buttercream frosting « Healthy Indulgences

Healthy Cake with a Secret, Part 2- Gluten-Free Low Carb Yellow Cake!

First off, check out this article in which the research on dietary fat is discussed. Our nutrition philosophy is getting more and more positive press!

(Please ignore the robots on the paper liners. They were on sale!)

Since posting my chocolate cake made with black beans last month, I’ve received quite a few requests for a vanilla version of this incredibly moist, easy recipe. You ask, I deliver! These gluten-free sugar-free low carb (grain-free!) yellow cupcakes are made with coconut flour in place of the cocoa powder, and white beans instead of black beans. Cocoa powder and coconut flour seem to work interchangeably! It’s a pretty cool discovery that I hope y’all can make use of in your own gluten-free low carb baking pursuits. And because someone will ask: These cupcakes do not taste like beans or coconut! Just butter and vanilla and moist yumminess. Using beans and coconut flour in place of almond flour is budget-friendly, so you can experiment with this recipe by adding cinnamon, nuts, sugar-free chocolate chunks, different extracts… have fun!

But wait, looks like Kelly over at The Spunky Coconut beat me to the punch! Her yellow cake with chocolate frosting looks scrumptious. Be sure to check out her take on this cake (and all other tasty recipes!) at her beautiful blog.

As for the frosting (a.k.a the ONLY reason for eating cake)? I’ve got you covered there. Professional bakery icing, the kind made with shortening and white sugar, always appealed to me. It’s something about the pure whiteness of the frosting, the supercharged vanilla flavoring, and memories of cupcakes from a bakery in my hometown. The almost artificial taste that you know means it can’t be good for you!

Fortunately, tweaking this type of frosting to be low carb and healthful is only challenging with respect to the sweetener substitution. Even using transfat free organic palm oil shortening, the problem lies in getting rid of the gritty, “cool” quality that xylitol and erythritol (my preferred naturally occuring sugar substitutes!) can lend to heavily fat-based recipes. And stevia alone has no texture to provide structure or cut the greasy mouthfeel of the fat.

Enter swiss meringue buttercream, the ultra smooth egg white based frosting that is commonly found on wedding cakes. Dissolving xylitol in the egg whites seem to fix the texture issues beautifully. Adding a pinch of stevia rounds out the sweetness perfectly. The clear vanilla extract I found at the grocery store maintains that blindingly white hue, and that fake vanilla taste lends a certain authenticity that can’t be achieved with the real deal. The clear vanilla is also ideal for the cake part of the recipe–it doesn’t muddle the golden coloring.

Regarding the sweetener, I’m not positive that erythritol wouldn’t become gritty. I am out of it right now, and have only tested this recipe with xylitol. The great part about working with xylitol is that it forces you to have portion control if you are sensitive to it! Finally, the question of whether to use butter or shortening in this recipe can only be answered by you. I honestly don’t enjoy the “buttery” taste of frosting made with real butter, but it works well here if you’d like to use it. The positive aspects of making this frosting with nonhydrogenated shortening are that a) the vanilla flavor comes through better, and b) it’s dairy-free! This sugar-free low carb icing will taste so real that I advise you make a very small batch if you’re a frosting fiend like I am.

