Zesty Low-Carb Lemon Cake

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. If you are dairy-free and follow a paleo approach, just swap mascarpone with coconut cream, and butter with ghee or coconut oil.

I've been using whey protein powder to make up for the missing gluten in my grain-free recipes. I learned this trick for perfect cakes from Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food who has been using protein powder with amazing results.

Preparation time:

    Hands-on:    10 minutes
    Overall:     10 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving, 1 slice):

Total Carbs	8.5	grams
Fiber	3.9	grams
Net Carbs	4.6	grams
Protein	10.4	grams
Fat	35.5	grams
of which Saturated	19.3	grams
Energy	384	kcal
Magnesium	53	mg (13% RDA)
Potassium	251	mg (13% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (5%), protein (11%), fat (84%)

Ingredients (makes 12 servings): Cake - wet ingredients:

• ⅓ cup butter or ghee, melted (76 g/ 2.7 oz)
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• zest of 1 organic lemon

Cake - dry ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour (200 g/ 7.1 oz)
• ¼ cup coconut flour (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
• ¼ cup vanilla or plain whey protein or egg white protein powder, such as Jay Robb (25 g / 0.9 oz)
  
• ½ cup granulated Erythritol or Swerve (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
• ½ tsp vanilla bean powder or 1-2 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract (add to wet ingredients if using vanilla extract)
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda

Filling:

• 1 cup mascarpone cheese or coconut cream (240 g/ 8.5 oz) - you can make your own coconut cream
• ¼ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
• 1 cup Low-Carb Lemon Curd (240 g/ 8.5 oz)

Glaze:

• ½ cup coconut butter (125 g/ 4.4 oz) - you can make your own
• 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil (28 g/ 1 oz)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• zest of 1 organic lemon
• 2 tbsp powdered Erythritol or Swerve (20 g/ 0.7 oz)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175 C/ 350 F. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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, vanilla, lemon juice and Erythritol.
5. Using a large sharp knife, carefully cut the cake widthwise. Spread the vanilla cream over the cut side of the bottom half.
6. Top with the prepared chilled lemon curd, and place the other half of the cake on top. Refrigerate while you prepare the glaze.
7. 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.

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