Keto-Friendly Chocolate Cake

I baked this cake a little while ago for someone who was trying out a very low carbohydrate diet (also known as a keto diet). I couldn't bear the thought of him not having a birthday cake so devised the chocolate cake below. The end result was pretty satisfying - a cocoa-rich sponge - it's not too moist, but with the cream cheese frosting, it's a really nice mouthful. I added a whey protein powder to the frosting for extra gains, but this is optional. If you don't add the powder, the frosting will be looser but will still be usable. I topped the cake with a dark chocolate drip - this does add a little sugar but it does add an extra flavour dimension to the cake.
This cake is also gluten-free for the celiacs out there :)
Keep the cake in the fridge once it's finished - it'll keep for 2-3 days.

Makes one 20cm cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 120g (1 cup) ground almonds
• 100g (3/4 cup) chopped walnuts, plus 6 halves for decoration
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp stevia
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting:

1. 250g (1 & 1/8 cup) cream cheese
2. 15g (1/2 a scoop) cinnamon whey protein powder (optional)
3. 1 tbsp lemon juice
4. 1 tbsp cocoa powder

To finish:

1. 30g 72% dark chocolate
2. 20ml water
3. 1/4 tsp ground coffee

Method:

1. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 180c (160c fan)/355f/gas mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm cake tin.

2. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until they are very frothy and form peaks when the whisk is lifted out of the mix.

3. Whisk together the egg yolks with the stevia and vanilla for a few minutes until the yolks have lightened in colour and increased in volume.

4. Mix the ground almonds with the cocoa briefly, then add the egg yolk/stevia/vanilla mixture. Beat well to a paste. Add all but 1 tbsp of the chopped walnuts and fold in briefly.

5. Fold in the egg whites carefully, just until you can't see any specks of white.

6. Pour into the prepared cake tin, level, then bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top feels springy and the sides of the cake are coming away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the oven, and leave for five minutes. Turn out onto a cooling tray to cool fully.

7. Make the frosting by beating together the cream cheese, protein powder (if using), lemon juice and cocoa powder, until smooth.

8. Once cool, smooth the frosting onto the tops and side of the cake and set aside whilst you make the chocolate topping.

9. Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 20-second bursts on full power, stirring well after each burst, until the chocolate has melted.

10. Meanwhile, heat together the water and coffee in a pan until it is simmering. Once the chocolate has melted, pour over the coffee mixture and whisk well. Set aside until it is at room temperature (if it firms up too much, place in the microwave for 10 seconds).

11. Pour two-thirds of the chocolate around the rim of the cake, gently smoothing over the sides to get a drip effect. Pour the remaining chocolate into a piping bag, and pipe the name/any writing you'd like on the top. Finish with the walnut halves, and sprinkle over the reserved chopped walnuts.

12. Place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, until the chocolate has set.

13. Enjoy!