Rich low carb mint chip ice cream with layers of gluten-free chocolate cake and a sugar-free chocolate ganache. Worth the effort for tasty summertime dessert!
Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9-inch springform pan well (line with parchment and grease parchment if your pan has a history of sticking).
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter with sweetener until well combined. Beat in eggs or egg whites and vanilla extract. Beat in half the almond flour mixture, then the almond milk and finally the remaining almond flour mixture until well combined.
Spread in prepared pan and smooth the top with a knife or an offset spatula.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until set and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove and let cool 15 minutes, then remove the sides of the pan and let cool completely. Once cook, cut horizontally into two even layers.
Ice Cream:
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine whipping cream, almond milk, sweetener and mint leaves. Bring to a low boil, then remove from heat, cover and let steep 30 minutes.
Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until mint leaves are pureed. Bring cream mixture back over low heat until it reaches about 175F on an instant read thermometer.
In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and then slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the hot cream mixture. Then slowly whisk yolks back into cream, whisking continuously. Cook until mixture reaches 180F on an instant read thermometer.
Pour mixture into a bowl set over an ice bath and let cool 10 minutes, Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
Stir in vodka and vegetable glycerin, if using, and then stir in mint and stevia extracts. Sprinkle surface with xanthan gum and whisk vigorously to combine.
Pour custard into the canister of an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions. Once churned, transfer to a bowl, stir in chocolate chips and place in freezer while beginning to assemble cake.
To assemble:
Line the sides of the same springform pan with parchment paper, with the parchment rising above the sides of the pan by an inch or two.
Place on layer of cake on the bottom of the pan and spread with half of the mint chip ice cream. Carefully place the second layer of cake on top of the ice cream (Note: If the cake layers seem fragile, try cutting them in half to make it easier to transfer them back into the pan). Top with remaining ice cream. Freeze until ice cream is firm, at least 2 to 3 hours.
Chocolate Ganache:
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Stir in powdered sweetener and vanilla extract.
Let cool 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened but still pourable. Pour over top of cake, allowing it to drip down sides. Serve immediately
To cut the cake, immerse a sharp knife in very hot water for 30 seconds. Return to hot water as needed while cutting. The leftovers may freeze quite hard so let sit out 10 to 15 minutes before cutting again.
Notes
Serves 16. Each serving has 10.64 g of carbs and 3.84 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 6.8 g.Food energy: 317kcal
Saturated fatty acids: 13.23g
Total fat: 27.17g
Calories from fat: 244
Cholesterol: 115mg
Carbohydrate: 10.64g
Total dietary fiber: 3.84g
Sodium: 149mg
Protein: 8.05g