that there is no ice cream today that comes close to the peppermint ice cream of yesteryear at Howard Johnson’s.

If you don’t know who or what Howard Johnson is, you missed the great icon roadside restaurant in America. Traveling from Maine to Florida, travelers could get the best hand-dipped ice cream in existence, a clam roll, or a hot dog on a buttered toasted roll or perhaps a fish fry.

Howard Johnson started as a drugstore which of course had a soda fountain. Remember those? He was the first to present America with a super premium ice cream. The recipe had a high butterfat content that perhaps came from his mother or from a local German immigrant. No one is sure, but it changed the way people regarded ice cream. We lived close to a Howard Johnson’s and we would go on Sunday nights and pick up a quart of hand-dipped coffee ice cream for my grandmother and then butter pecan or peach for us.

My husband has a love affair with Howard Johnson’s in general. Every time he went to New York City on business, he would have to stop at the old “times square” HoJo and get a clam roll and peppermint ice cream. It became one of those funny stories. Who goes to NYC to go to Howard Johnson’s when you are on an expense account?

In 2005, the times square location closed forever. He was crushed. So this Christmas, I tried to duplicate the famous peppermint ice cream. I had his taste bud memories to rely on, and he thinks Howard Johnson would be proud. I know that I ate it and loved and I don’t typically like anything with peppermint. Now, to duplicate the clam roll. That’s MY Howard Johnson memory.

Do you have a favorite food from child hood that you wish you could have today? Do any of you remember Howard Johnson’s ice cream, and did you have a favorite flavor?

R

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A Merry Christmas with Peppermint Ice Cream

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 candy cane
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 egg yolks
• few drops peppermint extract
• 1-2 tablespoons peppermint schnapps start with one, then add to your preference
• 3/4 cup candy canes crushes some are bigger pieces, some like powder

Instructions

• Heat milk, cream, salt (with a candy cane) over low heat just to simmering. Milk will turn a little pink. That’s okay. Beat egg yolks with sugar until creamy and light yellow. Temper eggs by adding 1/4 cup milk mixture to egg mixture.
• Transfer egg mixture into pan and cook on low for six minutes. Strain into a bowl and put into an ice bath. Cool in refrigerator overnight or several hours.
• Proceed with ice cream maker. At the end of cycle add, extract, peppermint schnapps and crushed candy. Ice cream is consistency of soft serve and must be frozen.
• Freeze for at least 3 hours prior to serving. The alcohol will prevent the ice cream from freezing rock hard, and even after freezing overnight, you will be able to scoop easily. If you choose to skip the peppermint schnapps and only use peppermint extract, your ice cream will freeze very hard and will require you to let it sit out 30 minutes prior to serving.

Notes

Substitute peppermint schnapps with 1-2 t of peppermint extract, tasting as you go.

The post A Merry Christmas with Peppermint Ice Cream appeared first on Spinach Tiger.