I managed to get a few floors in our new house done during my time off. I’m pleased with the results. If you ever have to lay tile floors, Spin Doctor Tile Leveling System is the way to go (link not sponsored). We don’t know what we ever did before these. It made tiling a floor over a less than level surface much more manageable. Credit my sister-in-law for turning us on to these.

This week I decided to bake an old fashioned cake. I am starting with a recipe for Jam Cake and making this into cup cakes. Jam Cake is a recipe that uses fruit to stretch the sugar out because at the time this was developed, sugar was harder to come by. I am taking this a step further and removing the flour and sugar all together and making this low carb. I am also making these into cupcakes because they are easier to portion. Not that I wouldn’t want a big slice of cake, but I’d rather avoid that mistake.

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replaced all of the sugar with their sweetener substitute to lower the carbs.
• I deleted the dulce de leche to reduce the carbs and make a simpler frosting.
• I replaced the all purpose flour with almond and coconut flour to reduce the carbs.
• I replaced the jam with a sugar free variety to lower the carbs.
• I replaced the salted butter with unsalted butter to reduce the sodium.
• I replaced the whipping cream with a dairy free variety to remove the dairy.
• I replaced the buttermilk with lemon juice and coconut milk to remove the dairy.
• I replaced the butter in the batter with unsweetened applesauce to lower the saturated fat and calories.
• I replaced the cream cheese with a vegan variety to remove the dairy.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Low Carb Jam Cake Cupcakes

Makes 24 Cupcakes

For the cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups sweetener
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups sugar free seedless blackberry jam
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped toasted pecans
• 1 cup peeled and grated Granny Smith apple (about 1 large)
• Shortening

Frosting

• 2 (8-oz.) packages non dairy cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 4 Tbsp. non dairy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sweetener

1. Prepare the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Beat first 2 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until the sweetener is dissolved. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
2. Stir together flours and next 3 ingredients. Stir together coconut milk, lemon juice and baking soda in a 2-cup glass measuring cup. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
3. Stir jam until smooth. Add jam and vanilla to butter mixture, and beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in toasted pecans and grated apple. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into two muffin tins lined with paper cups.
4. Bake at 350° for 10 to 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pans as the cupcakes will be soft until cool. Remove the cupcakes when cool.
5. Prepare Frosting: Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add sweetener and beat until dissolved. Gradually add 2 Tbsp. whipping cream, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and beat at medium speed. Add up to 2 Tbsp. additional cream, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and beat until frosting is desired spreading consistency. Spread on each cupcake.