Protein Confetti Pound Cake
Hi Kuhl Beans Kitchen fam! It's been a hot minute since my last blog post and recipe, thanks to the holiday hustle and bustle. I hope you all had amazing holidays—I certainly did, spending Christmas and New Year's in Calabasas with my boyfriend and our two fur babies, Nara and Bandit. We embarked on an incredible road trip, taking the scenic coastal route, staying in Bandon, exploring the Samuel H Boardman scenic corridor, stopping at the redwood trees of mystery, enjoying a night in Carmel by the sea, and making pit stops at Pismo Beach and Santa Barbara on the way back.
During our Christmas visit, I discovered the magic of Sous Vide! My boyfriend's mom treated us to flawlessly cooked filet mignon using the sous vide method, and it was a showstopper at our dinner party. Inspired by this culinary discovery, I immediately dove into our kitchenware stash upon returning home, unearthed our sous vide, and started experimenting. Get ready for many sous vide recipes in the upcoming posts, as I've received a plethora of new kitchen gadgets for Christmas, and 2024 is going to be a year of experimentation!
Now, let's shift gears and talk about protein desserts with minimal sugar. The good stuff. Both my mom and boyfriend are committed to weightlifting and avoiding sugar, so I'm constantly tinkering with recipes to meet their preferences. A recent trip to Salt and Straw for ice cream with my childhood best friend led us to discover some irresistibly colorful rainbow sprinkles. The moment I saw them, I had a lightbulb moment—Confetti Cake, anyone?
Knowing my boyfriend's aversion to high sugar content, I set out to create a Protein Confetti Pound Cake. Today, we're delving into a guilt-free indulgence that's not only packed with protein but also entirely free from refined sugar. This delightful treat is the perfect solution for satisfying your sweet tooth without compromising your health and fitness goals. Join me on this culinary adventure as we craft a mouthwatering masterpiece that will have you coming back for more. Cheers to delicious and nutritious treats in 2024!
Ingredients:
Confetti Cake:
1 ½ cups flour
3 scoops vanilla ice cream whey protein powder (or plant-based protein for a dairy-free alternative)
¾ cup Truvia sweetener (or any sweetener of your choice)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt (vanilla coconut flavor for an extra kick; use vegan yogurt for a dairy-free version)
3 eggs
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp rainbow sprinkles
Icing:
½ cup low-fat Greek yogurt (again, vanilla coconut flavor for an extra kick; use vegan yogurt for a dairy-free version)
1 scoop vanilla ice cream whey protein powder
½ cup zero-calorie powdered sugar
Instructions:
Preheat Your Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a pound cake pan with coconut oil or line it with parchment paper.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, whey protein powder, Truvia sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well to ensure even distribution of ingredients.
Prepare Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, mix together low-fat Greek yogurt, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until you achieve a smooth batter. Fold in rainbow sprinkles gently.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.
Prepare the Icing: While the cake is cooling, whisk together low-fat Greek yogurt, whey protein powder, and zero-calorie powdered sugar to create a creamy icing.
Ice the Cake: Once the cake has cooled, spread the icing evenly over the top. Feel free to add extra rainbow sprinkles for a festive touch!
Serve and Enjoy: Slice your Protein Confetti Pound Cake and savor the delightful combination of flavors. You won't believe that a treat this delicious can be so good for you!
And there you have it, friends. This Protein Confetti Pound Cake isn't just a tasty treat—it's a party on your plate! This is a concoction that's bursting with protein. Whether you're flexing those biceps or just flexing your sweet tooth, this cake's got your back. It's a guilt-free rendezvous with flavor that'll make you do a happy dance. As we dive into 2024 with a whole bunch of new kitchen gadgets, get ready for more culinary antics that'll have you saying, "Who needs sugar anyway?" (depending on whether you decided to opt for sugar free sweetener/yogurt) Here's to a year of kitchen escapades and treating your taste buds without breaking a sweat! Cheers, my flavor-loving friends!
White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
Happy hump day KBK crew! With holiday gatherings around the corner, it's time to level up your dessert game. Get ready to impress taste buds and spread the festive cheer with my latest creation: White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies.
Picture this: the buttery goodness of your favorite white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, but with a merry twist. We're ditching the nuts and embracing the holiday spirit with smashed candy canes. The best part? You get to channel your inner cookie artist by taking a hammer to those candy canes. Pure therapy, right? But hey, you do you – discretionary advised!
Here's the scoop – this recipe is a breeze! In just about 10 minutes, you'll have the dough ready to roll, and another 10-15 minutes in the oven, and voila! You've got yourself a batch of festive delights that'll steal the show at any holiday party.
I used these peppermint flavored baking chips from TJs & they were so good I couldn’t stop snacking on them on my drive home! 10/10 recommend but you are welcome to use plain white chocolate chips. Side story: While whipping up these delightful cookies, I had a little mishap – I broke a nail. Turns out, the culprit was the candy cane hammering session. As I went to town on those sweet canes, every tap had me imagining bits of my nails taking flight.
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (if you don’t have it, add more vanilla extract)
1 cup peppermint baking chips (or white chocolate chips)
1/4 crushed candy canes plus more for dusting on top
Instructions:
Gather all your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a larger mixing bowl, cream together the room-temperature unsalted butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
To the creamed butter and sugar, add the room-temperature egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (or extra vanilla extract). Mix until well combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until a cookie dough forms. Be careful not to overmix; just combine until no streaks of flour remain.
Gently fold in the peppermint baking chips (or white chocolate chips) and the crushed candy canes into the cookie dough. This is where the festive magic begins!
Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, drop rounded portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space between each for spreading.
Take some extra crushed candy canes and delicately sprinkle them on top of each cookie for that extra festive touch.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown. Keep an eye on them to ensure they're baked to your liking.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Once cooled, indulge in the deliciousness of your homemade White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies!