This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

King cake is everywhere, but today we’re hooking you up with a truly guilt-free BIRTHDAY cake.  Or really, white cake + white icing to suit any event – decorate it for Mardi Gras, Valentine’s, Easter… consider this your new year-round go-to special event cake!

And of course in typical Ben + Swerve fashion, it’s naturally gluten-free with zero added sugar, and only 1.5 grams net carbs per slice!

 

Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting by Ben McLauchlin of Swerve Sweetener

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

  • 3 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 cup whey unsweetened protein
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 8 tablespoons butter (room temperature), coconut oil or Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil with Butter Flavor
  • 1 1/3 cup Swerve, Granular
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons vanilla extract (use clear vanilla extract to keep cake as white as possible)
  • 4 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (can use other milk/milk alternative)

For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

  • 4 sticks butter (room temperature), coconut oil or Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil with Butter Flavor
  • 4 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk/milk of choice (more as needed to reach desired consistency)
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract – clear vanilla to be as white as possible
  • 1 ½ – 2 cups confectioner’s Swerve; sweeten to taste

Instructions:

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and butter/grease two round cake pans.  If you want three cake layers, butter/grease three cake pans.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the almond flour, baking powder, protein powder and salt.  Set aside.

With an electric mixer, on medium high speed, mix together softened butter and Swerve until creamy.  On medium speed add eggs, lemon juice and vanilla.  Mix until combined.

Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Add almond milk and mix until combined.  Remove mixer bowl and stir a few times with a spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into each baking pan.  For two layers bake 25- 30 minutes.  If you want to make three layers, you would bake the cake less 15-20 minutes.  A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out mostly clean; you do not want it to come out completely dry.

Let cake cool in pan for at least 30 minutes.  Remove from pan by gently placing baking rack on top of pan and flipping over.  Tap on center of pan as necessary and cake should come out.

For the Icing:

In an electric mixer or with a hand mixer combine all frosting ingredients.  Beat until well combined.

Cake Creation: Place one layer on plate or cake plate.  Spread ¼ of the icing on the center of cake evenly.  Place next layer on bottom cake layer, and place the remaining icing on top of the cake and spread across the top until completely covered.  Slice and Enjoy!

 

Per serving (Cake only): 210 calories, 17 grams fat, 5 grams saturated fat (mostly plant-based if use coconut oil), 95 mg sodium, 21 grams carbohydrate (1.5 grams net carbs), 3 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar (0 added sugar), 8 grams protein.

Per serving (Cake + Icing): 320 calories, 29 grams fat, 12 grams saturated fat (mostly plant-based if use coconut oil), 100 mg sodium, 31 grams carbohydrate (1.5 grams net carbs), 4 grams fiber, 2 grams sugar (0 added sugar), 8 grams protein.

 ###

Click here to enter into the Baking Kit Giveaway.

 

Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!   And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD