Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is a time for celebration, and what better way to celebrate than with a King Cake? This oval-shaped cake is a staple of Mardi Gras, but it's often loaded with carbs and sugar. If you're following a keto or gluten-free diet, you might think you have to miss out on this festive treat. But fear not! This Keto King Cake recipe allows you to enjoy the flavors of Mardi Gras without derailing your diet.
What is King Cake?
Every King Cake eaten in the past is like a cinnamon roll. However, there are other types of King Cakes. A small plastic baby figurine is hidden inside the cake. The person who finds the baby is "King for the Day".
Why Keto King Cake?
Traditional King Cake recipes are usually high in sugar and carbohydrates, making them unsuitable for those following a ketogenic diet or managing diabetes. This Keto King Cake recipe uses almond flour and Swerve sweetener to create a delicious and satisfying cake that won't spike your blood sugar. Since almond flour has some fat, the amount of fat in the recipe has been reduced by half. Since almond flour is used, this is a gluten-free king cake.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 6 tbsp melted butter, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp erythritol, divided (Swerve is a popular keto flour and is made from crushed almonds.)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon, divided
For the Frosting:
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2-3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
- 3 tbsp confectioners erythritol (Swerve)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
For the Colored Sugar:
- 6 tsp granular erythritol (Swerve), divided
- 2 drops yellow food coloring
- 2 drops green food coloring
- 1 drop red food coloring
- 1 drop blue food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and evenly grease a Bundt pan.
- Separate the eggs: Take two large bowls and put egg whites in one and the yolks in another.
- Prepare the egg whites: Add cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Combine the wet ingredients: To the egg yolks, add 3 tbsp of melted butter, vanilla, cream cheese, and 2 tbsp of erythritol. Mix well.
- Add dry ingredients: Add 1 tsp of cinnamon, baking powder, and almond flour to the egg yolk mixture. Mix well.
- Fold in egg whites: Add the egg whites mixture to the almond flour mixture and gently mix to get a uniform batter.
- Prepare the filling: Take a small bowl and add 3 tbsp of melted butter, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and 1/4 cup of erythritol to it. Mix well.
- Assemble the cake: Take a pan, pour 1/2 of the batter into it, top it with the filling mixture, and then add the remaining batter over it.
- Create swirls: Make swirls in the bread using a butter knife. Now would be the perfect time to hide the little plastic baby into your cake. Pick a spot and push the "baby" down into the batter.
- Bake: Bake the cake until it is golden on top, then let it cool before removing it from the pan.
- Prepare the icing: Combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, erythritol, and 2 tbsp heavy cream in a bowl. Whisk it until it is smooth and uniform.
- Make the colored sugar: Place 2 tsp of erythritol into 3 separate bowls and mix each bowl with 2 drops of food coloring.
- Frost and decorate: Once the cake is cooled, frost it with the icing and sprinkle the colored sugar on top.
Tips and Tricks
- Sour Cream: Sour cream can be found in the refrigerator section of the supermarket. Always make sure to cook on LOW HEAT when using sour cream.
- Eggs: When buying eggs, be sure to open the container to make sure all the eggs are intact.
- Butter: Always look for 100% butter.
- Almond Flour: Store almond flour in a tightly sealed container. Per 2 tablespoons, almond flour contains 3 grams of carbs and 1 gram of fiber. Yes! With it’s low carb count, almond flour is fantastic for diabetics. You can replace the flour in your breading (or any recipe) by using a 1 to 1 ratio.
- Swerve: Swerve is a favorite sugar replacer. While on the package, it states Swerve is a 1 to 1 ratio to sugar, but I have to disagree. So that the recipe does not taste overly sweet, it is better to pull out ¼ - ½ of Swerve before using in the recipe.
Variations
- Other Sugar Replacers: You can typically use Swerve in all recipes, so it is unknown how it will taste if you use another sugar replacer.
- Fillings: Get creative with your fillings! Try adding chopped pecans, cream cheese, or sugar-free chocolate chips to the cinnamon mixture.
Serving Suggestions
Since this is a fabulous low net carb dessert recipe for a Mardi Gras event, it would be great to serve with appetizers.
Storage
Leftovers? Seriously? No way you will have leftovers! Do you really need to talk about this?
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