Sweet Keto Valentine

Having been parents for 20 years now, my husband’s and my Valentine's Day celebrations are no longer the romantic affairs they once were. On rare occasions we have gone away somewhere but most of the time we have a fancy supper for the entire family and exchange cards. This year was no different. My husband gave me a card and some sugar free chocolate and shrubs for the yard and I gave him a card and sugar free candy and then spent two days cooking a big supper. I made sirloin steaks that were vaguely heart-shaped, splurged on carbs with mashed potatoes and salad, and then I adapted a couple cake recipes to create a Keto Almond Mocha Fudge Cake. I've been craving dense, rich chocolate cake lately and this fit the bill perfectly! Scroll down for the recipe!

Keto Almond Mocha Fudge Cake
Serves 8-16
Ingredients:
4 large eggs, separated
8 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
3/4 Cup Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener, divided
1/2 Cup Golden Monkfruit Sweetener
8-10 drops Chocolate Liquid Monkfruit Drops
1/4 tsp salt
1 Cup Almond Flour
8 ounces Unsalted Butter
1 TBSP Brewed Espresso or Strong Coffee
1/2 TBSP Pure Almond Extract
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for Dusting
Sugar-Free Whipped Cream for garnishing (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 8-9 inch springform pan with butter and then dust with unsweetened cocoa powder, turning to coat evenly. Melt the unsweetened chocolate, butter, and 1/4 cup of powdered monkfruit sweetener in a double boiler or over very low heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture is melted, remove from heat and stir in the almond flour and liquid chocolate monkfruit drops. Set aside to cool.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with 1/2 cup powdered monkfruit until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Blend the egg yolks with the espresso, almond extract, and 1/2 cup golden monkfruit sweetener. When the chocolate mixture is still workable but cool enough so it will not cook the egg yolks stir in the egg yolk mixture. Fold the egg whites gradually and gently into the chocolate mixture until blended.

Set the springform pan on a jellyroll or similar pan, in case of leaks, and bake 30-35 minutes until the center of the cake is set but not completely dry and the edges are done. A toothpick should NOT come out clean from the center.

Remove to a wire rack to cool. When cooled, remove the sides of the pan and then refrigerate at least four hours. Allow the cake to warm to room temperature before serving to make it easier to slice. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

This cake is heavy and dense and extremely rich, with a texture similar to cheesecake. The hint of mocha and almond aroma make it a perfect accompaniment to coffee or red wine. You will want to slice it into smaller servings, as most people will find they are unable to eat a large piece. When taken straight from the refrigerator the texture is almost like a solid block of chocolate and it's difficult to slice, so you will want to allow enough time for it to warm up before serving. Everyone really enjoyed this dessert and I was thrilled to lose over 5 pounds this week even after a Valentine's Day splurge! If it were up to me alone I would probably cut down the sweetener a bit but most everyone likes dessert to be sweeter than I. I didn't sweeten the whipped cream very much so it made the cake more palatable for me. I've been fasting around 20 hours each day this week and only eating one meal a day, ending my eating window earlier in the evening and going to bed earlier, so I was ready for the big Valentine's meal and rich dessert! I linked my favorite brand of sweetener, Lakanto, in the ingredients. My family agrees, this is the only sweetener that really tastes like sugar!

In other news, I added some new inventory to my shops, including this 1971 Fisher Price toy school. This was one of my beloved toys as a child (not this exact one but the same toy)! I came across a large lot of NASCAR collectible duffel bags from 1993, all unused and unsold, still wrapped in the original plastic, and got those listed. The bags feature the Winston Racing Team logo and would be a unique gift. Other new additions include vintage books and ceramics as well as some electronics. You can link to all my shops from the Home page.