Based on the same idea as the kinako microwave cake recipe, this is a red version. Cakes are usually very sweet, and while I do not actively dislike sweetness, I can just as well do without, so this is a version without any sweetener whatsoever.
Recipe
1/2 tablespoon soy milk powder
1/2 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
45 g egg white
1. Put all the ingredients in a microwaveable cup
2. Mix thoroughly (I like to use a battery-powered milk frother for this)
3. Microwave on high for 80 seconds (since microwave ovens are all different, this may be less or more for yours)
4. Take cake out of cup and let cool for a few minutes
5. Enjoy (or hate)
Soy milk powder [Bulk Barn]
I used 1/2 tablespoon. Therefore:
In 1/2 tablespoon: 3.5 g
13 kcal
0 g fat
1.9 g protein
1.2 total carbohydrates
0.6 g fibre
0.6 g net carbohydrates
Coconut flour
I am using Bob's Red Mill, because it is the most convenient one I can buy in my neighbourhood:
I used 1/2 tablespoon of coconut flour. Therefore:
In 1/2 tablespoon: 3.5 g
15 kcal
0.4 g fat
0.8 g protein
2.3 g total carbohydrates
1.3 g fibre
1 g net carbohydrates
Turmeric
I used 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Therefore:
In 1 teaspoon (2 g)
6 kcal
0 g fat
0.2 g protein
2 g total carbohydrates
0 g fibre
2 g net carbohydrates
I should once again add that these data are ridiculous. Given the tiny amount used on the label, the numbers have no meaning. Fortunately, given that we are only using a very small amount here, it is not really of much importance either.
Baking powder
I used 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. Therefore:
In 1/4 teaspoon (1.2 g)
2 kcal
0 g fat
0 g protein
0 g total carbohydrates
0 g fibre
0 g net carbohydrates
This is, once more, an exercise in futility. Since the numbers on he packaging are about 0.6 g, just about everything is automatically 'rounded away' and the numbers become meaningless. It is a nice example of why many people, including me, dislike using a non-standard quantity.
Egg white
I used 45 g egg white. The reason for this is that it can easily be replaced by 1 medium egg. This works just as well and it is certainly advisable to do so every now and then, but I am trying to lose weight, not gain weight and the extra calories the yolk provides (even if it is not all that many) are not helpful for this. Therefore:
In 45 g:
20.3 kcal
0 g fat
4.5 g protein
0.5 g total carbohydrates
0 g fibre
0.5 g net carbohydrates
This is a nice example of how working with cup sizes is rather imprecise. If 1/3 cup weighs 100 g, 1 cup weighs 300 g. In reality, it is 240 g, a difference of a whopping 60 g. That is not an insignificant error.
When bringing all this together, we arrive at the following results:
For one cup cake:
13.0 + 15.0 + 6.0 + 2.0 + 20.3 = 56.3 kcal
0.0 + 0.4 + 0.0 + 0.0 + 0.0 = 0.4 g fat
1.9 + 0.8 + 0.2 + 0.0 + 4.5 = 7.4 g protein
1.2 + 2.3 + 2.0 + 0.0 + 1.0 = 6.5 g total carbohydrates
0.6 + 1.3 + 0.0 + 0.0 + 0.0 = 1.9 g fibre
0.6 + 1.0 + 2.0 + 0.0 + 1.0 = 4.6 g net carbohydrates
Nutrition facts for one cake:
56.3 kcal
0.4 g fat
7.4 g protein
6.5 g total carbohydrates
1.9 g fibre
4.6 g net carbohydrates
Why these ingredients?
Soy milk flour is white and does not have much taste. The advantage of soy milk flour is that it dilutes and counteracts the flavour of the coconut flour. It also provides the cakes with a certain amount of strength, holding the cakes together, something coconut flour does not do very well.
Soy milk flour does not impart any colour, which makes it is more likely to let the natural colours of additional ingredients stand out.
Coconut flour is flour made from coconut meat. It tastes great in sweet recipes, but not necessarily all that well in savoury ones. It has no binding power, and this makes it possible to provide some airiness that kinako lacks, resulting in a light and fluffy cake and while providing less protein than kinako, it also provides less fat. It has more carbohydrates, but this is partly offset by more fibre.
Turmeric powder is used for taste and colour. Turmeric is yellow/orange, and so is the batter. However, turmeric has the interesting property of changing colour when it is in the presence of a base, baking powder in this case. That's the reason the cake is turning into a deep red. It is a purely chemical reaction, but it is fun, since that makes it possible to make a good tasting cake that actually is in one of the favourite colours of the holiday season.
Baking powder has only one purpose: to make gas bubbles during the baking process so the product can rise. It has essentially no real nutritional value. In this specific case, it helps turn the turmeric from yellow/orange into a deep red.
