INSTRUCTIONS
Pastry Cream:
- Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with sweetener and salt, then whisk in arrowroot starch* until mixture becomes pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
- Slowly whisk about half of the hot cream into the yolks to temper, then return the yolk/cream mixture back to the saucepan and cook until thick and glossy, about 1½ minutes, whisking continuously. It thickens up suddenly and quickly, so watch carefully!
- Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla and stevia. Transfer to a small bowl and press plastic wrap flush to the surface. Chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours.
- *If you don’t want to use arrowroot starch, you can whisk in 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum at the end to help thicken the pastry cream. This should be your last step before chilling.
Meringue Layers:
- Preheat oven to 350F. On a large piece of parchment, trace three (3) 5×10 inch rectangles. Place parchment on a large baking sheet.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour and powdered sweetener.
- In a large, clean bowl, beat egg whites with granulated sweetener, vanilla extract, cream of tartar and salt until they just begin to hold stiff peaks.
- Gently fold in almond flour mixture until fully combined.
- Spread meringue mixture evenly onto each of the 3 traced rectangles.
- Bake 15 minutes, then turn off oven and prop open door with a wooden spoon. Leave inside until cool.
Chocolate Ganache:
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together, stirring until smooth.
- Stir in powdered sweetener and vanilla extract.
- Let cool 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened but still pourable.
To Assemble:
- Peel one meringue layer carefully off parchment and lay on serving platter.
- Spread with half of the pastry cream. Top with another layer of meringue and spread with remaining half of pastry cream. Top with final layer of meringue.
- Pour ganache over top of cake and let drip down the sides.
- Let set 1 hour before serving (you can refrigerate, but let it sit out 10 minutes before trying to cut, to soften ganache).
Recipe Notes
- Serves 10. Each serving has 5 g of carbs and 2 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3 g.