Light & Fluffy Vanilla Microwave Jiffy Cake - Amazingly Sugar-Free & Gluten-Free

This is a special recipe. 

If you have been looking for a healthy 2-minute microwave cake or muffin recipe, this is it. 

Not only is this cake amazingly light textured, it is also gluten-free, sugar-free, low-carb, high fiber, dairy-free, starch-free, and chemical-free.

Basic Vanilla Jiffy Cake with Sugar-Free Chocolate Ganache Topping.

Vanilla Jiffy Cake

There are some recipes out there that use almond flour and/or coconut flour, but they are generally heavy, dry, and not convincing. It is highly unusual to have a tasty sugar-free, gluten-free, and low-carbohydrate recipe in one.

You're welcome :)

I purposely pared this cake/muffin recipe down. It is like a blank canvas, ready for you to unleash your creativity on.

I'm thinking, pumpkin-spice, applesauce cake, lemon-blueberry, sugar-free chocolate chip frosted with sugar-free chocolate ganache... I will be posting a almond-poppy seed muffin recipe next, using this recipe as the foundation. Check back soon.

This recipe is also a work in progress. Don't get me wrong, it's great as it is, but our recipes continually evolve here at Kitchen Cheetahs. We already have many variations, but I wanted to provide you with a basic recipe that is easy to make at home, with ingredients easy to source.



For a grain-free version, you may omit the oat bran flour and chia flour and use 1 T. golden flax seed meal instead. Note that the taste of the flax meal will be noticed in this recipe, since there are no spices or other strong flavors to mask the taste.

We like to make multiple batches of the single-serving dry cake/muffin mix and individually seal them in small zip-lock bags. When the munchies hit, grab 1 bag of dry mix and add the wet ingredients, mix, microwave, and enjoy!

This Jiffy Cake generously serves one. My daughter and I usually share one. An added benefit of this cake is that it is quite filling, and staves off cravings for hours. This cake isn't full of empty calories either, so it makes a great meal or snack. We like these low-carb Jiffy Cakes a lot, as they help with carb cravings when you want to slim down.




Basic Jiffy Cake Recipe for One Jiffy Cake:

Dry Ingredients:
3 T. (24 grams) white almond flour (Honeyville is a good brand)
2 T. (18 grams) coconut flour (we like Wilderness Family Naturals brand)
2 t. (6 grams) oat bran flour
1 t. (2.50 grams) chia seed flour
1 T. (15 grams) erythritol (or Lakanto's granular zero-cal sweetener)
1 T. (14 grams) xylitol
1 T.  (11 grams) IMO powder (or inulin powder)
1/2 t. (2.50 grams) baking powder
1/8 t. (0.40 grams) lecithin powder
heaping 1/16 t. (0.50 grams) sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 large egg, at room temperature (about 50 -51 grams)
1 t. (8 grams) vegetable glycerine
1/8 t. (1 gram) stevia glycerite, to taste
2 T. (28 grams) warm water
2 T. (26.50 grams) warmed deodorized coconut oil
1/2 t. (2.50 grams) real vanilla extract


Method:

Pre-grind your chia seeds into a fine flour using a small seed/coffee mill.
Grind together all the dry ingredients so that the sweeteners are powdered into the mix.
Store dry mix in an air-tight container until ready to use.

To make one Jiffy Cake:

In a 2-cup microwave safe baking container, whisk the egg until blended.

Add the other wet ingredients in the order listed and mix to combine.

Place the container of batter off-center in your carousel microwave and cook on high for 2 minutes, uncovered. The center should just spring back when touched.

Let cake cool in the microwave 3 minutes.

Remove from microwave and invert cake onto a plate, if desired, and cool 3 more minutes.

If you are not going to eat the cake right away, cover the cake to prevent it's drying out.



Photos of the process:

Get all your ingredients out.

A seed mill and good scales are helpful to have.

A small casserole dish (with vented lid) for cooking the cake in.

Measuring the dry ingredients.

I move each ingredient to the opposite side as I use it, so I don't forget where I'm at in the recipe.

The coconut flour I used.

Grind the dry ingredients together in 2 batches.

Do not grind until mixture heats up or it will clump.

The finished dry cake/muffin mix.

Crack the egg into the baking dish then mix in the rest of the wet ingredients.

Mix the dry mix into the wet mix until lump free.

Place the baking container off-center in the microwave so it will cook more evenly.

Let the cooked Jiffy Cake cool in the microwave for about 3 minutes.

Remove cake from microwave and let cool another 3 minutes.

The finished vanilla Jiffy Cake.

Cover the cake if you are not going to eat it right away

The cooled cake is ready to frost.

Here is a sugar-free chocolate ganache frosting.

