A decadent low carb, gluten-free cake with layers of meringue, pastry cream and sugar-free chocolate ganache. Chocolate eclairs in cake form!
I bet you didn’t expect to be eating chocolate eclairs on your low carb, gluten-free diet, did ya? Well in case you hadn’t noticed, I like to defy expectations. Here I am, a suburban mother of three driving a minivan, with a tattoo, occasionally sporting a mohawk, and who has been spotted in sparkly gold Converse-style sneakers. For all that wacky surface stuff, I am actually a pretty conventional person. But I really love to defy the expectation that low carb, gluten-free diets are boring and devoid of decadent desserts. I like to take the sugariest, carbiest, gluteniest of desserts and figure out a way to make them healthy, without sacrificing texture or flavour.
I’m going to go ahead and tell you right now that with regards to Chocolate Eclair Cake, I nailed it. In a completely unconventional fashion, naturally! The original, which I first spied on Pinterest, is made with graham crackers (gulp!), vanilla pudding (double gulp), whipped topping and canned chocolate frosting (triple and quadruple gulp!). Holy carb laden minefield of processed foods! But it sure did look pretty and my instincts told me I could easily come up with a far healthier version.
Since I came up with my low carb graham cracker recipe a while ago, I considered making some for the chocolate eclair cake. But I found that I was rather disappointed that graham crackers were what made up the layers of such a cake. When I first saw it, I thought it was some sort of nut-laden, crunchy sponge cake which intrigued me so much more than graham crackers. So I mulled it over and settled on a nutty meringue layer to pair with low carb pastry cream and low carb chocolate ganache.
In terms of flavour and texture, I think the cake came out beautifully. In terms of overall appearance, it wasn’t exactly the prettiest cake I’ve ever made. It’s hard to make the meringue layers perfectly even and I’ve never been all that good at cake decorating as it is. Getting photos to make this cake look as appetizing as it tasted was an exercise in frustration. Not for me are the ideal slices of layer cake with every layer delineated and no smooshing or smearing of one layer into another. My chocolate smeared all over the place as I tried to cut the cake.
But do I really care? Will you when you taste this? Nope. You’re mouth will be too full of divine flavours and you will be too busy thinking “I can haz low carb chocolate eclair?”. When you taste it, you will think this is the prettiest cake you ever did see!
- 1 ¼ cups whipping cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup Swerve Sweetener
- pinch salt
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch*
- 2 tbsp butter cut into two pieces
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp stevia extract
- 3/4 cup fine almond flour
- 1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 4 egg whites room temperature
- 2 tbsp granulated Swerve Sweetener
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- pinch salt
- 5 tbsp butter
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 1/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
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Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
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In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with sweetener and salt, then whisk in arrowroot starch* until mixture becomes pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
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Slowly whisk about half of the hot cream into the yolks to temper, then return the yolk/cream mixture back to the saucepan and cook until thick and glossy, about 1½ minutes, whisking continuously. It thickens up suddenly and quickly, so watch carefully!
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Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla and stevia. Transfer to a small bowl and press plastic wrap flush to the surface. Chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours.
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*If you don't want to use arrowroot starch, you can whisk in 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum at the end to help thicken the pastry cream. This should be your last step before chilling.
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Preheat oven to 350F. On a large piece of parchment, trace three (3) 5x10 inch rectangles. Place parchment on a large baking sheet.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour and powdered sweetener.
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In a large, clean bowl, beat egg whites with granulated sweetener, vanilla extract, cream of tartar and salt until they just begin to hold stiff peaks.
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Gently fold in almond flour mixture until fully combined.
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Spread meringue mixture evenly onto each of the 3 traced rectangles. Bake 15 minutes, then turn off oven and prop open door with a wooden spoon. Leave inside until cool.
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In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together, stirring until smooth.
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Stir in powdered sweetener and vanilla extract.
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Let cool 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened but still pourable.
