Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake (low carb)

So my intentions to have pictures of all the different stages of cake baking didn't quite work out for this post. It seemed one disaster, non-baking related, happened when I made the time to do this from a scissor mishap of a four year old the approximate size and shape of a paper cut but was the end of the world wound to uninvited door to doors and what not. I am sure I will be making this cake again in the very near future and when I do I will create an addendum page with more or better photos. At least I have a final product pic for you.


I have made a chocolate cake for some time now that is probably my most requested. It is moist and chocolaty and holds up well to rolled fondant decorating (another food related passion). The chocolate cake recipe is a slight derivation from the Butter Chocolate cake recipe from the Joy of Baking website. This chocolate cake is not a low carb cake but, as promised, I have come up with a low carb solution that I adore and so do a large number of people who have tried it so far. My teenage son, who has with much disdain tried the low carb versions of various things and has just been unhappy with the results in general, actually likes this. Not only likes, but likes the low carb version better than the "original" version! I can also stuff my grandson silly with chocolate cake with no guilt and still come across as the Nona that will let you eat anything.

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Butter Chocolate Cake

(not low carb)

4 - 1oz chocolate baking squares

1/3 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder

1 cup water

1 cup room temp butter (takes about 25 to 30 minutes)

2 cups sugar (400 grams)

3 large eggs

2 1/4 cups flour (315 grams)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a half sheet with parchment paper and set to side. If you don't use parchment paper then prepare pan.


Chop the baking squares and place pieces into heat proof bowl along with cocoa. Pour boiling water over chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Set this off to the side to let it cool.


In a separate bowl mix together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Sift all ingredients together and set off to side.


In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter, stopping one time to scrap down the sides. Once creamed add the sugar in a slow pour while mixing. Once again stop at least one time to scrap down sides. The butter sugar mixture will be fluffy when mixed properly. This will take about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time making sure they are fully incorporated. Add the vanilla. Add the melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated, scraping down the sides when necessary.


Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in approximately three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.


Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Alternately, two 9" or  8" round cake pans* can be used. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean.


Let the cakes cool completely before covering with frosting or icing.

Following the original recipe and figuring the flour-sugar-fat-liquid ratio and adjusting for the liquid/bulk differences that occur with many low carb ingredients, I was able to create a extremely close, still moist and delicious resemblance of the none low carb cake with a fourth of the carbs per serving! I ended up with a batter that left me a bit worrisome because of it's thickness and lack of spreading. I fought the urge to increase the liquid and cooked it. I was very glad I did because it was not in the least bit dry and had a great crumb that rivaled the original. Here is the recipe I used below.

Butter Chocolate Cake a la low carb

4 - 1oz chocolate baking squares

1/3 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder

1 cup water

1 cup butter

100g erythritol 

100g coconut sugar

2 tsp stevia extract powder

4 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
165g carbalose 

55g soy powder 

90g my own coconut flour 

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

 226ml half and half

1 TB vinegar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a half sheet with parchment paper and set to side. If you don't use parchment paper then prepare pan.



Chop the baking squares and place pieces into heat proof bowl along with cocoa. Pour boiling water over chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Set this off to the side to let it cool.


In a separate bowl mix together the carbalose, soy powder, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Sift all ingredients together as best as possible and set off to side. The more you are able to sift the more air is placed between particles and will allow the gases to raise the cake more.


Stir the vinegar into the half and half mixture and set to the side. It will start to thicken and or curdle but don't worry.


In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter, stopping one time to scrap down the sides. Once creamed add the sugar in a slow pour while mixing. Once again stop at least one time to scrap down sides. The butter sugar mixture will not be fluffy like when mixing regular cane sugar. Make sure butter and sugars are mixed well but not too much. It should take about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time making sure they are fully incorporated. Add the vanilla. Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated, scraping down the sides when necessary.


Add the flour mixture and milk alternately in approximately three additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Do not over mix.


Place the batter in the pan and spread it as evenly as possible to the edges. Alternately, two 9" round cake pans* can be used. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Caramel Coconut and Ganache icings
all low carb

This low carb chocolate cake will easily serve 24 at 7.2g net carbs per serving. As shown in the picture LC caramel coconut layer (inspired by All Day I Dream About Food) and the LC ganache topping it comes out to 13.75g net carbs per serving. 


