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I am a huge fan of anything Tiramisu and I'm always up for a challenge to try a new recipe. This poke cake was a hit in my house, especially if you are hosting a party or family gathering. It's not your everyday recipe, it does take a lot of effort but it's totally worth it!
Why Use Crockpot?
If you've never made a cake in a slow cooker, now it's time to give it a go. It may seem odd at first but once you try it, you will want to make more and more. Cakes made in a slow cooker (also known as crockpot) are fluffy and moist and it's unlikely to burn them.
The only tricky part is to get the liquids right so the cake doesn't end up too wet. When I was working on my Keto Slow Cooker & One-Pot Meals Book, I spent a lot of time fine-tuning the recipes in the "Desserts" chapter, sometimes making the same cake 3 times before finding the optimal mix of ingredients, temperature and cooking time.
I realized that using parchment paper to make cakes and other treats in a slow cooker makes a tremendous difference.
First, it will be easier to remove the cake from the slow cooker. Secondly, it reduces the risk of burning and sticking to the bowl.
Parchment paper also helps reduce moisture from excess condensation, because most of the condensation is dripping down the sides in between the parchment paper and the bowl, not in the cake. In my experience, heavy-duty parchment paper with an aluminium side works best.
Once you try it, let me know what you think!
Using Raw Eggs?
If a recipe calls for raw eggs and you are concerned about the potential risk of Salmonella, you can make it safe by using pasteurized eggs. To pasteurize eggs at home, simply pour enough water in a saucepan to cover the eggs. Heat to about 60 °C/ 140 °F. Using a spoon, slowly place the eggs into the saucepan. Keep the eggs in the water for about 3 minutes. This should be enough to pasteurize the eggs and kill any potential bacteria. Let the eggs cool down before using in any recipe, or store in the fridge for 6-8 weeks.
Oven Baking Instructions
If you don't have a slow cooker or you simply want to use the oven, you'll be following the baking instructions from my Keto Key Lime Poke Cake.
To do that, preheat the oven to 160 °C/ 320 °F (fan assisted), or 180 °C/ 355 °F (conventional). Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper or use a silicon pan. Bake the sponge cake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is light golden and the cake base is set.
Once you have the sponge cake ready, you can then follow the same instructions for the filling and topping as instructed below.
Hands-on Overall
Nutritional values (per serving)
Net carbs3.1 grams
Protein11.1 grams
Fat24.4 grams
Calories291 kcal
Calories from carbs 5%, protein 16%, fat 79%
Total carbs5.4 gramsFiber2.3 gramsSugars1.9 gramsSaturated fat9.8 gramsSodium162 mg(7% RDA)Magnesium53 mg(13% RDA)Potassium251 mg(13% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 13 servings)
Cake base:
Coffee-rum custard filling:
Mascarpone topping:
Instructions
- Make the cake base. Line your slow cooker with parchment paper and turn the heat to low. In a bowl, using a hand whisk, mix the wet ingredients for the cake base: eggs, melted butter and lukewarm almond milk (also apple cider vinegar if you are using it instead of cream of tartar).
Note: For oven baking instructions, see recipe tips above.
- Place all the dry ingredients for the cake in a mixer: almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein powder, granulated Erythritol, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Mix until well combined. Pour the egg mixture into the mixer and process until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the lined slow cooker and cover with a lid. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours (until the top is set). When done, remove the lid and let the cake cool down until it reaches room temperature.
- Meanwhile, prepare the coffee-rum custard filling. Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the Erythritol and whisk until frothy.
Don't waste the egg whites and use them in other recipes. You can find tips on how to use leftover egg whites in this post: Keto Lemon Curd.
- Pour the almond milk, cream and coffee into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Use a ladle to gradually temper the hot coffee mixture into the egg yolk and Erythritol mixture. When you have added about half of the coffee mixture, return everything into the saucepan with the remaining almond and cream mixture and cook until it reaches 70 °C/ 160 °F (this will take 6-8 minutes).
- Sprinkle gelatine powder in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and combine until dissolved. Then, add it to the saucepan and mix well.
- Take off the heat. Add the rum and optionally, a few drops of stevia to taste. Pour the custard in a glass bowl and cover with a cling film. Chill for 2 hours before pouring on top of the cake.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes all over the cake base. Pour the custard all over the cake base until covered and the holes are filled. Set aside. I left in a cool place for 2 hours to help the custard cool down and set.
- Meanwhile, prepare the mascarpone topping. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Place the egg yolks into a heat-resistant bowl. Beat with a tablespoon of water, and add vanilla extract and powdered Erythritol. Beat until pale and creamy.
- Place the bowl on top of a saucepan with simmering water. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and continue stirring to cool. Fold in the mascarpone cheese.
- Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until it forms stiff peaks. Using a large spoon, slowly fold in the whisked egg whites, adding them in two parts to keep them as fluffy as possible. Spoon and spread on top of the cake.
