Strawberry Almond Cake

This almond cake recipe works well with gluten-free flour. I prefer the taste and texture of Cup4Cup flour. I also use monk fruit sweetener, which works beautifully as a sugar substitute. I recommend buying a brand that has been blended with erythritol so that you can replace it 1:1 with white sugar, like Lakanto, which makes both a classic variety and a Golden variety that substitutes for brown sugar. It’s available on Amazon, in Walmart, or in health-food stores. This cake is delicious even without the whipped-cream topping.

Benefits: Monk fruit sweetener is made from the juice of the monk fruit, which is high in antioxidants. It tastes about 100 times sweeter than traditional sugar but contains no calories or carbohydrates at all. It won’t increase your blood sugar, so it’s appropriate for diabetics. Almonds have plenty of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E. Strawberries contain a good amount of vitamin C and anthocyanins, which may help inhibit the growth of cancer cells and improve capillary function in the brain, eyes, and skin.

Serves 8

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (or seeds from 1 vanilla bean)
¼ cup honey
¾ cup vanilla or plain yogurt
1/3 cup monk fruit sweetener (I use Lakanto Golden) or brown sugar
3 Tbs. butter, melted and cooled
1 cup almond flour
1 cup coconut flour (or another cup of almond flour, if preferred)
½ cup all-purpose, gluten-free flour (I prefer Cup4Cup)
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt

Whipped Cream Topping (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tbs. Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener (or sugar), plus additional to taste
½ Tbs. pure vanilla extract
½ cup mascarpone cheese
Sea salt to taste

Garnish
2 cups sliced strawberries
¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and then whisk in the vanilla extract, honey, yogurt, sweetener or sugar, and butter.
4. In another bowl, sift together the flours, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients.
5. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
6. Set aside and cool completely. Then invert the pan onto a cooling rack.
7. Make the whipped-cream topping, if using: With a handheld electric or stand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat until fluffy. When nearly done, add the mascarpone and a pinch of salt and beat in until mixed. Add more sugar to taste.
8. Top the cake with the whipped cream (if using), leaving a 1-inch border uncovered.
9. Garnish with the strawberries and almonds and serve.

Gluten-Free if using gluten-free flour
Sugar-Free if using monk fruit sweetener

This recipe appears in Anti-Aging Dishes From Around the World. Buy it now!