Want to make something nice for your sweetie (or yourself) for Valentine’s Day and still stay on your food plan? This lovely cake is reasonably low-carb’d and delicious. It uses the same sponge cake recipe as the Tiramisu and a modified filling as well.

Valentine Torte

Using orange extract adds a light taste of orange to the cake and filling that compliments the strawberries or you can use strawberry extract to enhance it.

Cake:
4 Eggs, large
4 oz. Cream Cheese
2 tablespoons Coconut Flour,
1 tablespoon Vanilla whey protein powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Splenda
3 tablespoon sugar alcohol substitute (like Ideal)

Filling:
3 Egg Yolks
1/3 cup Coconut Milk or Almond Milk, unsweetened
1 tablespoon liquid sucralose or Splenda
2/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped or 2/3 cup whipped topping
1 teaspoon Orange or Strawberry Extract
4 oz. Cream Cheese

Topping :
1 pint of strawberries
1 tablespoon Splenda or other sugar replacement, granulated

Clean and cut up strawberries and put in a container. Sprinkle a tablespoon of Splenda or other sugar replacement on them. Stir to distribute the sugar. Add a tablespoon of sugar free orange syrup or a tablespoon of rum to help make a juice. Cover and put in the refrigerator to chill.

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 300 F. Spray an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter flavored cooking spray. Be sure to go up the sides. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and press into the pan. This will make removing the cake easier.

Separate the eggs and put whites into a grease free glass or metal bowl. Put the yolks in a separate bowl and set aside. Beat the egg whites until they are foamy, then add cream of tartar and continue to beat until they form stiff peaks.

To the egg yolks, add cream cheese and mix together. Add coconut flour, whey powder, sugar substitutes and almond extract. Mix well until smooth.

Fold the egg yolk mixture, one third at a time, into the whites, being careful to not break down the air in the whites. With a soft (rubber or silicone) spatula, fold just until blended, then spoon the batter into the prepared baking dish. Use the back of the spoon to smooth the top of the cake.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a golden brown. Cool, then turn out onto a bread board. Cut the cake in half to form two rectangular layers. Try to cut exactly in the middle so the cake layers are equal. Set aside.

For the pudding:
Separate three eggs. Put the whites away to use for something else. (Meringue cookies are a good option.) Put the egg yolks in a sauce pan. Add the coconut milk (you can also use regular milk or almond milk. Regular milk will raise the carbs a little.) Add a tablespoon sweetener. Mix together and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a gentle boil and cook for one minute. Add orange or strawberry extract. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Get out the cream cheese to soften while the yolk mixture chills. When yolk mixture is chilled, add the cream cheese and mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream and vanilla extract until the cream forms stiff peaks.

Place the bottom sponge cake in an 8x8x2″ inch dish. Spread the pudding mixture over the cake and smooth, then spread one half the whipped cream on top of that and smooth. Place the top cake layer and cover with whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Even though I’ve pictured the cake with strawberries arranged on top, cut the slices first, then put strawberries on top of each slice.

Makes 10 servings.

Nutrition Info: Calories 182.6 Net Carbs 3.8 g Protein: 6.8 g

POSTED BY RENE AVERETT AT 2/11/2013 3:09 PM