Egg whites have the purpose of providing structure to the cake. The egg whites trap the gas bubbles made by the baking powder and give the product lift, making it possible to have a light and fluffy cake. The disadvantage is that egg whites are not flavourless, but this remains largely unnoticed thanks to the stronger flavours of both soy milk powder and coconut flour.
A few thoughts
I call these cup cakes as opposed to cupcakes because they are quite literally made in a cup, and bear little resemblance to what the word cupcake usually stands for.
I used no sugar or any other sweetener(s) in this recipe. I am well-aware that many people balk at unsweetened recipes. There is no reason not to add any. Obviously, in case of attempted weight loss or diabetes, it would be best to use a no-carb sweetener, such as sucralose or stevia.
Both egg whites and soy flour provide good quality protein. The recipe only provides small amounts of fat and net carbohydrates and does provide a little fibre. As a result, while this can hardly be called a nutritional powerhouse, it also does not contain anything that would be recognised as bad or potentially harmful.
The quantity I use makes it easy to makes these cakes in my favourite cups. I had to look long and hard to find good cups, and I finally found what I want at Muji. And then, coincidences do indeed happen, I found cups by Alessi that are even better to make these small cakes in.
The recipe scales up nicely by simply doubling the quantities and pouring the batter in a mug for a mug cake instead of a cup cake. Various other shapes can be used too. I quite like the idea of a rectangular dish as that makes for a cake that makes it easy to throw in a bag or briefcase when on the go.
*****
Please note that I make no health claims and no nutritional claims. There are enough alternologists and quacks on the Internet already and I have no intention of joining them.
I sincerely encourage you to talk to an actual medical doctor or registered dietitian before making any health- or nutrition-related decisions.
If I made any mistakes in this post, please *do* feel free to point them out in the comments.
 |
| Microwave turmeric cake |
1/2 tablespoon soy milk powder
1/2 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
45 g egg white
1. Put all the ingredients in a microwaveable cup
2. Mix thoroughly (I like to use a battery-powered milk frother for this)
3. Microwave on high for 80 seconds (since microwave ovens are all different, this may be less or more for yours)
4. Take cake out of cup and let cool for a few minutes
5. Enjoy (or hate)
Soy milk powder [Bulk Barn]
 | |
| Nutrition facts | Per 100 g |
| Energy (kcal) | 370 |
| Fat (g) | 1 |
| Protein (g) | 53 |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 35 |
| Fibre (g) | 17 |
| Net carbohydrates (g) | 18 |
I used 1/2 tablespoon. Therefore:
In 1/2 tablespoon: 3.5 g
13 kcal
0 g fat
1.9 g protein
1.2 total carbohydrates
0.6 g fibre
0.6 g net carbohydrates
Coconut flour
I am using Bob's Red Mill, because it is the most convenient one I can buy in my neighbourhood:
 |  | |
| Nutrition facts | Per 2 tablespoons (14 g) | Per 100 g |
| Energy (kcal) | 60 | 428.6 |
| Fat (g) | 1.5 | 10.7 |
| Proteins (g) | 3 | 21.4 |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 9 | 64.3 |
| Fibre (g) | 5 | 35.7 |
| Net carbohydrates (g) | 4 | 33.3 |
I used 1/2 tablespoon of coconut flour. Therefore:
In 1/2 tablespoon: 3.5 g
15 kcal
0.4 g fat
0.8 g protein
2.3 g total carbohydrates
1.3 g fibre
1 g net carbohydrates
Turmeric
 |  | |
| Nutrition facts | Per 1/2 tsp (1 g) | Per 100 g |
| Energy (kcal) | 3 | 300 |
| Fat (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Protein (g) | 0.1 | 10 |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 1 | 100 |
| Fibre (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Net carbohydrates (g) | 1 | 100 |
I used 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Therefore:
In 1 teaspoon (2 g)
6 kcal
0 g fat
0.2 g protein
2 g total carbohydrates
0 g fibre
2 g net carbohydrates
I should once again add that these data are ridiculous. Given the tiny amount used on the label, the numbers have no meaning. Fortunately, given that we are only using a very small amount here, it is not really of much importance either.
Baking powder
 |  | |
| Nutrition facts | Per 1/8 teaspoon (0,6 g) | Per 100 g |
| Energy (kcal) | 1 | 166.7 |
| Fat (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Proteins (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Fibre (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Net carbohydrates (g) | 0 | 0 |
I used 1/4 teaspoon baking powder. Therefore:
In 1/4 teaspoon (1.2 g)
2 kcal
0 g fat
0 g protein
0 g total carbohydrates
0 g fibre
0 g net carbohydrates
This is, once more, an exercise in futility. Since the numbers on he packaging are about 0.6 g, just about everything is automatically 'rounded away' and the numbers become meaningless. It is a nice example of why many people, including me, dislike using a non-standard quantity.
