I always have grand plans when it comes to the holidays. Starting in October, my little mind starts whirring about all the things I plan to make and cook and decorate. But the closer and closer the holidays get, the more I realize that my grand plans are too grand by far, and I have to scale them back. I would make myself utterly miserable if I attempted them all, and this year that fact hit me with full force. The weeks leading up to Christmas were incredibly hectic and I scrapped many of my plans in an effort to keep my sanity. I’d like to say I think it worked, but as a mother of three, my sanity is always in question as it is. Still, it felt very good to just let Christmas happen, without trying so hard to direct and control it all. And you know what? It all went beautifully and we had a fantastic time. Lesson learned, my friends.

One of the grander plans I scrapped for Christmas was this cake. I had intentions of serving it for dessert after Christmas dinner. But we had so many goodies thrust upon us by friends and family, and I had decided already that I wanted to treat my father, who was visiting, to one of his all-time favourites, mincemeat tarts with hard sauce. So a whole huge cake on top of all of that just seemed excessive. And deciding not to make it left me with a lot more time to spend with my family. But my husband’s birthday comes fast on the heels of Christmas, and I thought that making the cake for that celebration would be just the right thing.

The whole idea of this cake is based on a recipe from an old December issue of Bon Appetit magazine. It’s one that I once made in its full sugar, full carb version for a friend’s birthday, and I thought I could take a stab at making a low carb version. The filling in the original version is supposed to be chocolate peppermint, but as I was making it, I decided that a white filling would give a better, more interesting contrast. I also decided to add some crushed sugar-free peppermint candies into the filling, instead of just using them as the garnish.

The Results: I have to confess that cake-decorating is not my strong suit; I simply haven’t the patience for it. So although I had visions of my cake all beautifully glazed and perfect, it was a little messier than that. But flavour is the most important part, and this cake lived up to my expectations beautifully. It was a great mix of both chocolate and peppermint, and everyone in the family loved it. Don’t let my lousy glaze-spreading skills deter you from this tasty treat.

In fact, I made the mistake of leaving the cake within reach of my 2 year old. And I made this mistake not once, but TWICE. It was my husband who caught her both times, once before we’d even had a chance to eat any, and once on the day after his birthday. She did some serious damage the second time round, and I just had to take a picture to show you. It’s like a little mouse got at it!

Regardless, it’s a lovely cake and I highly recommend.

Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Cake

Cake:
2 cups almond flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup granulated erythritol
1/4 cup chocolate whey protein powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz Greek yogurt
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
20 drops stevia extract
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Peppermint Crunch Filling:
6 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/3 cup powdered erythritol or xylitol
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3 to 4 tbsp heavy cream
4 sugar-free peppermint candies, crushed

Chocolate Glaze:
7 tbsp butter
3.5 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 tbsp powdered erythritol
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp peppermint extract
20 drops stevia extract

Garnish:
4 sugar-free peppermint candies, crushed

For the cake, preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 9-inch springform pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, erythritol, protein powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt, breaking up any clumps with the back of a fork. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat yogurt and butter together until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and stevia and beat until just combined. Add half of almond flour mixture and beat until combined, then beat in almond milk. Beat in remaining flour mixture until thoroughly combined.

Spread batter in prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until set and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 15 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the pan and release the sides. Flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cake is completely cool, slice horizontally into two halves using a serrated knife.

For the filling, beat butter until smooth. Slowly add powdered erythritol until well combined. Beat in peppermint extract, and then cream one tablespoon at a time, until a spreadable consistency is achieved. Mix in crushed peppermint candies and spread filling over the cut-side of the bottom half of the cake. Top with the other side of the cake, cut-side down.

For the glaze, melt butter, chocolate, erythritol and cocoa powder together in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Stir in peppermint and stevia extracts. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes, or until thickened but still pourable.

Pour half the glaze over the top of the cake. Using an offset spatula, spread glaze over top and carefully down sides of cake, spreading along the sides as you go. Pour the rest of the glaze over the top and sides, spreading as you go. (Alternatively, you can simply let the glaze drip down the sides).

Sprinkle top of cake with remaining crushed peppermint candies. Let glaze set, about 1 hour.

Serves 12. Each serving has a total of 12.2 g of carbs and 5.3 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 6.9 g.