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Peel one meringue layer carefully off parchment and lay on serving platter.
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Spread with half of the pastry cream. Top with another layer of meringue and spread with remaining half of pastry cream. Top with final layer of meringue.
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Pour ganache over top of cake and let drip down the sides.
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Let set 1 hour before serving (you can refrigerate, but let it sit out 10 minutes before trying to cut, to soften ganache).
Serves 10. Each serving has 5 g of carbs and 2 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3 g.
Per serving: 281 Calories; 28g Fat (85.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 126mg Cholesterol; 145mg Sodium.
Carrie @ Bakeaholic Ma ma says
I may not be low carb… but I love this recipe. What a great idea!
Lisa says
We are definitely having this for dessert tomorrow night . You are a low carb genius!
Carolyn says
Thank you!
Erin @ Texanerin Baking says
I kind of want to see what the original looks like. 😉
And look at you go. This is awesome!
Teresa says
Cam this be made a day ahead of time or will the merengue layers get soggy?
Carolyn says
It’s good for a day ahead but I wouldn’t make it any earlier than that.
Susan says
just printed this off to duplicate ASAP…
We are on last few servings of last weeks
“Salted Dark Chocolate Candy Bar Tart”.
With that one, I totally nailed the cooking
time of the caramel and must say, it was a
huge hit for my husband after he had frozen
it after cutting (I had gone on to work).
I agree that eating it frozen makes me forget
all about Hagen Dias ice cream bars!
Thanks once again for all you do to explore
new horizons in the low carb sweet world.
Just one small request: more luscious white
chocolate treats, please!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
Love that you created a low carb version of chocolate eclair cake! Great idea to use meringue layers in place of graham crackers!
Susan says
I was at a work reception the other day, and while there were plenty of low carb food options (beef tenderloin, roasted vegetables, good cheeses), the hardest thing was to walk away from the tray of mini pastries – eclairs and Napoleons. This sounds wonderful. Yum! Thanks!!
Serena says
Your pastry filling? Is the taste anything like nanaimo filling? (Obviously the consistency is different…) I’ve seen your other nanaimo tart recipe, but I have a corn allergy and can’t do the sf vanilla pudding packet. I’ve been trying to find a possible alternative to make nanaimo squares, but that cream filling keeps foiling me.
Carolyn says
Hi Serena…pastry cream is much, much softer and gooier than nanaimo bar filling. I don’t think it’s a good sub, in this case. It’s not stiff enough.
Melanie says
Eclairs have been one of the things I’ve missed most on a low carb diet. Thank you SO much Carolyn! I’m beyond thrilled to try this. It looks incredible! I know I’ve said it before but you’re one of my heroes.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Melanie!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic says
Low carb and gluten free or not, this sounds delicious to me! Amazing how you were able to make the recipe healthier. Good job!
Rebekahp says
Could I use 1 tsp of gelatin in place of the cornstarch for the pastry filling? I know this will alter the consistency of the pastry filling…..
Carolyn says
I really don’t know, I’ve never tried it that way.
Susi says
Rebekahp….if you do it please post your instructions in these comments!!!
Susan says
Oh my goodness, how am I ever going to decide what to make for my birthday treat next month? You just keep outdoing yourself! Thank you!
Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says
Loving that eclair layer recipe you came up with Carolyn – pure genius!
Debra says
You may be a conservative suburban housewife to all appearances but you are definitely a rockstar in your kitchen! Amazing recipe and how incredible of you to figure out how to give us decadence using low carb. You know I’m gonna have to make this, don’t you….
mellissa @ ibreatheimhungry says
I LOVE CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS!!! I can almost taste this in my head – it looks gorgeous to me! You are the low carb pastry Queen fo sho! Hat’s off to you for this one!!!
Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says
fabulous Girl! I heart eclairs!
Diedra says
Is it possible to use xanthan gum instead of arrowroot in this recipe?