Healthy Yellow Cupcakes

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1-15 oz can white beans, rinsed (I used cannellini beans, white kidney beans) OR 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans
5 large eggs plus 1 yolk
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR nonhydrogenated shortening
3/4 teaspoon good-tasting pure stevia extract (NuNaturals brand)
3/4 cup erythritol OR 2/3 cup xylitol OR 1/3 cup honey
4 teaspoons vanilla extract (clear imitation vanilla is recommended)
6 packed tablespoons Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rise beans in a fine mesh sieve and shake off the water. Blend beans with the eggs, vanilla, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter and sweetener until light and fluffy. Beat in pureed mixture. Measure out the coconut flour like you would cocoa powder, by spooning it straight from the bag, packing it down a bit, and sweeping the top of the spoon level. Add to the batter along with the rest of the dry ingredients, and whip together for another minute or two until fluffy. Spoon batter into paper liners sprayed with extra virgin olive oil spray. I use a 1/4 cup measure to distribute batter. Fill cupcake liners a little more than 3/4 way full. Rap muffin pan on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles. Bake cupcakes for 25 minutes, or until springy to the touch. I set my oven to 325 degrees because it runs hot, but 350 degrees should be just right for accurate, calibrated ovens. The cupcakes will be golden brown around the edges. Let cupcakes sit for 24 hours, so that all of the bean flavor disappears. This is important, really! Hide them from yourself if you must (just don’t forget about ‘em!). Enjoy your moist cupcakes with absolutely no beany taste.

~4g net carbs per 1/12th of a recipe, using erythritol

Sugar-Free Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to frost 3-6 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 large egg white
1/4 cup xylitol (honey might work as well)
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter or nonhydrogenated shortening, cut into chunks
Pinch good tasting pure stevia extract (optional, for best flavor)
Big pinch sea salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (clear imitation vanilla recommended)

Preparation:
Step by step photos for making a swiss meringue buttercream icing can be found here.

Whisk egg white together with xylitol in a stainless steel bowl set over a small saucepan full of water. You don’t want the bottom of the bowl to touch the water. Set heat to medium-low to bring water to a simmer. Whisk egg white with xylitol 3-5 minutes, or until xylitol is completely dissolved. Dip clean fingers into egg white mixture, and pinch for any undissolved granules. Mixture will appear white and foamy. Remove steel bowl from water, and beat egg white mixture until it has about doubled in volume, and is room temperature (cool to the touch). Beat in vanilla and salt. Add chunks of softened butter or shortening, one at a time, beating for 3-5 minutes until mixture is smooth and no longer curdled. Beat in a tiny pinch of stevia and taste for sweetness, making adjustments if necessary. Don’t fret if your buttercream doesn’t look smooth for awhile–it will eventually come together!

If after incorporating the butter the icing is too “loose” and soupy, sit the mixing bowl in an ice bath to cool, or stick the bowl into the freezer for a few minutes, and try beating again. If the mixture is chunky like cottage cheese, heat the bowl over the simmering water again and try beating until it comes together into a smooth icing. Use a spatula to smooth out the consistency. Finally, if you think the frosting tastes too “greasy,” trying cutting back the butter by one or two tablespoons. Leave out the stevia. It will be considerably sweeter, though.

Transfer frosting to a piping bag, or just spread directly on cupcakes. To revive refrigerated frosting, microwave it for 5-8 seconds, and stir around bowl with a spatula until smooth and creamy again. Or whip until fluffy with beaters.

~0-26g net carbs per batch of frosting, depending on how you count xylitol

Recipes from other blogs you might enjoy:
Sugar-Free Swiss Meringue Buttercream @ Domestifluff
Lemon Meringue Cupcakes @ Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried (SCD-friendly)
Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting @ Elana’s Pantry
Fluffy Cupcakes @ Comfy Belly

July 4, 2009 103 Comments

Healthy Chocolate Cake with a Secret

Cake.

Chocolate cake!

Chocolate cake made without flour, sugar, or dairy. Low carb and gluten-free, of course. Cake made out of a surprise ingredient, one that will make you wrinkle you’re nose upon hearing it. This cake is good. So good, in fact, that I had to have a mug of stevia-sweetened pomegranate tea and go to bed, so I’d stop shaving off “test” slices.

You know those feelings that come over you when you play around a bit with a recipe, adding a pinch of this and a tablespoon of that? The nervousness as you put the batter in the oven, the fiddling around with the baking time, the checking and rechecking for doneness? The anticipation as you’re cutting the cake, hoping upon hope that’s it’s not too dry, too mushy, too crumbly?

