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This zesty low-carb lemon cake is the perfect ketogenic treat for spring, Easter and summer. It's a bit more involved but it's well worth the effort.
You'll start by making a simple almond flour sponge cake. Since we are not using grains and there's no gluten, I replaced it with some whey or egg white protein powder (isolate) which will give you similar effects. If you don't have any protein powder, you could replace it with 1/4 cup more almond flour and add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
The filling is simply my Low-Carb Lemon Curd and a layer of maccarpone which perfectly complements the zesty lemon curd.
Finally, the topping is a simple sugar-free lemon glaze made with coconut butter, coconut oil, lemon juice and fresh lemon zest. I added some powdered low-carb sweetener although if you're not a fan of too much sweetness, you could skip it. There's still plenty of sweetness in the sponge cake and the lemon curd anyway.
If you are dairy-free and follow a paleo approach, just swap mascarpone with coconut cream, and butter with ghee or coconut oil. You can even make the Low-Carb Lemon Curd by using coconut oil or palm shortening (go for sustainable options).
I hope you like this cake as much as I do!
Hands-on Overall
Serving size 1 slice
Nutritional values (per serving, 1 slice)
Net carbs4.6 grams
Protein10.4 grams
Fat35.5 grams
Calories384 kcal
Calories from carbs 5%, protein 11%, fat 84%
Total carbs8.5 gramsFiber3.9 gramsSugars3 gramsSaturated fat19.1 gramsSodium145 mg(6% RDA)Magnesium54 mg(14% RDA)Potassium267 mg(13% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 12 servings)
Cake base:
Filling:
Glaze:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C/ 350 °F (fan assisted), or 195 °C/ 380 °F (conventional). In a sauce pan, heat up the almond milk. Pour it in a bowl over the butter and let it melt. Then add freshly grated lemon zest, eggs and vanilla (if using vanilla extract) and whisk until well combined.
- In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients to make the cake: almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, Erythritol, vanilla (if using vanilla powder), baking soda and cream of tartar. Using a mixer, process while pouring the wet ingredients slowly into the bowl.
- Pour the dough into a spring pan lined with parchment paper (I used a 9-inch spring pan but 8-inch would work too). Transfer into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is set and the crust is golden brown.
Meanwhile, prepare the lemon curd by following this recipe. The recipe makes 2 cups but you will need just 1 cup. You can either halve the recipe or reserve any leftover lemon curd in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Once done, set aside to cool down to room temperature, and then cover and refrigerate for an hour.
- When the cake is done, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack until it reaches room temperature. Once cooled, run a sharp knife around the edges to release the cake, and remove from the spring pan.
Prepare the cream filling by mixing the mascarpone and vanilla.
- Using a large sharp knife, carefully cut the cake widthwise. Spread the vanilla cream over the cut side of the bottom half.
- Top with the prepared chilled lemon curd, and place the other half of the cake on top. Refrigerate while you prepare the glaze.
- In a small sauce pan, melt the coconut butter and coconut oil (or use a microwave). Add the lemon zest (keep some lemon zest for topping) and Erythritol and mix until smooth. Pour the coconut glaze in the middle of the cake, and then spread to cover it evenly. Top with the leftover lemon zest. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Serve, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, 1 slice)
| Net carbs | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|
| Butter, unsalted, grass-fed |
| 0 g | 0.1 g | 5.1 g | 45 kcal |
| Almond milk natural (unsweetened) |
| 0 g | 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 1 kcal |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) |
| 0.1 g | 2.1 g | 1.6 g | 24 kcal |
| Lemon zest (peel), fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal) |
| 1.5 g | 3.6 g | 8.8 g | 98 kcal |
| Coconut flour, organic |
| 0.3 g | 0.4 g | 0.4 g | 9 kcal |
| Whey protein powder (protein isolate, Jay Robb) |
| 0.1 g | 1.6 g | 0 g | 7 kcal |
| Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener) |
| 0.4 g | 0 g | 0 g | 2 kcal |
| Vanilla extract, powder (vanilla bean) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Cream of tartar, raising agent |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Baking soda, raising agent (bicarbonate of soda) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Mascarpone cheese |
| 0.4 g | 1.1 g | 7.1 g | 70 kcal |
| Vanilla extract, powder (vanilla bean) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Lemon Curd, homemade (KetoDiet blog) |
| 0.9 g | 0.7 g | 4.5 g | 46 kcal |
| Coconut butter, organic, unsweetened |
| 0.6 g | 0.6 g | 5.7 g | 59 kcal |
| Coconut oil, extra virgin |
| 0 g | 0 g | 2.2 g | 20 kcal |
| Lemon juice, fresh |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Lemon zest (peel), fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener) |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Total per serving, 1 slice |
| 4.6 g | 10.4 g | 35.5 g | 384 kcal |
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