*In case you haven't learned this neat little trick for cooking a level cake, for any pan I use that has depth, I cut strips of an old towel to match the pans depth, then trim the length to wrap around the outside plus a few inches so I can pinch the ends together with binder clips . When I prepare the pans I saturate the strips with water and wrap the outside of the pans and clip into place. When ready to bake, place the batter filled pans into the oven with the wet strips. The wet strips slow the cooking on the outside of the pan allowing the cake to cook with a nice level top. No trimming off the hump in the middle or having sloping sides when creating your works of art. You can buy kits online that do the same but my way works great and it costs a fraction. Besides I use binder clips for closing packages, sealing off parchment boats and various other items in the kitchen. You can order a gross from Amazon for about $6.00 and if you are a prime member, shipping doesn't even cost and you'll get them in about two days.

Dumplings

Pate a choux is a delicious pastry dough that makes an aerated roll that is crunchy on the outside and soft inside when baked and is used as a vessel to fill with savory or sweet cream fillings.


I make my dumplings for chicken and dumplings from a pate a choux base. It makes a rich flavored, dense dumpling that everyone in my family enjoys. When I decided to go low carb, I felt confident that this would translate into a satisfying low carb dumpling and was I ever right. It was so successful that my leftovers were eaten by a non-low carb individual in my house who claimed they didn't even know they were different.


Listed below are the original recipe that I have used for years, followed by the low carb recipe that is extremely satisfying and delicious as well. The herbs are the seasonings I use. These can be changed or omitted to suit your own tastes.


Dumplings (for chicken and dumplings)
1 stick  butter (113g)
1 cup  water (226g)
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp rosemary (optional)
1/2 tsp sage (optional)
1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
1 scant cup flour (approx 113g) (1 scant cup is what the original recipe called for?!)  
4 large eggs (226g)


In a medium size saucepan, heat the butter, water, salt and seasonings to a boil. Add the flour and stir vigorously until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. Continue to stir and heat for an additional minute to help evaporate the water.


Remove the pan from the stove and place the dough in your mixer or place bottom of pan in a pan of cool water to remove the heat from the pan before adding the eggs. The dough should be hot but we don't want the eggs to cook before incorporated.


With your mixer going, add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Give each egg time to mix in well. When done, either wrap well and store in refrigerator for up to 24 hours or use immediately by dropping by spoonfuls into chicken broth to make dumplings.


Low Carb Dumplings
3/4 cup Carbalose (90g)
1/4 cup soy powder (30g)
4 tsp vital wheat gluten (10g)
1 tsp guar gum
1 stick  butter (113g)
1 cup  half and half (226g)
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 tsp rosemary (optional)
1/2 tsp sage (optional)
1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
4 large eggs (226)




Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl and set to side.



In a medium size saucepan, heat the butter, water, salt and seasonings to a boil. Add the flour and stir vigorously until the dough begins to pull away from the sides. Continue to stir and heat for an additional minute to help evaporate the water.


Remove the pan from the stove and place the dough in your mixer or place bottom of pan in a pan of cool water to remove the heat from the pan before adding the eggs. The dough should be hot but the eggs should not cook when incorporated.


With your mixer going, add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. Give each egg time to mix in well.


When done, let the dough sit for about 30 minutes until it thickens. The dough needs to be able to be scooped by tablespoonfuls without sliding off completely. Drop into simmering broth in one dump to make the dumplings. I use the tilt-the-spoon-while-pushing-batter-off-with-my-finger method. Use whatever works for you :)


The dumplings in both recipes will begin to float when they are done. Sometime the broth needs to be stirred a bit to loosen any that may get stuck on the bottom.


The whole batch has a mere 36.6g net carbs. Depending on how many servings you make of the dumplings will determine your per serving amount. This meal easily makes into 6 servings for me so mine come out to about 6.1 per serving.


Yummmm!

Pizza Dough

Half cheese-half pesto chicken ricotta

So, here is my perfect example of a recipe gone wrong and everyone turning a blind eye to the obvious flaws or else, a great majority of low carbers just have an affinity for a gray pallet.

While researching psyllium husks I came across a supposedly wonderful pizza dough recipe. People were oohing and aahing and touting how wonderful this recipe was and how it was going to change their lives. It consisted of psyllium husks, olive oil and an egg.

