Did you know you can have your cake and eat it too when it comes to low-carb, keto friendly baking? And, if you’re like me, you love cake, and you love cake with frosting.

A low-carb vanilla buttercream frosting is a must as a basic, and once you get this, you can play around with adding flavors.

Since I’ve started a home based keto friendly bakery, I’ve had to make sure my frostings are perfect, and make sure the basic recipes that people love, taste like they always remember.

I started a home keto bakery quite by accident, and it’s taking off. I currently sell small cakes like you see below. You can see more on my bakery page.

What is the best sweetener for low carb buttercream?

I use Swerve. They make a great confectioner’s sweetener along with a granular sweetener. Read here why I love this product and how I use it.

What’s the difference between frosting and icing?

Frosting is made with butter and confectioner’s sugar, whereas icing is more of a glaze and doesn’t have butter. Icing is thinner, sweeter and glossier. Icing could be made with heavy cream, but it could also be made with milk water or juice.

Frosting is thick and most often made with butter, cream cheese or a combination of both, along with heavy cream, and that’s exactly how this buttercream is made.

I tend to add a touch of cream cheese to my frostings, but I don’t want them to taste like cream cheese unless they are a bonafide cream cheese frosting like this low-carb cream cheese frosting.

How do you make a low-carb vanilla buttercream frosting?

This low-carb vanilla buttercream frosting is made with Swerve’s confectioner’s sugar, butter, a small amount of cream cheese, pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste and heavy cream. It took a while for me to get it right (for me). You may add more of this or that, but I think one of the keys is vanilla paste. I like to see those little specks of vanilla dispersed through the frosting.

You all loved my low-carb chocolate buttercream frosting, and you will love this just as much. If you’re following a low-carb, sugar free life style, this makes layered cake possible and scrumptious. This recipe is for a one layer cake or 12 cupcakes, so double it for a double layer cake.

Like all my frostings, low-carb vanilla buttercream frosting freezes exceptionally well.

The question now is what cake recipes do I choose to use low carb vanilla buttercream frosting with?

This double layer cake went to a bakery customer. I used my small offset spatula to make this simple, classic design.

How about this keto low-carb chocolate cake, a new and improved recipe. 

I look forward to posting a lot more cake recipes with this classic vanilla buttercream. I’m thinking wedding cake cupcakes with a drop of almond extract and I still haven’t given you my most delicious keto vanilla cake recipe yet.

This is one of the ways my bakery decorates the celebration cake. Bakery information here.

Make Rosettes

• Disposable Large Piping Bag  (these are textured and the only piping bags I use)
• 1M or 2D piping tip

Hold piping bag perpendicular (no angle) , starting in center, pipe starting from an inch above cake, down and then in circle, slightly overlapping. Practice on a plate first, then put that practice back in the bag. One thing we sometimes do is the same design on the first layer. If we don’t like it, that layer becomes the center. If we love it, it becomes the top.

More Low Carb Frostings from Spinach Tiger

Low Carb Cream Cheese Frosting

Low Carb Chocolate Frosting

Low Carb Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Low Carb Strawberry Frosting

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Vanilla Buttercream Keto

Delicious keto friendly buttercream frosting for cake or 12 cupcakes

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 127kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese
• 1 cup Swerve confectioner's sweetener
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream if needed
• Dash salt
• 
  
• Kitchen Tools
• Parchment Rounds
• Off-set Spatula

Instructions

• The key to this frosting is beating the butter for five full minutes.
• Once the butter is whipped, add the cream cheese.
• Add the vanilla paste. If I want a serious vanilla taste, I'll add more vanilla paste.
• Add salt.
• Add heavy cream, if needed. If you are going to pipe scoop out with large spoon, hold sideways over bowl. Frosting should plop back into bowl in about a second or two. If it doesn't you will need to add a little heavy cream.
• Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. If you take out from refrigerator, give it a chance to come down to room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 127kcal | Fat: 14g

The post Low Carb Vanilla Buttercream Frosting appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I wanted to redo my keto chocolate cake recipe, and on a whim, I decided to make keto chocolate bundt cakes. I have had  this mini bundt pan  for years and only recently used it to make fancy ice for a punch bowl for our 20th anniversary party.


