Category: Breakfast

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

There are people who can follow a low sugar/low carb/ketogenic diet forever and ever and never have a desire for something sweet. I am not one of those people.

I feel really good when I eat very low carb – most of the time – but I still like sweets. It’s just part of who I am.

This means that I have to figure out how to make some tasty treats that are still pretty low in carbohydrates and sugar.

Some people love pie, some love cake, some love candy. I possess an equal opportunity sweet tooth. But if I were really forced to choose, I would choose cake. A light, fluffy vanilla cake with that awfully sweet white icing that you get at the grocery store – yep, I confess, that stuff is heaven on a plate. At least it used to be. I haven’t had any for years, but I do still dream about it.




So naturally, when I set out to make myself some sort of “sweet” treat, I went straight for cake. Voila! this coffee cake was born. As the name implies, this is amazing served alongside your morning cup of joe, but it’s equally good as an afternoon snack or a dessert after dinner. And no, it does not contain any actual coffee. Quite a relief to my kids!

If you’re in the mood for a treat, but need to stick with a low sugar diet, this cinnamon streusel coffee cake will hit the spot!

A request please: I’m trying out a new recipe format and I’d love your opinion. This one allows some options my previous form did not such as links to ingredients and nutrition information. Do you prefer one over the other? Would you like links to ingredients or nutrition info.? If you have an opinion on this, please leave me a comment. Thanks!

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

A light and fluffy treat fit for any time of the day! It's grain free, low carb, low sugar, ketogenic, appropriate for Trim Healthy Mama and easily adjusted for paleo. I think that makes it just about perfect!

Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 16 servings
Author Elizabeth

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1/2 cup butter or palm shortening at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup stevia/erythritol blend such as Truvia or 3/4 cup granular stevia
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 3 cups fine almond flour
  • 1/4 cup plain whey protein substitute with additional 1 Tbsp. coconut flour for paleo
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp. coconut flour
  • 1 cup half and half, heavy cream or full fat coconut milk

Streusel

  • 5 pitted Medjool dates
  • 1 1/2 cups nuts I prefer walnuts and/or pecans
  • 3 Tbsp. stevia/erythritol blend such as Truvia or 1/4 cup granular stevia
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
  • 3 Tbsp. butter or lard or coconut oil for paleo

Instructions

To make the cake

  1. Grease a 9x9 baking dish with butter or coconut oil. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

  2. Before you begin to make the cake, pour hot tap water into a bowl or glass and add the 5 dates. This allows them to soften so they can be chopped very finely. 

  3. Add butter to a large mixing bowl or bowl of stand up mixer. Beat until creamy. 

  4. Add stevia and blend well. 

  5. Add eggs, beating well after each one. 

  6. Add vanilla extract and combine well. 

  7. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients: almond flour, whey protein, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and coconut flour. Whisk to combine well. 

  8. Add 1/3 of dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of milk and mix. Add another 1/3 of dry ingredients, mix, then add remaining milk, mix. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well. 

  9. Spread half of cake batter in bottom of prepared baking pan. Set aside the rest while you make the streusel. 

To make the streusel

  1. To the bowl of a food processor (the small kind works well), add all streusel ingredients except butter. Pulse for about a minute until all nuts and dates are chopped very finely. Now add the butter and pulse a few more times to incorporate. 

Finish making the cake

  1. Place half of the streusel on top of the batter already in your baking pan. 

  2. Top with remaining batter. 

  3. Using a knife or thin spatula, swirl through the batter to mix in the streusel just a bit. 

  4. Now top with remaining streusel, distributing evenly. 

  5. Bake 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.