Bacon Chocolate Mocha Ice Cream Cake – Keto & Gluten Free

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Update: Meet the winner of Bake my Cake 2013! Thanks for all of your votes Peeps, together we (and bacon) crushed the sugar-lovin’ competition!

Each year one of my favorite bloggers, Rachel Dyer over at Movita Beaucoup, holds several awesome baking competitions. I’ve never entered before, but when she announced that the challenge for Bake My Cake 2013 was to bake a cake celebrating her graduation from baking school this summer, I knew I was going to enter, and that it had to be epic.

The competition gets pretty stiff over there at Movita Beaucoup, and I’m sure this year will be no exception.  Some of the entries are seriously hard core, using every decorating trick in the book. Take this cake from Shannon over at A Periodic Table from last year’s Bake My Cake competition.  Intimidating right????  She. Made. A. Bakery. OUT OF CAKE.  WITH TINY DONUTS!   I can’t even stand it.  Like I said, the competition is fierce, people!

Since I lack both the patience and decorating skills to compete with that level of awesomeness, I needed an edge. I mulled it over for weeks, and finally it hit me. Bacon. Everybody knows that bacon kills it in regular cooking competitions – why not a baking one? But the entire cake had to be good, and I wanted to stay true to my low carb and gluten free roots so you guys could recreate it if you wanted to.

The results were pretty awesome if I do say so! Epic even! I originally planned to make a basket weave cake using bacon instead of frosting as the weave. I procrastinated so long that I ran out of time, and wasn’t sure I could execute it correctly anyway (I may still try that someday).

I needed something out of the ordinary to decorate the cake with though, and I finally had a brainstorm one night – mini bacon ice cream cones. Totally squeee-worthy, right???? And they taste amazing!!! Salty and crunchy, with a hint of sweet from the chocolate coated edge, and a rich, cool creaminess from the coffee ice cream – super addicting and the perfect size!

The cake itself is a dense, brownie-like chocolate cake, nestling layers of coffee ice cream. Then I frosted it with a whipped chocolate ganache, and pressed crunchy crumbled bacon into the sides. Finally I piped on a mocha whipped cream frosting and added the ice cream cones on top. Viola! The Epic Bacon Chocolate Mocha Ice Cream Cake!

Is it a winner? I think so! But I’ll need your votes to make it happen. Just remember, this isn’t just a vote for me, it’s a vote for bacon. And I know you love bacon, or you would probably be on some low fat salad blog instead of IBIH right now!

So do me (and bacon) a solid, and head over to Movita Beaucoup  on Monday, June 17th to cast your vote, and help me crush the sugar loving competition!!!

Now, on to the recipe! This post will focus on the cake and frosting. The ice cream you can buy in a pinch, but I will be posting a recipe for a low carb coffee ice cream soon, if you want to make your own. Update: Here is the Low Carb Coffee Ice Cream recipe.  I’ll also be posting a tutorial to make the bacon ice cream cones in the very near future.

This cake is a lot of work to execute as is, so you may want to reserve it for special occasions.  To simplify it though, you could just do 2 layers of cake (I’m writing the recipe for 2 layers, if you want the full four layer extravaganza, just double it) with the mocha whipped cream frosting in the center, and the ganache on the outside, with the bacon crumble. Then serve it with a scoop of sugar free coffee ice cream and you’re good to go.

The cake layers I liked better thawed a bit, but by then the ice cream got very melty and the cake was falling apart – delicious still, but I think it would work just as well, if not better, deconstructed with the ice cream on the side. As is though, it’s very impressive and tastes amazing – so if you have an event coming up, and you want to impress your guests, this is DEFINITELY the cake to do it with!

(Edit: Head over to Movita’s post and comments about my cake to read all about the epic party we had, during which Martha Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow battled it out to get their hands on a piece.) (Disclaimer so I don’t get sued:  It didn’t really happen, but it’s a funny story nonetheless!)

Hope you guys love this cake (seriously, how could you NOT), and if you try it please do report back and let me know how it comes out!!!!

And don’t forget to vote for me on Monday over at Movita Beaucoup!!!  PRETTY PLEASE, with bacon ice cream cones on top!!!!!

Bacon Chocolate Mocha Ice Cream Cake – Low Carb & Gluten Free

★★ 2 from 1 reviews

• Yield: 10 servings 1x

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Description

This recipe makes enough for two layers of an eight inch chocolate cake – to make a four layer cake you’ll have to double the recipe for both the cake and frostings.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Cake

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 12 Tbsp butter
• 4 squares Lindt 90% chocolate (about 1.5 oz)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 Tbsp coconut flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar substitute
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 cups sugar free coffee ice cream, softened
• 8 slices cooked bacon (very crispy!), chopped

For the Ganache Frosting

• 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 bar (3.5 oz) Lindt 90% chocolate
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar substitute

For the Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting

• 1/4 cup Ganache Frosting (above)
• 2 Tbsp strong coffee (brewed)
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

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Instructions

To make the cake:

1. Melt the chocolate, cream, and butter together, whisking together until smooth. (You can do this on the stove, or in a microwave at 30 second intervals.) Cool slightly. Whisk in the beaten eggs a little at a time until fully combined. Add the vanilla and stir. Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, sugar substitute, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour into two greased and parchment-lined (optional but recommended – cut the parchment into an 8 inch circle and place on the bottom of the pan before pouring in the batter) 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 25 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool.

To make the Ganache Frosting:

1. Combine the whipping cream, chocolate, coconut oil, and sugar substitute in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then remove and stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds, remove and stir. If not completely melted, microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir until completely smooth. Pour into a clean bowl (preferably stainless) and chill for 2 hours or overnight, until firm enough to whip into a frosting. Once it’s completely chilled (you’ll know because it will be firm), whip into a fluffy frosting. Reserve 1/4 cup for your Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting.

To make the Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting:

1. In a large bowl, whip your heavy cream into stiff peaks. Whisk in the coffee. Fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the 1/4 cup of ganache frosting that you reserved, continue folding until fully combined. Add the chocolate mixture to the remaining whipped cream, and fold gently until smooth. Add to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tube. Chill until ready to use.

To assemble the cake:

1. Place one layer of cake on your serving plate. Top with softened coffee ice cream, and spread evenly to the edges. Place the second layer of cake, upside down, over the ice cream and press down evenly. Return to the freezer for 10 minutes to harden. Remove from the freezer and frost with your chocolate ganache frosting. Press your chopped bacon into the sides all the way around the cake. Return to the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove from the freezer and pipe a scalloped edge of Mocha Whipped Cream Frosting around both the top and bottom edges of the cake. Serve immediately, or return to the freezer. If storing in the freezer, remove and thaw for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

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Notes

Approximate nutrition information per serving:

You don’t want to know.

No, really, you don’t.

Are you sure? You’ve been warned!

Ok, fine…

But I didn’t add the ice cream in case you make it without or use a different flavor. If you use the ice cream, just add the nutrition info for whatever brand you are using. I will post my coffee ice cream recipe later this week, and add that nutrition info here if you choose to make your own.

Approx. nutrition info per serving of cake without ice cream:
520 calories, 49g fat. 6g net carbs, 9g protein

Approx nutrition per serving with ice cream:
664 calories, 63g fat, 6.4g net carbs, 10g protein

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/10th wedge of cake

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