I love piña coladas, however, the calorie count for these is sky high. It is the drink of summer. Fun fact – I hate summer. I know I am one of the few people on this planet who hates warm weather. I never liked it in the first place, and now couple that with feeling like I’m in a blast furnace all the time, now I REALLY hate it. Just drinking a cup of coffee makes me sweat buckets. Growing up I was most active in the winter. My body just hasn’t learned that warm weather is really not bad. On the positive side, I don’t blast the furnace once it does get cold again.

This week’s recipe is for a Piña Colada Cake from the Pioneer Woman. Looking at the recipe, there is A LOT of high fat and sugar ingredients. The one thing I can’t get rid of is the pineapple. Even though that is a high sugar fruit, it’s still fruit and good for you. That’s why this recipe is lower carb instead of low carb. If I took the pineapple out, it would just be coconut cake. I wouldn’t be bad, but still. A slice of this cake will be worlds healthier than a piña colada drink. Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replaced all of the sugar with their sweetener equivalents.
• I replaced the oil with unsweetened applesauce to reduce the calories and fat.
• I replaced the flour with almond and coconut flours to reduce the carbs.
• I replaced the heavy whipping cream with a plant-based alternative to replace the dairy.
• I replaced the coconut cream with light coconut milk to reduce the saturated fat and calories.
• I replaced the coconut cream pudding mix with a sugar free vanilla to reduce the carbs and calories.
• I increased the servings from 10 to 24 to lower the calories.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Lower Carb Piña Colada Cake

Serves 24

For the cake

• Nonstick baking spray
• 3 large eggs
• 2 c. granulated sweetener
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. unsweetened applesauce
• 2 1/4 c. almond flour
• 3/4 c. coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice

For the soak

• 1 15-ounce can light coconut milk
• 2 tbsp. dark rum
• 1 tbsp. lime juice

For the frosting

• 3 c. cold dairy free heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1/3 c. confectioner’s sweetener
• 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice 
• 1 3.4-ounce package sugar free vanilla instant pudding mix

1. For the cake: Prepare a 13×9-inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
2. Whisk the eggs, sweetener, and vanilla in a large bowl for about 1 minute (you can use a whisk or a hand blender). Add the applesauce and whisk well to fully combine. 
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Add 1/2 of the crushed pineapple and whisk to combine completely. Add another 1/3 of the flour, then the remaining crushed pineapple, and the remaining flour mixture; whisking well to combine between each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and fold in any unincorporated bits. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. 
4. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Loosely place foil over the top of the cake to prevent excess browning. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven. Using a wooden spoon or a fork, poke holes all over the cake.
5. For the soak: Whisk together the coconut milk, rum, and lime juice. Slowly pour the coconut mixture over the top of the warm cake. Allow to cool completely.
6. For the topping: Using a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip 1 ½ cups of cream in a large bowl on medium-high speed until thickened. Add the confectioner’s sweetener and whip until firm peaks form. In a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, drain the crushed pineapple and reserve the liquid. 
7. In another large bowl, whisk the remaining 1 ½ cups of cream, the pudding mix, and the liquid drained from the can of pineapple until smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture in 3 additions until evenly combined. Fold in the drained pineapple.
8. Gently spread the topping over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.