Spring's arrival, heralded by the appearance of fresh strawberries, inspires a desire for baking, especially with these delightful berries. Fortunately, strawberries fit well into a keto diet, making them a welcome addition to various desserts. This article explores a variety of keto strawberry cake recipes, ensuring a moist, fluffy, and intensely strawberry-flavored experience without the need for dairy or sugar.
Understanding the Keto Advantage
The ketogenic diet, characterized by its low carbohydrate and high-fat content, allows for the inclusion of certain fruits like strawberries in moderation. This opens up possibilities for creating delicious and diet-friendly desserts. This article delves into several recipes that utilize the natural sweetness and vibrant flavor of strawberries while adhering to keto principles.
Recipe 1: Simple and Impressive Keto Strawberry Cake
This recipe emphasizes simplicity and impressive results, perfect for spring or summer desserts.
Ingredients:
- Almond Flour: Essential for a keto-friendly base, blanched almond flour (not almond meal) is a must.
- Granulated Sweetener: Choose from erythritol, monk fruit sweetener, or allulose.
- Strawberries: Fresh and sliced, adding natural sweetness and flavor.
- Vanilla Frosting: To top and layer the cake.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Grease an 8-inch springform cake pan and set aside.
- Combine almond flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and sweetener until glossy and combined.
- Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Fold in the strawberries.
- Transfer the batter to the greased cake pan.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing and frosting.
This recipe creates a single-layer cake that is both easy to make and satisfying.
Recipe 2: Keto Strawberry Layer Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting
This recipe elevates the classic strawberry cake with layers of flavor and a light whipped cream frosting.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Ingredients:
- Cake Batter:
- 3 cups Almond Flour
- ¾ cup Erythritol confectioner style
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 0.3oz Box of sugar-free strawberry jell-o gelatin
- 8 tbsp butter unsalted room temperature
- 4 eggs large, room temperature, separated
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- ½ cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
- Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Cold whipping cream
- Erythritol
- Vanilla extract
- Crushed strawberries (for flavor and decoration)
- Optional Extra Layer:
- 1 box 0.8 oz Jell-O sugar-free cook and serve vanilla pudding
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350F and butter two 9-inch round cake pans.
- Whip egg whites until soft peaks form and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, erythritol, baking powder, salt, Jell-O powder, and freeze-dried strawberries.
- In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy, add egg yolks one at a time, vanilla extract, yogurt, and whipping cream. Beat until incorporated.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until well combined.
- Gently fold in egg whites.
- Spoon mixture evenly into the cake pans.
- Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and let cool completely.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting by whipping cold whipping cream with erythritol and vanilla extract until firm. Fold in crushed strawberries.
- Assemble the cake by placing one cake on a platter, topping with whipped cream followed by sliced strawberries, placing the other cake on top, and covering the entire cake in whipped cream. Decorate with fresh sliced strawberries and sprinkle with more crushed strawberries if desired.
This recipe can be enhanced with an optional layer of sugar-free vanilla pudding for added flavor and texture, though it will slightly increase the carb count.
Recipe 3: Healthy Strawberry Cake (Gluten-Free, Keto, Paleo-Friendly)
This recipe focuses on a healthy, homemade cake made entirely from scratch, without cake mix or Jell-O.
Ingredients:
- Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups superfine blanched almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberries, blended into powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Wet Ingredients:
- ½ tablespoon vinegar
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, room temperature
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated monk fruit sweetener
- ⅔ cup fresh strawberry puree (or 1 cup reduced strawberry puree)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 7 strawberries, diced
- Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter or vegan butter, softened
- 3 - 3 ½ cups powdered SWERVE or preferred powdered sweetener
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
Instructions:
- Strawberry Reduction (Optional): Puree 2 cups of fresh strawberries and heat in a medium saucepan for about 8 minutes to reduce moisture and caramelize sugars. Cool completely before adding to the cake batter.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For a 9x13 sheet cake, line the pan with parchment paper. For a round layer cake, coat three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper rounds.
- Whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, freeze-dried strawberry powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- In a measuring cup, combine almond milk and vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes to curdle.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, monk fruit sweetener, strawberry puree, and vanilla extract. Pour in the curdled milk and mix until combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well combined. Fold in diced strawberries.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan(s) and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 19-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake layer(s) in the cake pans for at least 30 minutes, then carefully remove and transfer to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting, beat softened butter on high for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the powdered sweetener, vanilla extract, and almond milk. Beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy and smooth. Chill in the fridge until ready to frost.
- Spread frosting on the completely cooled cake layer(s) and top with strawberry slices before serving, if desired.
Key Considerations:
- Flour Selection: Use superfine blanched almond flour for the best results.
- Sweetener Options: Monk fruit sweetener is recommended, but other low-carb sweeteners like SWERVE or erythritol can be used. For a paleo version, use granulated pure maple sugar.
- Dairy-Free Option: Use almond milk or coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream.
- Vinegar: Do not skip the vinegar, as it helps create a vegan buttermilk substitute, resulting in a light and moist cake.
- Storage: Store the cake in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months.
Recipe 4: Keto Strawberry Mousse Cake
This recipe combines the light texture of mousse with the richness of cake, creating a delightful spring dessert.
Key Ingredients and Techniques:
- Gelatin: Great Lakes Gelatin can be used to stabilize the mousse, though it's not strictly necessary.
- Almond Flour: Use a blanched and finely ground almond flour for the best texture.
- Sweeteners: Swerve granulated and powdered erythritol are used for sweetness and texture.
- Blending: If you don’t have a large, high-powered blender.
Recipe 5: Keto Strawberry Shortcake Cake
This recipe focuses on creating a moist, fresh, and fruity summertime dessert.
Ingredients:
Cake:
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
- Butter (salted or unsalted)
- Cream Cheese (softened)
- Almond Flour (superfine blanched)
- Baking Powder (fresh)
- Granular Erythritol (Swerve)
- Vanilla Extract
- Sour Cream
- Eggs (large)
Strawberry Jam:
- Strawberries (12)
- Powdered Erythritol (Confectioner's Swerve)
Whipped Cream Frosting:
- Cream cheese (softened)
- Powdered erythritol (Swerve)
- Vanilla extract
- Heavy whipping cream
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350. Prepare three 6-inch baking pans with nonstick spray and parchment paper.
- Microwave butter and cream cheese for 30 seconds and stir. Set aside.
- Mix almond flour, baking powder, and granular erythritol in a large bowl.
- Slowly pour in the melted butter mixture and mix.
- Add vanilla and sour cream. Stir in eggs until just combined.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared baking pans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and mostly firm.
- Let the cakes cool completely, for at least 2 hours, before removing them from the pans.
- For the whipped cream frosting, combine cream cheese and powdered erythritol. Once combined, pour in heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Mix on high until fluffy.
- For the strawberry jam, slice 12 strawberries and place them in a saucepan over medium heat. Add powdered erythritol and allow to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Place the bottom cake on a cake stand or serving plate and add a layer of frosting followed by a layer of strawberry jam. Carefully place the second cake on top and repeat with the second and third cakes.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Tips for Success:
- Cooling Time: Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent them from falling apart.
- Chilling Time: Chill the assembled cake for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Frosting: The frosting can be customized with additional red food coloring for a more vibrant strawberry design.
General Tips for Keto Baking Success
- Almond Flour: Always use superfine blanched almond flour for the best texture.
- Sweeteners: Experiment with different keto-friendly sweeteners to find your preferred taste and texture.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room temperature eggs and milk helps the batter mix more uniformly.
- Don’t Overbake: Overbaking can lead to a dry cake. Check for doneness with a toothpick.
- Cooling: Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting.
Strawberries and Keto: A Perfect Match
Strawberries are a great fruit option for those following a ketogenic diet due to their low carbohydrate and high fiber content. They provide natural sweetness and essential nutrients, making them a guilt-free addition to your keto desserts.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
tags: #keto #strawberry #cake #recipe