Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake with Chocolate Icing
Recipe by Mandy Pagano
Recipe originally published on KetovangelistKitchen.com on 5/15/20. It has been heavily edited for re-publication.
We have some family birthdays coming up soon, and there is nothing better on your birthday than an old-fashioned slice of yellow cake with chocolate icing. My Granny used to make this for birthdays when I was growing up, and she almost always used the Jiffy yellow cake mix.
When I set out to re-create this family favorite, getting a similar flavor and texture to that particular boxed cake mix out of keto complaint ingredients was important, so I made sure to use whole eggs and a lot of vanilla for that classic custardy-ness. The result is a high-nostalgia, low-carb treat that I am proud to serve on special occasions (like my birthday next month).
Notes: Whenever I make a keto cake, I tend to use smaller diameter pans to avoid having super flat results. Because you won't get the same kind of rise from low carb ingredients, using smaller pans means your cake will be a little thicker than it would end up if you used a standard 9" round tin. If all you have is a 9" pan, that's ok. Just know up front your cake will be thinner and you need to start watching for doneness five to ten minutes earlier.
[tasty-recipe id="3727"]
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 7 oz (198 g) super fine almond flour (I use King Arthur)
- 1 oz (28 g) coconut flour
- 1 scoop (approx 1/3 oz/ 10 g) unflavored collagen peptides powder (I use Vital Proteins)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Creamed ingredients:
- 6 tbsp (3 oz/ 85 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113 g) granulated sweetener (I use Swerve)
- 4 large eggs
Wet ingredients:
- 1/2 c (4 fl oz/ 118 ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 c (4 fl oz/ 118 ml) boxed coconut milk, unsweetened (the thin stuff from the carton, I use So Delicious)*
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla flavored liquid stevia drops (I use Sweetleaf drops)
Chocolate Icing ingredients:
- 2 sticks (8 oz/ 227 g) salted butter
- 2 oz (57 g) unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped or broken into smallish chunks
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa pwder
- 1/4 tsp chocolate flavored liquid stevia drops (I use Sweetleaf drops)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 c (2.68 fl oz/ 79 ml) sour cream, cold
- 5 oz (142 g) powdered sweetener (I use Swerve Confectioner's), sifted to remove any lumps
- 6 tbsp heavy cream, cold
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare two 8" round cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment. Arrange the pans on a baking sheet and set aside.
- Stir together all the dry ingredients and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, begin creaming the softened butter on medium speed. Once it begins to look lighter, add the granulated sweetener and continue to cream until well combined, and the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides, then beat in eggs, one at a time, on medium speed. Don't forget to scrape down the sides between each addition.
- In a measuring cup, combine the heavy cream, coconut milk, liquid stevia, and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Alternate beating in the almond flour mixture and the cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, until just incorporated.
- Scrape down the sides and along the bottom well, then beat on medium another 30 seconds to aerate the batter a little.
- Divide the batter between the two cake pans evenly, then gently shake the pans to evenly distribute the batter in each pan. If necessary, flatten the top evenly with an angled knife or spatula. Use the pan to get both cakes into the oven.
- Bake the cakes at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are beginning to look golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one cake comes out clean. The sides of the cakes should also begin pulling away from the pan a little.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let stand to cool in the pans for ten minutes.
- Carefully loosen the sides of the cakes, then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the icing:
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave, on half power and in 30-second increments. Be sure to stir well in between each heating and stop when just melted together.
- Set aside to cool for five minutes or so.
- Beat in the cocoa powder, stevia, vanilla, and sour cream.
- Beat in the powdered swerve (sifted) a spoonful or two at a time.
- Beat in the heavy cream until it's all smooth and incorporated.
Assemble the cake:
- When the cakes are completely cool, place one cake, top side down so the flat, bottom is facing up.
- Ice the top of this layer well with about 1/3 of the frosting.
- Carefully place the second layer on top of the frosting, again with the flat, bottom side facing up.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to set.
- With an angled knife (an icing knife) frost the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of icing. This is your crumb layer, so it doesn't need to be perfect. You just need a coating to catch any crumbs and so your final layer will be smooth.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator another 15-20 minutes to set.
- Frost the cake with a final layer with the remaining icing and finish with any garnish you'd like.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator for a final 15-20 minutes to set.
- Slice into 20 pieces and serve, as desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. For best consistency, let any refrigerated cake stand a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 258 cal
- Fat: 25.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.2 g
- Fiber: 1.8 g
- Sugar Alcohols: 12.7 g
- Net Carbs [total carbs - (fiber + sugar alcohol)] : 2.7 g
- Protein: 4.8 g