Dig in!

Look at the light texture and moist crumb...

Hard to believe that this is a guilt-free treat, huh?

O.K., I'm going to go eat this now.

Enjoy,

Leila & Nancy.

Copy-Cat TRUVIA Sugar Replacement Recipe

Copy-Cat Truvia Recipe (Sugar-Free Sweetener Substitute)

At way less than half of the cost of Truvia, it is well worth making your own! This is sweeter cup-for-cup than regular sugar, as this recipe is meant to mimic Truvia's sweetening profile.

Erythritol does not dissolve as easily as regular sugar, so you may need to help it along by heating it with the liquid you are putting it in and then stirring until completely dissolved. This blend is great for sweetening hot herbal teas for example.

Erythritol is extremely low in carbs and has a glycemic rating of almost zero, so it is great for low-carb diets. Nice.


Copy-Cat Truvia Recipe:

Yield: 1/2 cup (recipe easily multiplies)

1/2 c. granular erythritol *
1/4 t. pure white stevia extract powder **

Method:

Mix by shaking together very well in a sealed glass jar and store air-tight.


Tip: 

You can powder the erythritol with the stevia in a seed mill to get a finer textured sweetener. Just do not over-mix or the erythritol will start  to heat up, sticking to the seed mill's blades. A way to combat this sticking issue and still get a "powdered sugar", is to add about 10% tapioca starch before you grind it.

* You may also use Lakanto's White granular sweetener, which is erythritol enhanced with monk fruit.

** Like Carbohydrate-free NuStevia NoCarbs Blend (substitutes erythritol for the usual corn-based maltodextrin)


Have fun,

Leila

Classic Genovese Italian Pasta Sauce Recipe (Low-Carb, Gluten-Free)

Cook this delicious sauce low & slow...

Classic Genovese Pasta Sauce.

Genovese sauce served over pasta.

This is an hearty, meaty, onion-based pasta sauce that is famous in Campania Italy.

I used beef chuck, a good flavored, inexpensive cut of meat. The low and slow cooking process makes the beef very tender. The long cooking also softens the onions and brings out their flavor. This sauce is naturally low carb, gluten free, and sugar free.

This sauce reminds me of a hearty beef stew and French onion soup, combined. My family prefers this sauce over buttered rice. I also like it quite well over buttered pasta that has been cooked al dente. Bigger, chunkier pasta holds up best with this sauce, and it's fun to eat too. Serve over buttered pasta like Pacchieri, Candele, or Ziti. Choose gluten free pasta if desired.


Sauce Genovese Recipe:

1/4 pound bacon, diced small
2 pounds Beef chuck, cut into large cubes
4 pounds onions (4 or 5 onions), halved then quartered and sliced very thin
1 large carrot, peeled and diced small
2 ribs celery, with leaves, diced small
6 large cloves garlic, smashed
2 large bay leaves
2 to 3 sprigs fresh marjoram, optional
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 c. cooking white wine
Fresh minced parsley for garnishing
Parmesan cheese for garnishing
Diced fresh tomatoes for garnishing, optional


Method:

In a large dutch oven, over med-high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.
In the dutch oven with the bacon fat, brown the cubed beef in two batches. Brown well on all sides.
Remove the chuck from dutch oven and set aside.
Place the diced carrot, celery, and garlic into the dutch oven and cook 4 minutes, with stirring.
Put the chuck back into the dutch oven along with the bacon and bay leaves. Stir together.
Top with the fresh marjoram sprigs, if using.
Pack the finely slivered onions on top and season generously with salt and pepper.
Place the lid on the dutch oven and turn the heat down to a simmer.
Simmer at least 3 hours, or until the beef is fall-apart tender (you may instead bake in a low oven).
Add the cooking wine and continue cooking with the lid off about 30 more minutes, to reduce juices.
Break up and mash the meat well to make a thick saucy consistency. I like to use a potato masher.
Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
Serve over buttered brown rice, or buttered gluten-free large pasta.

If you choose to serve this over pasta, cook 1 pound of pasta in water that has been salted so that it tastes as salty as sea water. Save 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl. Add 2-3 T butter to the cooked pasta and stir until melted. Add a couple cups of meat sauce and a little of the starchy pasta water to bind the sauce and stir. Serve topped with more meat sauce.

Photos of the process:

Cook the bacon until crisp.

Cut the beef chuck into large cubes.

Brown the chuck in the bacon fat and then set aside.

Prep the vegetables while the beef is browning.

Add the vegetables to the dutch oven.

Cook the vegetables a few minutes to soften.

Add the bacon and bay leaves and stir.

Add the browned chuck to the vegetables.

Stir the meat and the vegetables together.

Top with the slivered onions.

