Gluten-Free Raspberry Chocolate Cake with Sugar Alternative!

Today I'm bringing you a more diabetic and diet-friendly recipe!  After several of my customers begged me to make a sugar-free dessert, I decided to whip up a delicious but healthier cake using Swerve brand sugar substitute.  Swerve is made with erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol naturally occurring in plants that doesn't raise your blood sugar. 

 So here it is!  Raspberry and Chocolate Cake...so yummy, I'll bet you'll never miss the sugar!

You'll need:

1 cup Swerve sugar alternative

1/2 cup coconut palm sugar

1 3/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 cup dark cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 ½  tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup Kerrygold butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 cup dehydrated raspberries

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp raspberry extract

1/2 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup of hot water

       Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare two 9” round Pans by lightly coating with cooking spray or oil.

        In a large measuring cup, rehydrate one cup of dried raspberries in one cup of buttermilk.  Set aside until needed.

 In a medium bowl, combine the sweeteners, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

        In a separate bowl, whip together the Butter, eggs, buttermilk/raspberries, and extracts.  

       Then slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Next, fold in the chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.

       Add hot water to the batter and mix well, until the batter is thin.  Then pour evenly into prepared pans and bake for about 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

       Once the cakes have finished baking allow them to completely cool before frosting!

 

Creamy Vanilla Raspberry Frosting

1  cup of Kerrygold Butter

1/2 cup palm shortening

1/4 cup dehydrated raspberries

3 cups Swerve powdered sugar alternative

3 tsp raspberry extract

3 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt, divided

Heavy cream, as needed

       Rehydrate the raspberries in just enough heavy whipping cream to cover the berries then stir to create a raspberry cream.

       In a large bowl, whip the butter and shortening with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Next, whip in one cup of powdered sugar substitute, half a teaspoon of salt, and the  flavorings.  To finish, whip in the remaining two cups of powdered 'sugar' one cup at a time and add the remaining salt.  Beat well between each addition and alternate with the raspberry cream. 

       Spread the frosting over the bottom layer of cake for the filling, then place the second cake on top.  Finish frosting the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

       You can dress up this cake with any garnishes you would like or simply enjoy it as is!