Instructions
Pastry Cream:
Bring whipping cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with sweetener and salt, then whisk in arrowroot starch* until mixture becomes pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
Slowly whisk about half of the hot cream into the yolks to temper, then return the yolk/cream mixture back to the saucepan and cook until thick and glossy, about 1½ minutes, whisking continuously. It thickens up suddenly and quickly, so watch carefully!
Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla and stevia. Transfer to a small bowl and press plastic wrap flush to the surface. Chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours.
*If you don’t want to use arrowroot starch, you can whisk in 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum at the end to help thicken the pastry cream. This should be your last step before chilling.
Meringue Layers:
Preheat oven to 350F. On a large piece of parchment, trace three (3) 5×10 inch rectangles. Place parchment on a large baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour and powdered sweetener.
In a large, clean bowl, beat egg whites with granulated sweetener, vanilla extract, cream of tartar and salt until they just begin to hold stiff peaks.
Gently fold in almond flour mixture until fully combined.
Spread meringue mixture evenly onto each of the 3 traced rectangles. Bake 15 minutes, then turn off oven and prop open door with a wooden spoon. Leave inside until cool.
Chocolate Ganache:
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and unsweetened chocolate together, stirring until smooth.
Stir in powdered sweetener and vanilla extract.
Let cool 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened but still pourable.
To Assemble:
Peel one meringue layer carefully off parchment and lay on serving platter.
Spread with half of the pastry cream. Top with another layer of meringue and spread with remaining half of pastry cream. Top with final layer of meringue.
Pour ganache over top of cake and let drip down the sides.
Let set 1 hour before serving (you can refrigerate, but let it sit out 10 minutes before trying to cut, to soften ganache).
Nutritional values
Each serving has 5 g of carbs and 2 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3 g.