Today the sun was shining in my kitchen and this chocolate recipe is exactly the chocolate cake of most people’s childhood. Not too dark, not too heavy, not too sweet. Just right. The texture was everything I could dream of for any kind of cake. The batter is thick but will bake up light.

I put a simple cream cheese glaze, which stays stabilized.

Since I originally posted this recipe, I created a ton of recipes with much experimentation. I use my almond flour/coconut flour mixture for the bakery, but this keto nut free chocolate cake might just be what you need.

These Keto Chocolate Bundt Cakes are Gluten Free

Keep in mind that most keto baked goods are gluten free and paleo friendly. This recipe uses coconut flour and has no gluten.

Baking Keto Chocolate Bundt Cakes

I go back and forth between almond flour, coconut flour or a combination of each. The thing that was happening for me is using almond flour with the cocoa powder which in my taste buds fought the added coffee. I wanted the coffee to add a layer of flavor, but only as harmony.

I always use Swerve as my sweetener (powdered erythritol). Find out why HERE. 

Today I used coconut flour only, mixed my fats with half high quality butter (85% butterfat) and half avocado oil, which helps a cake rise and a little bit of sour cream. I must confess that I splurged for Valrhona cocoa powder, and I urge you to use this or a very high quality cocoa powder. It makes a difference. Since this recipe, I’ve used Better Body Cacao or Anthony’s Cocoa Powder.

When I went to take the keto chocolate bundt cakes out of the oven, I was thrilled with the way they rose.

Once they cooled, the texture or cake crumb was everything a sponge cake should be… soft, light, fluffy, and moist. This can be a challenge with regular flour let alone alternative flours. This will now be my perfect chocolate cake base recipe for many recipes to come, so now would be a good time to subscribe and not miss the sweets.

The only problem with these absolutely delicious keto chocolate bundt cakes is the portion. If you’re counting carbs, you should probably just eat half at 5 net carbs, so these are good for a couple to share. However, since I first posted this, I found these silicone bundt cake pan which makes smaller cakes.

Of course, the day I made these, I ate a whole mini over the course of the day, which is the challenge of baking for a blog. After I make a recipe, I share some with a friend and then I freeze.

I topped these with a cream cheese glaze, sparingly. If you want more glaze, double the recipe. I put it in a pastry bag to apply.

More Options for Toppings

Water Glaze: Use Swerve Confectioner’s with water until you get the consistency you want. Drizzle.

Other options would be this chocolate frosting or a this sugar free chocolate ganache. You could skip these and serve with raspberries and fresh whipped cream.

I’m still a bit giddy about this recipe and I would love to hear how it works out for you. Please follow me on instagram and if you make a recipe, tag #spinachtiger.

More Keto Desserts

• Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes with Ganache (almond flour)
• Keto Chocolate Ganache
• Keto Chocolate Pudding
• Keto Chocolate Mousse
• Keto Lemon Bundt Cake
• Keto Pots d’ Creme

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Keto Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes

Low Carb, Keto Friendly, Paleo Chocolate cake. Enough for one layer for six mini-bundt cakes, or cupcakes.

Course Dessert Keto

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut flour
• 3/4 cups granulated Swerve
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Wet Ingredients

• 6 extra large eggs
• 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter see notes
• 1/4 cup avocado oil see notes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons strong coffee or 1/4 teaspoon espresso powder
• Vanilla Glaze Ingredients
• 1 cup Confectioner’s Swerve
• 2 tablespoons cream cheese room temperature
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla
• dash salt

Instructions

• Cake Instructions
• Prepare pan with baking spray.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum together with whisk. Set aside.
• In separate bowl, put in boiling water with cocoa powder. Mix well. Add sour cream, coffee, or espresso powder. Set aside.
• Beat eggs in mixer for a few minutes.
• Add melted butter and oil.
• Add Swerve (powdered erythritol). Mix well.
• Add in vanilla.
• Add chocolate mixture.
• Add in dry ingredients.
• Pour into pan. You can use the mini bundt pan which makes six cakes or one large bundt.
• Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. This will depend on the vessel you use.

