Kalte Schnauze or Groom’s cake, make it Paleo style – No sugar! use Stevia

This very rich chocolate coconut fat cake used to be my sisters favourite when we were little, I used to think it’s super dangerous on the waist line.

Not anymore! My birthday was up, the big 30, me being Paleo required some birthday cake planning. I remembered that the Kalte Schnautze cake  was a fat laden concoction mainly made with coconut fat, brilliant that works with Paleo I thought and dug out the recipe exchanged ingredients and got to work.  No need to break good paleo habits on a birthday!

The cake has no gluten or sugar, I don’t see why I would make myself ill on my birthday when I am celebrating a long and happy life.

A little bit of background on this very strange cake.

The cake seems to be popular in many cultures, probably because it is so easy.

You can find it under the name of: Lukullus, Kalte Pracht, Kekstorte, Kalte Torte, Kalte Schnauze, Schwarzer Peter, Kalter Igel, Wandsbeker Speck oder Kellerkuchen.

In Italy, they have a  similar cake called  Salame di cioccolato (Chocolate salami) or In Turkey Salame turco (Turkey salami). In Dänemark it’s known as Kiksekage (Biscuit cake), in Norway Delfiakake (Delfia-cake) named after a coconut fat brand. In the UK we have a  chocolate biscuit cake that is also called Groom’s cake, it is usually made in a round shape and has broken Tea Biscuits set in a chocolate mass. Prince William has apparently requested a chocolate biscuit cake for the big Royal Wedding.

I did share some of the cake with a newly converted paleo eater, and yes she loved it. I actually made another Kalte Schnauze a couple of days ago , trying it with 100% raw chocolate liquor, and it worked a treat.

 

Short cake style biscuit layers

Makes: a small lunch box sized block cake –  14cm x 9cm x 5cm       Servings: 7

Prep time: 5 min

Cooking: 12-15min at 180 degree celsius pre heated oven (middle shelf)

 

For the short cake base you need:

• 45g Almond flour / ground almonds – mixed ground nuts work too.
• 20g Coconut flour
• 30g Quark or Yoghurt
• 20g Coconut oil
• couple of drops vanilla extract – optional
• 1-3  knife-tips Stevia-sweet 90% powder dissolved in 1 table spoons hot water

Note: getting the sweetness to the desired level is a matter of trial and error, the best thing is to start with a smaller amount of whatever Stevia you have on hand, it can be ready-use, liquid or tabs (need to be dissolved too), adding more is easier than diluting – you could end up with a huge amount of treat -Don’t have any Stevia yet? – you can always use normal sweetener products until you are set up.

 

 

Short cake Instructions:

Add all ingredients together and combine to a smooth mass by hand.

You can put it in the fridge  for 2 hours to harden the fat again to allow the rolling out to be easier, I have found that it’s fine to be done by hand.

Line an oven tray with grease proof paper – press the short cake base (best by hand as it is sticky) out into a thin square layer 3-5mm thick and similar width to box you’ll use. You want to be able to trim the base to about 3 layers of cake.

Whilst the base is baking you can start preparing the Chocolate coconut fat filling/ ganache, see below.

Place in the pre-heated oven for  12-15 min, the base will be lightly golden, it does not really need longer than 10-13min.

Remove from oven leave to cool.

Careful – the missing gluten makes this base very brittle – handle with care.

Cut the cooled base into a shape that is smaller than the box you are using for the cake. We want to have no short cake showing on the outside.

 

Chocolate coconut fat filling/ ganache

Makes: a small lunch box sized block cake –  14cm x 9cm x 5cm

Prep time: 5 min

Cooking/ Melting: 15min at low heat in double boiler

Cooling/ setting time: 1hour in the freezer – 2hours in the fridge

 

For the Chocolate filling/ ganache you need:

• 60g Coconut oil
• 250ml Double cream (organic or raw where possible – it’s more Paleo)
• 100g  90% Lindt extra dark chocolate or 100% Raw Chocolate liquore
• couple of drops vanilla extract – optional
• 1 tbsp Amaretto – optional!
• 2 medium Eggs
• 1-3  knife-tips Stevia-sweet 90% powder dissolved in 1 table spoons hot water

Note: getting the sweetness to the desired level is a matter of trial and error, the best thing is to start with a smaller amount of whatever Stevia you have on hand, it can be ready-use, liquid or tabs (need to be dissolved too), adding more is easier than diluting – you could end up with a huge amount of treat -Don’t have any Stevia yet? – you can always use normal sweetener products until you are set up.

 

Ganache Instructions:

Cut Chocolate roughly to speed up melting process.

Add all ingredients apart from the eggs! into a double boiler, set heat to low to gradually melt everything together.

Don’t worry when the mass looks rough and curdled, it will all come together in the end.

When everything is melted with no lumps of chocolate left, put the mass into a mixing jug.

Mix in one egg at a time with electric mixer until the mass is smooth, silky – creamy consistency.

 

Now you are ready for assembly.

Line small lunch box (size similar to above) with cling film. (it helps get the cake back out of the rigid container after cooling.)

Scoop some of the chocolate ganache into the lined box.

Lay the 1st shortcake you cut to size centrally on top of the chocolate filling.

Scoop more of the chocolate ganache on top of the shortcake and around it.

Repeat process and finish off with final layer of chocolate filling.

Place into the fridge for approx. 2hours or if you can’t wait into the freezer.

When the cake feels set, carefully remove it from the box  tugging on the cling film evenly.

Set the cake onto a plate and remove all the cling film, decorate (I used Strasberries, Yes they are really called like that) and serve chilled with a nice cup of coffee.

Don’t panic thinking the cake is too small, it easily serves 7 people as it is so rich and satiating.

 

TIPS:

– you can use normal flour to make this recipe too

– replace the Quark/ Yoghurt with more coconut fat or room temperature butter

– short cake can be made a day in advance

– the whole cake can be kept in the fridge for a few days,

– it even freezes well, if you are in a hurry you can speed up setting by placing in the freezer.

– Don’t keep the finished cake in a place that could be warm in any way, mine melted when I left it on the dashboard in the car on a cloudy day!

– replace the double cream in the filling with more coconut fat for a dairy free version.

 

 

Here’s the calorie count.

One slice 2cm thick approximately  306 kcal’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you got a childhood favourite cake or treat that you thought you could never have again, maybe you can, let’s convert your recipes!

MK xx