Carolyn says
I don’t know. You’re certainly welcome to try. I’d add it right at the end and whisk vigorously to get it to combine.
Antoinette Blair says
This cake came out AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It came out PERFECT and was DELICIOUS! The only thing that I did differently in this recipe was that I used Truvia in place of the Swerve sweetener. I used a little less of Truvia (2 1/2 Tablespoons per 1/3 cup of Swerve, since Truvia is sweeter than the Swerve). I actually used granulated Truvia and I also made my own powdered Truvia by using a small coffee grinder, which worked perfectly! This recipe truly is genius! Thank you Carolyn for such an awesome recipe!
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Pat Jenista says
Wow Carolyn you did it again!!
Michele says
I would love to make this….it looks so yummy! Unfortunately, I can’t find any powdered Swerve. I’ve tried 4 different stores and every website I can find including the Swerve site. Any suggestions on where I can find it?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
This is beyond stunning and unique!! I would eat this every day of the week!
Jamie says
Ohhhh, i LOVE the eclair cake. I make it all the time in the summer. I think the original version looks terrible, too, but it tastes great so that’s the point 🙂
kwan says
Is there a good tasting natural replacement for Swerve Sweetener? I don’t like Stevia’s aftertaste, but I have Xylitol though I’ve never used it.
Is Xylitol a good replacement for Swerve?
Carolyn says
Sure, you can use xylitol. It has more carbs, though.
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says
Wow does that look great! You really have the magic touch when it comes to low-carb desserts.
Shaina says
I have been dreaming of eclairs lately. I love the idea of having them as a cake.
Destiny says
In the directions it says to add half the hot cream to the yolk mixture and return to heat. What happens to the other half?
Carolyn says
Hi…that’s called “tempering the eggs”. The other part of the cream remains in the bowl and you add the tempered yolks back into it.
Buttoni says
You just keep outdoing yourself, Carolyn. BRAVO! One of my favorites I’ll have to try.
Carolyn says
Thanks, Peg!
Michelle says
I am going to try this tomorrow … Like all the ladies said Carolyn … Well done 🙂
GadgetQueen says
This can also be called DACQUOISE. America’s Test Kitchen did a whole show on it. They said to add the sugar to the egg whites as follows, half at very soft peaks, half at the end & the meringue will be less brittle, a good thing when you want to cut it.
I’m making this recipe!
Carolyn says
Low carb sweeteners work differently than sugar, so don’t necessarily follow ATK guidelines. I’ve made a dacquoise before that was far too brittle because I treated the Swerve like sugar. The trick with low carb meringue is to NOT beat until stiff, but only until it just barely holds the peak. Hope that helps!
Emma says
This sounds like an easier way to satisfy my LC boston cream pie cravings! Beautiful result, too. I love swerve but I find the powdered very messy to work with… inhaled it numerous times. It’s not very sweet, either, but I prefer that. : )
One question: I don’t want to invest in arrowroot starch for one recipe, and it’s pretty high carb in larger amounts – I do have xanthan gum and a Locust bean/ guar, acacia, xanthan gum thickening mixture – would either of these work in the custard instead?
Carolyn says
The gums might work but I can’t guarantee. My advice is to add no more than 1/2 tsp right at the end of the pastry cream process and whisk like crazy to get it to combine without any clumps.
Lauren Benning says
Carolyn, this cake is beautiful! I’m learning so much about using Swerve from perusing the recipes on your website. Happy to see the press you’ve gotten this past year! Congrats. 🙂
Carolyn says
Thanks so much, Lauren. I read somewhere you were going to focus more on your blog too? But I think you also got a medical degree?
Jacque says
Could you use Splenda instead? They don’t sell swerve locally. 🙁
Carolyn says
No, unfortunately Splenda will change the consistency of the meringues and filling. CAn you order some online?
charlotte says
these look sooooooooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i am definitely making these soon.
love chocolate
love pastry cream
love meruinge ANYTHING!!!