Season with salt and pepper.

Turn the heat down to a simmer and place the lid on the dutch oven.

Simmer about 3 hours (low & slow).

Add wine and mash the mixture well.

The mashed beef mixture.

Taste for salt.

Serve over hot buttered pasta or buttered rice, garnish with parsley and serve.

Enjoy,

Leila.

Easy Sweet Italian Sausage & Pasta Skillet Dinner (Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free)

This one-skillet meal is very quick to prepare, which is nice for those busy week nights.

Fennel-scented Sweet Italian Sausage is the best choice here. The rich cream compliments the flavor of the Italian sausage perfectly and it mellows out the tomatoes too. You can add as much heat as you want with the red pepper flakes. I think a sprinkling of fresh rosemary would be nice here too.

If you are limiting sugar in your diet, using Lakanto's Golden Sweetener is a nice sugar-free alternative that is based on erythritol. If you are off dairy, skip the Parmesan cheese. You can also easily make this dish gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta, and remember to save a little of the pasta cooking water to thin and bind the sauce a bit, if desired.



Sweet Italian Sausage & Pasta Skillet:

1 (12-ounce) package bow tie pasta (may use gluten-free)
1 lb Sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 c. diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced or smashed
1 Sweet red bell pepper, diced, optional
1/4 to 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, chopped (or fire roasted tomatoes)
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 to 2 t. brown sugar or Golden Lakanto, to taste (to cut acidity of the tomatoes)
1/2 to 1 t. bioSalt or sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
Shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnishing, optional


Method:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt to the water so that it is as salty as sea water.

Boil pasta according to package directions, until al dente; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet brown the sausage over medium heat. Add coconut oil if needed.

Add the onion and garlic, and the red bell pepper if using, and cook until tender.

Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, red pepper flakes, cream, and brown sugar.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the hot drained pasta and mix together well.

Top with minced parsley and serve.

Garnish individual plates with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.



Photos of the cooking process:

Enjoy,

Leila.

Thai Curry Soup (Noodles & Co.Copy-Cat Recipe)

A delicious rendition of a favorite soup

Noodles & Co. Thai Curry Soup

The first time I ate at Noodles & Co., I ordered their Thai Curry Soup. I loved it. I loved the fresh toppings, plus I adore the flavors of a good Thai curry anyway. I already make a great Thai curry at home, but this soup is lighter, so I wanted to figure out how to make this soup at home too.

I took my leftover soup home. I wrote down what I guessed was in the soup and proceeded to create a recipe. I did side-by-side taste tests until my recipe tasted and looked the same. I am very pleased with the results. I make sure I have the fresh produce needed for the best presentation and taste.

You can easily make this sugar-free and gluten-free if you want to. Use Golden Lakanto instead of palm sugar. Miracle noodles or mung bean noodles can be used instead of rice noodles.

I prefer to add the prepared noodles into the individual serving bowls right before serving. The texture of the noodles isn't as good when it is reheated, So I do not add the noodles to the whole batch of soup.

Leila's Thai Curry Soup (My Noodles & Co. knockoff):

2 Tablespoons yellow (or green) Thai curry paste (Mae Ploy brand) 

1 19-oz can coconut milk (like Ayroy-D brand)

1 2-oz cube palm sugar 

2 19-oz cans water

1 1/2 Teaspoon sea salt (or BioSalt) OR 2 to 3 T. Thai Fish Sauce

1 pkg rice noodles, prepared according to pkg directions

1/2 Large red onion, sliced into thin slivers (or sweet onion)

1/4 head cabbage, shredded

2 Medium tomato, fresh, cubed

mushroom, fresh, slices, optional

spinach, fresh, place a small handful on top of hot soup before serving

cilantro sprigs, garnish with about 5 on top of each bowl before serving

2 Medium carrots, shredded, optional

tofu, cubed, optional.

Method :

In a soup pan, add 2 T. curry paste and a little of the coconut cream from the top of the can of coconut milk. Stir to blend while heating to bubbling. 

Add more coconut milk and the onion and saute 2 minutes. 

Add the rest of the coconut milk, 2 cans of water, the palm sugar and heat until the palm sugar dissolves completely.

Add the carrots, cabbage, mushrooms and simmer lightly, just until the vegies are tender-crisp. 

Add the prepared rice noodles. Add salt and tomatoes. 

It is ready to serve when heated through. 

Ladle into bowls and top with baby spinach leaves and then cilantro sprigs. Serve hot.

Note: You may make this sugar free by replacing the palm sugar with 2 ounces of Lakanto's golden zero-calorie sweetener (or to taste). Lakanto's sweetener is made of erythritol and monk fruit extract.

Enjoy,

Leila.