Zucchini cake is a great alternative for those on a low-carb diet! Although it is not very conventional, we will use zucchini when making this cake that is ketogenic, gluten-free and diabetic-friendly. You can satisfy your sweet cravings in a healthy way with this recipe, which is both delicious and nutritious.
Why Zucchini?
As you know, zucchini is an indispensable vegetable in the ketogenic diet. It’s a vegetable which is both intestinal-friendly and low-carb, is also very low in calories. Zucchini also has high fiber content. It is also rich in vitamins A, C and K and minerals such as potassium and magnesium.
Just like apple, zucchini acts as a natural moisturizer when used in dessert recipes, giving the cake a soft texture. So much so that it gives the cake a bit of a brownie feel. Additionally, since it does not have a very distinctive taste, its flavor does not come through in the cake. Normally, it might make more sense to use sweet pumpkin as a vegetable when making a cake. But pumpkin is not preferred on the ketogenic diet because it is rich in carbohydrates.
While 1 cup of mashed pumpkin contains 9.3 g of net carbs; 1 cup of mashed zucchini has 4 g of net carbs.
You can read the relevant article to learn how to calculate net carbohydrates.
Ketogenic, Low-Carb and Gluten-Free
The ketogenic diet is known for its low carbohydrate and high fat content. The purpose of this diet is to enable the body to use fats instead of carbohydrates as an energy source. Ketogenic diet keeps blood sugar balanced and keeps you full for a long time. A gluten-free diet is especially important for celiac patients and those with gluten intolerance. This recipe adapts to both dietary patterns.
Diabetes Friendly
Eating sweets can be a challenging issue for diabetics. Refined sugar used in traditional cake recipes can cause spikes and drops in blood sugar. This situation leads to energy fluctuations and sweet cravings. However, this recipe uses natural sweetener instead of refined sugar. Sweeteners with a low glycemic index, such as stevia and erythritol, help satisfy your sweet tooth without affecting blood sugar. Thus, you can enjoy a diabetes-friendly dessert.
I used erythritol as a sweetener in this sugar-free zucchini cake recipe. You can also choose different granular sweeteners such as monk fruit or keto stevia instead of erythritol.
Net Carbs
This recipe yields 18 slices of cake. Each slice contains only 2 g net carbohydrates and 99 kcal.
How to Make Zucchini Cake?
Here is a ketogenic, low-carb, gluten-free and diabetes-friendly, sugar-free and cocoa pumpkin cake recipe:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease the cake mold.
Step 2: Squeeze excess water from the grated zucchini and set aside. Make sure that you squeeze the water very well.
Step 3: In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut oil, milk, vanilla extract and grated zucchini.
Step 4: Then add the dry ingredients. Add erythritol, lemon zest and cocoa and mix.
Step 5: Add almond flour and chopped walnuts.
Step 6: Lastly, add the baking powder and baking soda, then pour the apple cider vinegar on it. Mix until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Step 7: Pour the mixture into the cake mold you prepared and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
Bon Appetit!
This zucchini cake recipe is suitable for both ketogenic and gluten-free diets. Being diabetic-friendly, it helps you overcome your sweet cravings without feeling guilty. You can easily prepare this delicious and nutritious zucchini cake in your own kitchen and enjoy it at tea time or as a light dessert.
Zucchini Cake (keto)
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 large grated green zucchini weighs approximately 300 grams when squeezed
- ¼ cup milk You can also choose almond/walnut/hazelnut/coconut milk without added sugar.
- ¼ cup coconut oil or butter 60 ml
- 1 cup granulated sweetener I used erythritol
- 2 cups almond flour
- ¼ cup cacao powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease the cake mold.
- Squeeze excess water from the grated zucchini and set aside. Make sure that you squeeze the water very well.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut oil, milk, vanilla extract and grated zucchini.
- Then add the dry ingredients. Add erythritol, lemon zest and cocoa and mix.
- Add almond flour and chopped walnuts.
- Lastly, add the baking powder and baking soda, then pour the apple cider vinegar on it. Mix until you get a homogeneous mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the cake mold you prepared and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.