Love these
charlotte says
P.S ( i forgot to ask)
Could you use sugar instead of swerve?
If your not low-carb?
i’m GF, but am fine with everything else
Carolyn says
Of course! Swerve measures equivalent to sugar to just directly replace it.
Petra says
I just love the idea of this recipe. It looks so yummy but we cant do tree nuts/gluten/corn/soy/coconut in our house. Any suggestions?
Carolyn says
You could try making the meringue part without any filler like almond flour. Not sure how it would bake up, though.
Linda @ Fit Fed and Happy says
Feel free to come over and, oh you know, be my mom 🙂
What a wonderful kitchen we would have with you!
Cecelia says
What can I use instead of stevia extract?
Your recipes have been a god sent for our family and especially for my granddaughter.
With her being a diabetic and eating gluten free the carbs in your recipes are so low that she can enjoy the sweet things like everyone else.
Thanks again
Carolyn says
You can use more Swerve or erythritol. 1/4 tsp of stevia = 1/4 cup more Swerve for most of my recipes.
georgia says
Is there a difference in arrowroot “powder” and “starch”? I have the powder and wonder if measurements and final outcome would be the same
Carolyn says
Same thing!
Jane says
If you were going to make this a day or so ahead how would you recommend storing the meringues so they would not become sticky or too dried out? What a wonderful dessert….I’m making it (maybe two) for my 75th birthday for a large family party! Thank you so much!!
Carolyn says
I would just cover them with a tea towel and leave them on the counter or in some other cool dry place. I often do my basement when I need to store cake layers for a night.
Karen Jo says
Who cares if it messy to cut! You can cut and smear this take all over my face! It is beautiful 🙂
Katie says
Hi Carolyn!
Just came by to say I made this cake for a party a few weeks ago and it was a huge hit!
I admit I was a little intimidated by the meringue layers at first and I did have a bit of trouble peeling them off of the parchment paper. Two of the three layers ended up in pieces I had to put back together like a puzzle! HOWEVER once the cake was assembled, chilled, and then set out, it was not the least bit noticeable. The pastry cream did an amazing job holding it all together.
Thank you so much for this recipe – it is truly amazing and I will be making this again!
Katie
Carolyn says
Thanks, Katie! It can be tricky to get the meringue off. I wonder if greasing the parchment would help? Only problem there is that fats often cause egg whites to deflate. Worth a try, though!
Lorinda says
This got 12 thumbs up at Thanksgiving. I’m the only diabetic in my fam, so I have something to prove when making dessert – and thanks, Carolyn for helping me prove it! I added thin banana slices (maybe 1.5 medium bananas total) in each cream layer because I miss banana cream pie and chocolate/banana is a sure way to win over my Dad. Being foodies, my Mom and I sat and brainstormed other variations that would work: for the chocolate ganache topped version, coconut or raspberries in the pastry cream layers, Leaving off the ganache and doing a sour cream creme pat would go with a chunky blueberry sauce or thin slices of cinnamon apples. . I found the amount of fruit I ended up adding per slice was pretty negligible = maybe 4 carbs – but all agreed it was a great enhancement. The only change I’d make next time is to pipe the meringues in single serving-sized oblongs or circles so that each serving could be an individual stack of meringues and there’d be no custard blurping out the sides from cutting. A bit more time, but it would be worth it to me for a prettier presentation for a special dinner.
Carolyn says
Many great ideas here!
Wanda says
Can the individual meringues Lorinda mentioned be frozen for later asembly?
Carolyn says
I don’t know if they would survive the freezer.
Andrew W. says
HOLY COW. This is a devastatingly good dessert. The meringue is almost like a crispy almond cookie. This, layered with an rich, glossy pastry cream, and top with a slightly bitter chocolate… It was a definitive moment in my life. It can’t be possible for something to taste this good… or so I thought.
The only thing I’m weary on, is rationing it out. It it very difficult!
Carolyn says
Glad you like it!