Spring blossom Keto cake
Spring blossom Keto cake almost was not published as a recipe at greekgoesketo.com. 😮 What a mistake would that be? It was just one of those days when we hade sudden guests announced so I wanted to make something nice to offer them. And I did not plan to make photos or work on the nutrition data. I just wanted something light, “springish”, refreshing but 100% Keto. Then I remembered, nothing smells better than orange blossom in Athens around April or May. In fact, when it comes to aromatic inspiration, nothing can be compared to that specific mild aroma of blossom in the spring. Then I saw blossoming cherries from the window and I felt that a new Keto cake has to be created!
An experiment without baking soda
I did not believe it myself, but without adding baking soda, my Keto cake tasted better than ever! It grew just enough and I was able to make two wonderful layers! Of course, I asked for some help from my old friend sparkling mineral water. The sponge cake turned out perfect. It is soft and airy! At the same time, it doesn’t taste like typical Keto cake and it’s so light and easy! I believe I will be making all Keto cakes in the future without the addition of baking soda or powder! Well, at least when I want it light. 😉
Orange Blossom Water in Spring blossom Keto cake
If you haven’t, you really need to purchase this magic secret ingredient. As we already covered it in this article, Orange blossom water gives that special Mediterranean vibe to any cake or pastry.
Naturally, visual inspiration served as a start, but what I really wanted is to create something with a typical Mediterranean appearance, aroma and taste. So, I performed small research. In the village of Oia, (you might know it as the most picturesque place in Santorini) there’s a patisserie which serves unbelievable cakes. Unfortunately, they are all sugary and carby, as expected. However, nothing drew my attention as a white orange blossom cake that was served on the balcony with the most amazing view. All this left a strong impact on me and inspired me to create a Keto white cake. As we know, we don’t use orange juice or pulp on Keto, but there’s no reason to escape orange peel, essential oil or even orange blossom water!
They are selling them all over the internet and in Greece, you can buy it (together with rose water) in any supermarket. Some people even make their own homemade orange blossom water, which is an excellent idea. Here’s a link on how to make it if you happen to have orange tree somewhere nearby. On the other side, if you don’t live somewhere where oranges grow, you can order it online. Here’s the link for a great organic orange blossom water.
We are not using orange juice or pulp on Keto! However, there’s no reason not to utilise the aromas of orange blossom, peel or essential oil! Nothing smells better!
Spring Blossom Keto Cake
Ingredients
- 6 medium eggs I used 12 quail eggs
- 100 g (3,5 oz) melted butter I used goat butter
- 4 tbsp stevia or monk fruit blend sweetener
- 1/2 tsp citric acid alternatively use 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp psyllium powder
- 4 tbsp raw cacao powder light in colour, organic
- 2 tbsp orange zest you can use lemon zest too
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 100 g (3,5 oz) pecans (roasted and finely ground) you can use walnuts too
- 100 g (3,5 oz) sesame seeds (ground)
- 1 tbsp rum
- 100 ml (1/2 cup) sparkling mineral water
- 1 tbsp coconut flour optional
Mousse
- 250 g (8,8 oz) softened butter I used goat butter
- 250 g (8,8 oz) mascarpone
- 100 g sour cream
- 4 tbsp orange bloom water
- 4 tbsp powdered stevia or monk-fruit blend sweetener I used a coffee grinder to make powder
Decoration
- 8 small strawberries organic
- 2 tbsp almond flakes blanched
- 2 tbsp cacao nibs organic
Instructions
- On a dry pan, shortly roast pecans and sesame seeds. Let them cool down and then finely ground them in a food processor.
- Beat the eggs with the sweetener, salt and citric acid. Add orange zest and continue beating for 5 minutes. Slowly pour melted butter.
- Now add rum, vanilla extract, raw cacao powder and psyllium powder. When it unifies, add the ground nuts and seeds spoon by spoon.
- Slowly start pouring sparkling mineral water. If your batter gets too liquid, add a tablespoon of coconut flour.
- Line a 20x30 cm (approximately 8x12-inch) pan with parchment paper and pour the batter in. Bake it in the oven at 170ºC (340ºF) for 30 minutes. After it's baked, let it cool down totally and cut it into 2 pieces. (long side)
- For the mousse, use softened butter that you kept overnight at room temperature. Beat it with the powdered sweetener for at least 10 minutes. Add mascarpone and sour cream at room temperature and keep beating. In the end, slowly add orange bloom water spoon by spoon. Keep the mousse in the refrigerator until your cake is totally cold.
- Slice the strawberries. Place the first layer of your cake on a long platter and then spread some of the mousses on it. Add sliced strawberries and some more mousse on top.
- Cover with another layer of cake. Finish by covering all the cake with the rest of the mousse and decorate with strawberries, almond flakes and cacao nibs. Serve after the cake has been chilled for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.