This week has been busy. Tony has been working extra hours at our old house to get it ready. We were hoping to sell it, but his Mom may be moving there instead. It’s up in the air right now. We’re not sure what’s going to happen. We have to be ready for any possibility.

As for me, I’ve been under the weather over the last week. However, being able to work remote I have been able to social distance. Before this I had two choices: call in sick or go to work sick. Neither option was great. Working remote allows me to save my sick time and work when I’m not feeling well, but not dreadfully sick. Even when I do call in sick, I still do at least some work. But, in that case, I rest most of the time.

This week I’m still overloaded in my freezer so another dessert again this week. I am starting with a recipe from All Recipes for Toasted Almond and Coconut Cake with White Chocolate Ganache. I thought the recipe just sounded good. It also looked like I could easily make this gluten free and low carb.

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I swapped out the sweetened coconut for unsweetened to reduce the sugar.
• I replaced the sugars with their sweetener equivalents to reduce the sugar.
• Replaced some of the butter with unsweetened applesauce to reduce the calories and saturated fat.
• I replaced the all purpose flour to make this gluten free and lower the carbs.
• I swapped out the white chocolate chips with a sugar free variety to lower the carbs.
• I replaced the whipping cream with a plant-based variety to remove the dairy.
• I replaced the buttermilk with coconut milk and lemon juice to remove the dairy.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Low Sugar Toasted Almond and Coconut Cake with White Chocolate Ganache

Serves 16

White Chocolate Ganache

• ½ cup sugar free white chocolate chips
• ½ cup plant-based heavy cream

Cake

• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• ¾ cup finely chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons almond flour
• 6 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• ¾ cup granulated sweetener
• ¼ cup firmly packed brown sweetener
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups coconut milk, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Mix the coconut milk and lemon juice. Set aside.
2. Place white chocolate chips and plant-based heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power until melted, about 1 minute, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir to thoroughly combine. Cool at room temperature for 10 minutes; cover and place into the refrigerator to cool completely, at least 1 hour.
3. Add coconut flakes and chopped almonds to a large skillet; cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour into a bowl and allow to cool completely.
4. Heat butter in a small light-colored saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until butter smells nutty and brown bits begin to form in the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Pour browned butter into a large mixing bowl; allow to cool for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9-inch square baking pan with enough parchment paper to leave overhang on all sides.
6. Whisk together flours, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum and nutmeg in a bowl; set aside.
7. Add white and brown sweeteners and applesauce to the bowl with cooled browned butter. Cream together until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add in eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition; beat an additional 2 minutes until mixture has slightly lightened in color. Mix in almond and vanilla extracts. Pour in half of flour mixture and mix until just combined. Pour in buttermilk and mix until just combined. Add in remaining flour mixture and mix until just combined.
8. Measure out 2 tablespoons of toasted coconut mixture; set aside for topping. Fold remaining coconut mixture into cake batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Tap pan on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles.
9. Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the cake springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove cake from oven; place on a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
10. Remove white chocolate ganache from the refrigerator. Whip on medium-high speed until it holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Spread whipped chocolate ganache evenly onto completely cooled cake. Sprinkle reserved coconut mixture on top of cake.