Keto Cake Boats

This cake was baked in a top-split, New England style hot dog bun baking pan! (Although you could use a 13” x 9” baking pan and cut into buns.) I made two flavors of Whipped Mascarpone Cream and laid out an array of toppings and my family had a blast making custom Cake Boats at a recent party. Whether you prefill these cakes or allow your guests to create their own, this dessert will be a BIG HIT with everyone! (I bought the hot dog bun baking pan on the King Arthur’s Baking Company website.)

Keto Cake Boats

Makes 10 bun-size cakes or 20 smaller cakes

Keto Cake Mix (I recommend King Arthur’s Keto Yellow or Chocolate Cake Mix)*

Ingredients called for on the box (eggs, milk, oil, etc)

Whipped Mascarpone Cream 

Makes about 3 cups of frosting

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold

½ cup low carb powdered sweetener (I used LaKanto Monkfruit Confectioners sweetener)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces plain mascarpone cheese (not sweetened), softened but still chilled

Whipped Chocolate Mascarpone Cream

Makes 3 cups

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold

½ cup low carb powdered sweetener (I used LaKanto Monkfruit Confectioners sweetener)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces plain mascarpone cheese (not sweetened), softened but still chilled

Garnishes: berries or other low carb fruit, sugar free sprinkles, chopped nuts, my sugar free Keto Chocolate Fudge Sauce (click here to see recipe)

1. Make the cake according to the package directions and bake in the New England style hot dog bun pan or a 13” x 9” pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. *NOTE: The King Arthur’s Cake Mix I used wasn’t enough to fill the hot dog pan or a 13” x 9” baking pan. I used two cake mixes and made a double batch of batter, which was more than I needed, so I made cupcakes out of the excess batter and froze them for another time. Fill whichever baking pan you use to about ½” below the rim and then bake according to directions or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. After 10 minutes, remove cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

2. Make the Whipped Mascarpone Cream: Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sweetener and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until soft peaks form. If making the chocolate version, also add the cocoa powder.

3. Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly. (I prefer to use the mascarpone cheese when still chilled, but softened a bit, so that it will incorporate well without chunks. The warmer the mascarpone cheese is, the more likely it is to soften to the point that it won’t firm up well again, and can make too soft of a frosting. I suggest taking it out of the refrigerator about 15 minutes before using so that it softens a bit, but is still cool.)

4. Cut the cooled cake into buns and cut a V-shape along the top of each bun. Fill with mascarpone cream and garnish with berries or other toppings. Drizzle with sugar free chocolate sauce and serve.

Nutritional Information will vary, depending on the fruit and other toppings used. One full-size cake boat made from King Arthur’s Keto Yellow Cake Mix according to package directions is 168 calories, 15.6 g carbs (12 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars), 14.4 g total fat (2.4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 92 mg cholesterol, 272 mg sodium, 10 mg calcium, 139.2 mg potassium, 1 mg iron, 4.8 g protein. Net carbs per cake (without toppings): 3.6 grams

Recipe and photos by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2024

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author’s permission.

Keto Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

I am not a professional baker, but I do like to create delicious and beautiful desserts. For typical Thumbprint Cookies, you simply roll the dough into balls and press your thumb to make an indentation for the filling. I could have done that with this recipe but, recently on vacation, I visited my favorite cooking/kitchen store and found a set of thumbprint cookie presses that take these simple cookies to a new level of elegance. (I found these cookie presses at Williams Sonoma, but you can find similar presses online, in other stores or on Amazon.) Fill them with either sugar free jam or chocolate ganache. Both pair exceptionally well with the peanut butter cookie base. Peanut butter & jelly? Peanut butter & chocolate? Which will be your favorite?

Keto Peanut Butter Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 20 cookies

Cookies:

1 cup almond flour

1/4 cup peanut butter powder (no sugar added)

1 tablespoon unflavored whey protein powder

2 tablespoons oat fiber powder (not oat flour!)

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (1 stick)

½ cup erythritol-based granulated sweetener (I used LaKanto Monkfruit Classic)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon low carb milk of choice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Jam Filling:

Sugar free jam (any flavor)

Chocolate Ganache Filling:

1 ounce heavy cream

1 ounce sugar free chocolate chips (such as Lily’s brand or Guittard Keto Chips)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, peanut butter powder, whey protein powder, oat fiber, coconut flour and salt until no lumps remain; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup of erythritol sweetener together until creamy, using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, if you have one. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract, and then beat in the dry ingredients until the dough comes together. 

2. Turn dough out onto a silicone mat or parchment paper that has been dusted with coconut flour. Pat dough into a rough circle and then top with a large piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Roll out the dough to about 5/8 inch thickness. Place the rolled out dough on a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. The dough is much easier to handle and will not stick to the cookie presses when cold. 

3. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line one large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

4. Using cookie presses with indentations in the center, cut out cookies and lift carefully with a spatula or knife and place on the lined cookie sheet. (Or roll into balls and press into the center with your thumb to create a depression to be filled with jam or chocolate ganache.) These cookies do not spread or puff up during baking.

5. Re-roll your dough and cut out more cookies. If your dough gets too soft to work with or begins sticking to the cookie cutters, roll it out to the proper thickness and return it to the refrigerator or freezer for a bit to cool and firm up again.

6. If using jam, go ahead and fill the depression with sugar free jam before baking (see photo below). If using chocolate ganache, bake the cookies first and allow them to cool completely before filling the indentation with ganache.

7. Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes, or until they are golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pan until firm. The cookies will be quite soft when warm from the oven, but they will firm up as they cool. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. To make the chocolate ganache filling: Heat up the heavy cream until bubbles appear at the edges and the cream is quite hot and steamy. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Allow the mixture to sit for several minutes undisturbed and then whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is thick and creamy. Use a small spoon to carefully fill the center of each cookie. Refrigerate the cookies for 15 minutes or allow them to sit at room temperature until the ganache has cooled completely and firmed up. 

Notes: How many cookies you get depends on the size of your cookie cutters. It is best to use an erythritol-based sweetener for this recipe. Allulose can be substituted, or a combination of erythritol and allulose, but the cookies will be softer and more delicate when cooled. 

Nutritional information per cookie: 72 calories, 2.7 g carbohydrate (1.5 g dietary fiber, 0.2 g sugars, 1 g sugar alcohols), 7.1 g total fat (3.6 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 23 mg cholesterol, 37 mg sodium, 5.8 mg calcium, 14 mg potassium, 50 IU Vit A, 1 mg Vit C (if using jam filling), 1.3 g protein. Net carbs per cookie: 1.2 grams

Recipe and photos by Kathy Sheehan, copyright 2024

All rights reserved. Please do not duplicate without the author’s permission.