Egg white
 |  |
| Nutrition facts | Per 1/3 cup (100 g) |
| Energy (kcal) | 45 |
| Fat (g) | 0 |
| Protein (g) | 10 |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 1 |
| Fibre (g) | 0 |
| Net carbohydrates (g) | 1 |
I used 45 g egg white. The reason for this is that it can easily be replaced by 1 medium egg. This works just as well and it is certainly advisable to do so every now and then, but I am trying to lose weight, not gain weight and the extra calories the yolk provides (even if it is not all that many) are not helpful for this. Therefore:
In 45 g:
20.3 kcal
0 g fat
4.5 g protein
0.5 g total carbohydrates
0 g fibre
0.5 g net carbohydrates
This is a nice example of how working with cup sizes is rather imprecise. If 1/3 cup weighs 100 g, 1 cup weighs 300 g. In reality, it is 240 g, a difference of a whopping 60 g. That is not an insignificant error.
When bringing all this together, we arrive at the following results:
For one cup cake:
13.0 + 15.0 + 6.0 + 2.0 + 20.3 = 56.3 kcal
0.0 + 0.4 + 0.0 + 0.0 + 0.0 = 0.4 g fat
1.9 + 0.8 + 0.2 + 0.0 + 4.5 = 7.4 g protein
1.2 + 2.3 + 2.0 + 0.0 + 1.0 = 6.5 g total carbohydrates
0.6 + 1.3 + 0.0 + 0.0 + 0.0 = 1.9 g fibre
0.6 + 1.0 + 2.0 + 0.0 + 1.0 = 4.6 g net carbohydrates
Nutrition facts for one cake:
56.3 kcal
0.4 g fat
7.4 g protein
6.5 g total carbohydrates
1.9 g fibre
4.6 g net carbohydrates
Why these ingredients?
Soy milk flour is white and does not have much taste. The advantage of soy milk flour is that it dilutes and counteracts the flavour of the coconut flour. It also provides the cakes with a certain amount of strength, holding the cakes together, something coconut flour does not do very well.
Soy milk flour does not impart any colour, which makes it is more likely to let the natural colours of additional ingredients stand out.
Coconut flour is flour made from coconut meat. It tastes great in sweet recipes, but not necessarily all that well in savoury ones. It has no binding power, and this makes it possible to provide some airiness that kinako lacks, resulting in a light and fluffy cake and while providing less protein than kinako, it also provides less fat. It has more carbohydrates, but this is partly offset by more fibre.
Turmeric powder is used for taste and colour. Turmeric is yellow/orange, and so is the batter. However, turmeric has the interesting property of changing colour when it is in the presence of a base, baking powder in this case. That's the reason the cake is turning into a deep red. It is a purely chemical reaction, but it is fun, since that makes it possible to make a good tasting cake that actually is in one of the favourite colours of the holiday season.
Baking powder has only one purpose: to make gas bubbles during the baking process so the product can rise. It has essentially no real nutritional value. In this specific case, it helps turn the turmeric from yellow/orange into a deep red.
Egg whites have the purpose of providing structure to the cake. The egg whites trap the gas bubbles made by the baking powder and give the product lift, making it possible to have a light and fluffy cake. The disadvantage is that egg whites are not flavourless, but this remains largely unnoticed thanks to the stronger flavours of both soy milk powder and coconut flour.
A few thoughts
I call these cup cakes as opposed to cupcakes because they are quite literally made in a cup, and bear little resemblance to what the word cupcake usually stands for.
I used no sugar or any other sweetener(s) in this recipe. I am well-aware that many people balk at unsweetened recipes. There is no reason not to add any. Obviously, in case of attempted weight loss or diabetes, it would be best to use a no-carb sweetener, such as sucralose or stevia.
Both egg whites and soy flour provide good quality protein. The recipe only provides small amounts of fat and net carbohydrates and does provide a little fibre. As a result, while this can hardly be called a nutritional powerhouse, it also does not contain anything that would be recognised as bad or potentially harmful.
The quantity I use makes it easy to makes these cakes in my favourite cups. I had to look long and hard to find good cups, and I finally found what I want at Muji. And then, coincidences do indeed happen, I found cups by Alessi that are even better to make these small cakes in.
The recipe scales up nicely by simply doubling the quantities and pouring the batter in a mug for a mug cake instead of a cup cake. Various other shapes can be used too. I quite like the idea of a rectangular dish as that makes for a cake that makes it easy to throw in a bag or briefcase when on the go.
*****
Please note that I make no health claims and no nutritional claims. There are enough alternologists and quacks on the Internet already and I have no intention of joining them.
I sincerely encourage you to talk to an actual medical doctor or registered dietitian before making any health- or nutrition-related decisions.
If I made any mistakes in this post, please *do* feel free to point them out in the comments.
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