The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking (26 page)

Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, then mist the inside walls of the pans along with the parchment with spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the coconut flour, pecan flour, shredded coconut, Splenda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites, milk, butter, vanilla, and liquid stevia together until thoroughly blended. Stir in the carrots. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
). If the batter is too thick to pour, add a little more milk.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Use a spatula to evenly spread the batter, or jiggle the pan to evenly distribute the batter in the pan. Bake for 35 minutes, then switch racks and bake for about 30 more minutes, until the cakes are lightly golden and springy when pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for at least 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer or a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed or stir vigorously with a large spoon until thoroughly blended. If using an electric mixer, switch to the whisk attachment and mix at medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is fluffy and very creamy; if mixing by hand, switch to a sturdy whisk and beat vigorously.

As the cakes cool, they should shrink from the pan walls; if not, run an icing spatula or a thin knife around the edges. Invert the cakes onto two plates. They can be eaten as they are or be frosted, either singly or as a two-layer cake. For a two-layer cake, spread some frosting over the top of the lower layer, spreading it to an even thickness of about ¼ inch. Position the second layer on top and then spread the remaining frosting over the entire cake. Sprinkle the pecans, coconut, or both over the top and/or sides of the cake if you like. Keep refrigerated.

A refreshing, buttery, lemony treat, this cake has a creamy texture and is excellent served with a scoop of sugar-free lemon sorbet or a dollop of
Sugar-Free Whipped Cream
. One important note: Don’t try to substitute vegetable oil for the butter or margarine in this recipe. It just won’t create the same flavor synergy with the lemon juice that you’ll get from butter or a good-quality buttery spread.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Grease
a Bundt pan entirely with butter or margarine and place it in the freezer.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, hazelnut flour, Splenda, poppy seeds, and baking powder and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, lemon juice, vanilla, and liquid stevia together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Remove your prepared pan from the freezer, then dust the entire inner surface with almond or hazelnut flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and jiggle it to evenly distribute the batter into every nook and cranny. Bake for 30 minutes, then gently rotate and bake for about 25 minutes, until firm and springy when pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 20 more minutes before slicing and serving.

Pound cake earned its name because recipes for traditional versions include a pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. Most modern versions use different amounts of those ingredients, and of course this version doesn’t use a pound of sugar! Nonetheless, it is a sweet and buttery, wonderfully dense multipurpose treat with a flavor akin to pound cake. Although we generally encourage you to play with the nut and seed flours to create your own variations, in this recipe the almond flour is primary and should not be replaced. However, you can substitute pecan, walnut, or additional almond flour for the hazelnut flour, though we love the hazelnut version. It’s great topped with
Sugar-Free Whipped Cream
. Or, for a sensational dessert, drizzle sugar-free yogurt over the cake, then top each slice with a few dollops of sugar-free fruit preserves.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Mist the bottom and sides of a 5 by 9-inch loaf pan with spray oil, then line the bottom of the loaf pan with parchment and mist it again with the spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, hazelnut flour, Splenda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, milk, vanilla, and liquid stevia together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a smooth, sticky, pourable batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan; it should be no more than three-quarters full. Bake for 30 minutes, then gently rotate and bake for about 30 more minutes, until golden and springy when pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 20 more minutes before slicing and serving.

Once you’ve mastered the
Homestyle Pound Cake
, add some texture and flavor with this twist.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Mist the bottom and sides of a 5 by 9-inch loaf pan with spray oil, then line the bottom of the loaf pan with baking parchment and mist it again with the spray oil. Have the cake batter ready.

To make the topping, combine the almond flour, sweetener, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and whisk until well mixed. Whisk in the butter to make a lumpy dough, then use your fingers to break the lumps into crumbles. If the crumbles are bigger than you’d like, put the mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then crumble it into smaller bits.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into a smooth layer with a rubber spatula (or jiggle the pan). Sprinkle half of the topping evenly over the surface. Pour in the remaining batter and gently spread it into a smooth layer, as above, then sprinkle the remaining topping evenly over the surface.

Bake for 30 minutes, then gently rotate and bake for about 30 more minutes, until the crumbs are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Let cool for at least 20 more minutes before slicing and serving.

This dessert can be baked as a coffee cake or sweet loaf bread, and it tastes like a pecan cinnamon roll! This bread can be baked in a loaf pan, but for a festive appearance, bake it in a Bundt pan. For a glaze, you can use the
Hot Cross Buns
glaze topping, or dust with
powdered erythritol
. For those who are not counting their carbs, you can add ½ cup of raisins to the batter with the dry ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
Grease
a Bundt pan or mini Bundt pans with butter or margarine and place it in the freezer.

In a medium bowl combine the pecan flour, almond flour, Splenda, chopped pecans, baking powder, ground cinnamon, salt, and xanthan gum and whisk until well blended. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, butter, liquid stevia, and vanilla together. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Remove your prepared pan from the freezer, then dust the entire inner surface with almond flour. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Jiggle the pan to evenly distribute the batter into every nook and cranny. If making mini Bundt cakes, fill each cup three-fourths full. For a full-size Bundt cake, bake for 30 minutes, then rotate and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and springy when pressed in the center and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. For mini Bundt cakes, cut the baking time in half and follow the doneness cues above.