After checking ratios for pizza dough and adding a yeast proof to the ingredients given in the message board recipe, I created a pesto chicken three cheese pizza on floppy cardboard disaster! The crust was bland and difficult to impossible to choke down unless each bite was followed by a drink. Blah! Has no one discovered carbalose or other low carb flours? I'd rather not eat "pizza" if this was my option.

Luckily, with a little tweaking and experimentation, here is a recipe I feel is worth sharing, trying and ENJOYING! Although this pizza does not have the typical white yeast dough flavor or appearance of commercial pizza dough it is similar to a whole wheat crust. Depending on how thin you roll out your dough will help determine your crusts final texture. I really like to roll mine out extra thin, probably around an 1/8" for a crisp thin crust.

I will apologize now for how the recipe is written. As you get to know me you will see that I prefer to weigh and NOT measure. The only real use my measuring cups receive is for holding the contents I am weighing. Some recipes I have actually gone to the trouble of estimating measurements because someone I knew wanted it but  this is not one of those.


Pizza Dough
135g Carbalose
 55g Soy powder
 55g Coconut flour (my own)
 25g Vital wheat gluten
 1tsp salt
 1/2 cup (113g) water @ 115 degrees (105 to 115 degree is good, no more, no less)
 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
 1 tsp molasses
 2 1/2 TB olive oil (I have also used butter and bacon drippings)
 1 large egg
 1/2 cup water


Mix together slightly the 115 degree water, molasses and yeast in mixing bowl. Nothing has to dissolve or be fully incorporated. Let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes, until completely foamy.

While waiting for the yeast proof mix together the five dry ingredients in a bowl or food processor. Add oil and blend into flour mixture.

After yeast mixture is finished proofing, add egg and flour mixture. In your mixing bowl with the dough hook mix ingredients on med-low, scraping down the sides as needed. Give the mixture time to form a dough. If dough seems too dry, add water by 2TB at a time. In high humidity or rainy weather you may not need to add much. If you live in drier conditions then you may find you need to add the full amount and possibly more. Make sure you don't over saturate the dough. If it becomes to stick then you will have to add more flour or meal of some sort to make it workable.

When the dough pulls away from the sides and begins to form a ball that still leaves a little stickiness stuck to the bowl beneath it you can stop mixing. If the ball forms and pulls away from the bowl leaving it completely clean it is probably too dry. The dough will be slightly sticky but not too difficult to handle. Regular pizza dough would be more sticky because you would want to work flour into the dough during the kneading and sheeting stage. Cover bowl to let dough rest for about 30 minutes. You can use the dough immediately or, if refrigerating, coat the dough ball with olive oil and store in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap. When using after refrigerating, let the dough come to room temp before working.

Knead, roll out and shape. I like to roll mine out and then brush butter over the entire surface and then flip the dough before I create the well. It helps my crust have a better crunch when cooked directly on rack. Dock your pizza crust before baking. If you don't have a pizza docker then pierce it with a fork really well. This helps to eliminate air bubble where gases get trapped and expand the dough. If you don't do this then your crust will have a more bread like texture. Pre-bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes (on silpat or pizza pan or pizza stone) before putting on toppings to help prevent the dough from possibly getting soggy.

Add your toppings, meats already cooked, to your pizza dough and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. I place mine directly on the rack once loaded so the bottom will crunch up nicely. I haven't invested in a pizza stone yet but I just might do that before long.

I have even made this pizza with a stuffed crust. Line just inside the edge with cheese and then wipe a ring of water just inside the cheese ring. Fold the dough over the cheese and press into the wet ring. Brush the the crust with butter and sprinkle with garlic powder if you'd like.

My four YO, Niko's pizza and my stuffed crust pizza. We have fun cooking together!

This pizza dough contains a net carb count of 45.3g. Depending on how many slices you cut your pizza into  or how many pizzas you make will depend on the amount of carbs you get from your slices. For a large, 8 serving pizza, the slices come to a mere 5.6g net per serving.


While this dough still may not be perfect, it however, IMHO a great low carb recipe so, it just might be time to invest in a kitchen scale of some sort. I bought an EatSmart Precision Pro Digital Kitchen Scale just over two years ago from Amazon that works great for me. It measures in grams, kg, oz, and lbs, has a tare function, and will weigh up to 11 lbs. EatSmart makes some higher end scales but I haven't found a great excuse to make that investment, yet!

As always, I would love suggestion or comments. I am not a low carb automoton and love to enjoy my food. Better is always better! 


Bon Appetit!