- Finish with an even sprinkle of cacao powder. Grab the parchment paper with both hands and transfer the cake into the fridge to chill until set. It is important to use firm parchment paper that doesn't tear (e.g. parchment paper lined with aluminium foil on one side).
- Once chilled and set, slice into 13 pieces as pictured below. Enjoy!
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you don't have a slow cooker, follow the instructions in this recipe for oven balking: Keto Key Lime Poke Cake.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the cake base. Line your slow cooker with parchment paper and turn the heat to low. In a bowl, using a hand whisk, mix the wet ingredients for the cake base: eggs, melted butter and lukewarm almond milk (also apple cider vinegar if you are using it instead of cream of tartar).
Note: For oven baking instructions, see recipe tips above. - Place all the dry ingredients for the cake in a mixer: almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein powder, granulated Erythritol, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Mix until well combined. Pour the egg mixture into the mixer and process until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the lined slow cooker and cover with a lid. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours (until the top is set). When done, remove the lid and let the cake cool down until it reaches room temperature.
- Meanwhile, prepare the coffee-rum custard filling. Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Add the Erythritol and whisk until frothy.
Don't waste the egg whites and use them in other recipes. You can find tips on how to use leftover egg whites in this post: Keto Lemon Curd.
- Pour the almond milk, cream and coffee into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Use a ladle to gradually temper the hot coffee mixture into the egg yolk and Erythritol mixture. When you have added about half of the coffee mixture, return everything into the saucepan with the remaining almond and cream mixture and cook until it reaches 70 °C/ 160 °F (this will take 6-8 minutes).
- Sprinkle gelatine powder in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of water and combine until dissolved. Then, add it to the saucepan and mix well.
- Take off the heat. Add the rum and optionally, a few drops of stevia to taste. Pour the custard in a glass bowl and cover with a cling film. Chill for 2 hours before pouring on top of the cake.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes all over the cake base. Pour the custard all over the cake base until covered and the holes are filled. Set aside. I left in a cool place for 2 hours to help the custard cool down and set.
- Meanwhile, prepare the mascarpone topping. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Place the egg yolks into a heat-resistant bowl. Beat with a tablespoon of water, and add vanilla extract and powdered Erythritol. Beat until pale and creamy.
- Place the bowl on top of a saucepan with simmering water. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and continue stirring to cool. Fold in the mascarpone cheese.
- Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until it forms stiff peaks. Using a large spoon, slowly fold in the whisked egg whites, adding them in two parts to keep them as fluffy as possible. Spoon and spread on top of the cake.
- Finish with an even sprinkle of cacao powder. Grab the parchment paper with both hands and transfer the cake into the fridge to chill until set. It is important to use firm parchment paper that doesn't tear (e.g. parchment paper lined with aluminium foil on one side).
- Once chilled and set, slice into 13 pieces as pictured below. Enjoy!
- Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you don't have a slow cooker, follow the instructions in this recipe for oven balking: Keto Key Lime Poke Cake.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories291kcal
Net Carbs3.1g
Carbohydrates5.4g
Protein11.1g
Fat24.4g
Saturated Fat9.8g
Fiber2.3g
Sugar1.9g
Sodium162mg
Magnesium53mg
Potassium251mg
Detailed nutritional breakdown (per serving)
| Total per serving |
| 3.1 g | 11.1 g | 24.4 g | 291 kcal |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) |
| 0.2 g | 2.9 g | 2.2 g | 33 kcal |
| Butter, unsalted, grass-fed |
| 0 g | 0.1 g | 7.1 g | 63 kcal |
| Almond milk natural (unsweetened) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0.1 g | 1 kcal |
| Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal) |
| 1.3 g | 3.3 g | 8.1 g | 91 kcal |
| Coconut flour, organic |
| 0.3 g | 0.5 g | 0.5 g | 11 kcal |
| Whey protein powder (protein isolate, Jay Robb) |
| 0.1 g | 1.5 g | 0 g | 6 kcal |
| Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener) |
| 0.3 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Baking soda, raising agent (bicarbonate of soda) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Cream of tartar, raising agent |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Salt, pink Himalayan rock salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Egg yolk, fresh |
| 0.2 g | 0.8 g | 1.4 g | 17 kcal |
| Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener) |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Almond milk natural (unsweetened) |
| 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 0.2 g | 2 kcal |
| Cream, heavy whipping, pouring, full-fat (30-40% fat) |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0.9 g | 8 kcal |
| Coffee (prepared), liquid |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Gelatin powder, thickening agent, unsweetened |
| 0 g | 0.2 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Water, still |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Rum, distilled alcoholic beverage (~40% vol) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 10 kcal |
| Mascarpone cheese |
| 0.2 g | 0.5 g | 3.3 g | 32 kcal |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) |
| 0.1 g | 1 g | 0.7 g | 11 kcal |
| Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener) |
| 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Water, still |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Vanilla extract, sugar-free, alcohol-based |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Cocoa powder, raw (cacao) |
| 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 1 kcal |
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