Low-Carb Tiramisu Brownie Celebration Cake

Ingredients makes 12 servings

• Brownie layer:
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (113 g/ 4 oz)
• ¹/₂ cup powdered Erythritol or Swerve (80 g/ 2.8 oz)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
• ³/₄ cup almond flour (75 g/ 2.7 oz)
• ¹/₄ cup cocoa powder (22 g/ 0.8 oz)
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• ¹/₈ tsp sea salt
• ¹/₄ cup sugar-free chocolate chips (45 g/ 1.6 oz)
• Cookie layer
• 1 tbsp melted butter (15 ml)
• 1 heaped tbsp peanut butter or almond butter (32 g/ 1.1 oz)
• ¹/₄ cup brown low-carb sweetener such as Sukrin Gold or Swerve (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
• 1 large egg
• ¹/₂ cup almond flour (50 g/ 1.8 oz)
• ¹/₄ tsp gluten-free baking powder
• ¹/₈ tsp baking soda
• ¹/₈ tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp sugar-free chocolate chips (23 g/ 0.8 oz)
• Tiramisu topping:
• 4 large egg yolks
• ¹/₄ cup powdered Erythritol or Swerve (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
• 1 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
• Optional: 1-2 tsp sugar-free rum extract or 1 tbsp dark rum
• 1 tbsp room temperature espresso (15 ml)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
• 1 cup mascarpone cheese (240 g/ 8.5 oz)
• 1 tsp raw cacao powder or Dutch process cocoa powder, for dusting
• ¹/₄ bar sugar-free chocolate, for grating on top (25 g/ 0.9 oz)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 175 °C/ 350 °F (conventional), or 155 °C/ 310 °F (fan assisted) and line the bottom of 23 cm/ 9 inch spring form pan oven safe cake pan with parchment paper, set aside.

2. To make the brownie layer, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to cream 1 stick softened butter and ¹/₂ cup powdered Erythritol in a large bowl. Add 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla and process again.

3. Mix the dry ingredients for the brownie layer: ³/₄ cup almond flour, ¹/₄ cup cacao powder, 1 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Slowly sift in the wet ingredients while mixing.

4. Fold in ¹/₄ cup chocolate chips and transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan. (Instead of sugar-free chocolate, you can use sugar-free or 90% dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.)

5. To prepare the cookie layer, in a medium bowl mix 1 tbsp melted butter, 1 heaped tbsp peanut butter (or use almond butter), ¹/₄ cup brown sugar substitute, and 1 egg until very smooth.

6. Add ¹/₂ cup almond flour, ¹/₄ tsp baking powder, ¹/₈ tsp baking soda, and a pinch of salt. Mix until well combined. Add 2 tbsp chocolate chips and stir until just incorporated.

7. Scoop spoonfuls of the cookie batter directly on the brownie layer. Feel free to swirl the batters together, or just press the cookie layer in gently.

8. Bake at 175 °C/ 350 °F (conventional), or 155 °C/ 310 °F (fan assisted) for about 30 to 35 minutes or until set in the middle. Remove from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature before adding the topping. You can leave it in a cool room, or place in the fridge once it cools down.

9. Meanwhile, make the tiramisu cream. Combine 4 egg yolks, ¹/₄ cup powdered Erythritol and 1 tsp vanilla extract (and optionally 1 to 2 tsp rum extract or 1 tbsp dark rum) in the top of a small double boiler, over boiling water. Reduce heat to low, and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thicker, lighter in color, increased in volume, and a little frothy.

10. Remove from heat. Add 1 tbsp espresso (room temperature) and use a hand mixer at medium-low speed to whip the yolks until they are thick. Set aside to cool while doing the next step.

11. In a separate bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream at high speed until stiff peaks form.

12. Add 1 cup mascarpone to the whipped yolks. Beat at low speed until combined smoothly. Gently fold the mascarpone yolk mixture into the whipped cream. If it's too runny, whip more until stiff peaks form.

13. Top the cold mashup cake with all of the tiramisu cream mixture. (It's easier if you first remove it from the cake tin before topping with the cream.)

14. Sift 1 tsp cacao powder through a fine-mesh sieve over the tiramisu cake. Grate ¹/₄ bar chocolate bar for topping. To make chocolate curls like I did, use a potato peeler instead of a grater.

15. Sprinkle the grated chocolate on top of the cake. Refrigerate for 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to set.

16. Slice and serve! Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.