Glaze Instructions

• Mix confectioner’s Swerve with cream cheese.
• Add vanilla.
• Add in heavy cream and mix well. This can be done in a small bowl.
• Cool Cakes completely before removing from pan.
• Pour glaze over cakes.
• You can refrigerate up to five days.
• You can freeze up to 60 days.

Notes

5 net carbs per 1/2 mini bundt cake
5 net carbs 1/12 of large bundt cake
You may choose to double the glaze if you like a lot of icing.

The post Keto Mini Chocolate Bundt Cakes, Coconut Flour appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Someone asked me yesterday if there was any food I didn’t eat. “Not too many, I’ll eat almost anything.” I replied. I did turn down chicken hearts a few weeks ago, but what most gets a reaction for me are food combinations.

A dish could contain two ingredients I like separately,  but I can’t eat them together. I once was served a chocolate cake with dates in the middle and it was a no go for me. I can’t eat pineapple on pizza and I can’t eat onions with any fish ever.   Where do these feelings come from?

Several places.   Association with good or bad memories. Association with People. Association with food culture of the family. Strength of the ingredient’s taste, flavor, smell, texture. All of these combine to give us our “food story.”

Food smells and textures are programmed into our memory and can result in intense sensory reactions, good or bad. The psychology of food aversions is fascinating,  because the center of the brain that records smell can make the wrong associations.

Food can be associated with an event.  Perhaps you received  bad news when you  were eating a cinnamon roll and now you can’t stand cinnamon and you don’t know why. Smelling cinnamon or even thinking about cinnamon can make you feel badly.

Another important component in food memories is  the context in which it was eaten. Whom you ate your food with creates an experience that lodges into the pain/pleasure center, and often chefs become chefs because of happy food memories. Of course, that can work in the opposite way, too, which is why some people might not be very food centered.

I don’t relate easily to people that can take or leave food, or don’t cook, because my happiness as a child revolved around food. Moving from school to school, house to house, parent to parent, the only time I felt secure was at the dinner table or at a restaurant as my family protected those memories.

Vanilla is Sexy

There is one flavor that is universally adored for its intoxicating fragrance. Vanilla. Part of the  lore of vanilla is its association with romance and its supposed properties as an aphrodisiac. Women used to dab it behind their ears and on their wrists. Men put vanilla beans in their hats to enhance their sexual performance. In fact, many perfume companies use vanilla because they know it makes people feel amorous.

Try this. Go into the cabinet and take a good long whiff of vanilla. It’s earthy, sweet, sultry and hits the pleasure center. It makes you want to order dessert and get romantic at the same time. The next time company comes, simmer a pot of water with vanilla and cinnamon and orange zest. It’s very inviting.

Heilala Vanilla

I was sent a very high quality Heilala vanilla paste from New Zealand. Heilala vanilla began as a project to aid the Vava u Islands in the kingdom of Tonga, which was  hit by a cyclone in 2002. It is grown is organic soil, hand pollinated and dried under the Pacific sun before heading to Tauranga, for processing.  I am now a vanilla paste convert. While vanilla beans are wonderful, there is no scraping, no drying out, and the flavor is absolutely incredible. You can make these with vanilla extract, or vanilla beans, but if you can, try vanilla paste, I highly recommend it.

The first thing I used it for was this espresso frosting. The combination of espresso and vanilla was so good, I made it again a few days later.Black Bottom Cupcakes

I combined two recipes from the Loveless Cafe Dessert cookbook, which never lets me down.

In today’s recipe,  I combined two big childhood favorites, red velvet  and vanilla cheesecake. Not only do the flavors marry well, the red and white are just too pretty. The original idea came from black bottom cupcakes. I used the red velvet cake recipe from here  (half for 12 cupcakes) instead of my black bottom cupcakes.

These are the perfect cupcake to take to a party, because you don’t have to worry about  frosting getting messed up, which has happened to me just about every time I try to transport cupcakes. These are a little easier to navigate and don’t require a fork. And, they are pretty!

Deliciously, red velvet. You know I love red velvet as I devoted a whole board in Pinterest to it. You’ll love it.

Make these red velvet cheesecake cupcakes and do use good vanilla.

For this recipe, you need the red velvet cake batter. Use your own or just half this red velvet cake recipe here.

The post Red Velvet Cheesecake Cupcakes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.