It’s always a rollercoaster of emotion… this time, with a very sweet ending. Why was this particular culinary journey so nerve-wracking?

The cake is made out of black beans. Beans, seriously!

Even if you’re the fiercest of bean haters (like I am), you’ll fall head over heels for this moist chocolate cake. I haven’t have a flour- and sugar-based chocolate cake in a very long time, so my roommates had to confirm this cake’s rockstar status. Safe to say they agreed with me, and hungrily polished off the slices I provided for them. Served with a cold glass of almond milk, it was all the more refreshing after a day spent soaking up the Carolina sun.

Note: I cut 1 single layer in half, width-wise, and stacked the semicircular halves on top of one another to achieve the 2 layer cake shown here. Just double the recipe to make a whole 2 layer cake.

The best part about this cake is that it’s totally budget-friendly. It’s basically beans, eggs, and cocoa. That gives you no excuse to not try it, ya hear?

Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake
Adapted from a recipe at LowCarbFriends

Makes a 9″ one layer cake

Ingredients:
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR unrefined coconut oil
3/4 cup erythritol + 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1/2 cup honey + 1 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1 1/4 cup Splenda (using Splenda is not recommended)
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon water (omit if using honey)

Mint Chocolate variation:
2 teaspoons mint extract (in place of 2 teaspoons vanilla)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9″ cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of butter. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or honey) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even. Frost immediately before serving
~57.6g net carbs for the whole cake using erythritol/stevia.
~5.7g net carbs per 1/10th
~125.6g net carbs for the whole cake using honey/stevia.
~12.56g net carbs per 1/10th

Healthy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to thickly cover one layer, or fill and frost a halved stacked layer

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened, OR 7 tablespoons nonhydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon erythritol, powdered, OR 1/4 cup xylitol, powdered
5-6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons half and half OR coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Good-tasting pure stevia extract, to taste

Optional addition for a glossy finish:
1 fresh organic egg yolk

Preparation:
Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two, until extremely fine in texture (reminiscent of powdered sugar). Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top. Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), vanilla, and sea salt. Beat in the half and half and egg yolk, if using. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon. You’ll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking.

~7g net carbs for the frosting, using erythritol

Related content from other blogs:
Purple Velvet Torte @ Elana’s Pantry
Spicy Chocolate Bean Cakes @ The Salty Cod
Amazing Black Bean Brownies @ 101 Cookbooks

Update: The vanilla version of this cake is posted here.

May 24, 2009 1 Comment

Healthy Chocolate Cake with a Secret

Cake.

Chocolate cake!

It’s always a rollercoaster of emotion… this time, with a very sweet ending. Why was this particular culinary journey so nerve-wracking?

The cake is made out of black beans. Beans, seriously!

The best part about this cake is that it’s totally budget-friendly. It’s basically beans, eggs, and cocoa. That gives you no excuse to not try it, ya hear?
Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake
Adapted from a recipe at LowCarbFriends

Makes a 9″ one layer cake

Ingredients:
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR coconut oil
3/4 cup erythritol + 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract

OR 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons honey + 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even. Frost immediately before serving
~58g net carbs for the whole cake using erythritol/stevia.
~6g net carbs per 1/10th
~126g net carbs for the whole cake using honey/stevia.
~13g net carbs per 1/10th

Healthy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to thickly cover one layer, or fill and frost a halved stacked layer

~7g net carbs for the frosting, using erythritol

Related content from other blogs:
Purple Velvet Torte @ Elana’s Pantry
Spicy Chocolate Bean Cakes @ The Salty Cod
Amazing Black Bean Brownies @ 101 Cookbooks

Update: The vanilla version of this cake is posted here.

Update #2: As of 2012, this cake has spread its chocolaty lovin’ all over the blogosphere! Here are some of the versions of this cake I’ve stumbled upon at other blogs. Feast your eyes and try not to drool too much looking at the phenomenal creations from some very talented food bloggers!