Given that the so-called holiday season is upon us and that this usually involves massive amounts of food, many of which pose a real challenge for many of us, I thought it would be nice to make a basic recipe that is easy and not time-consuming to make and does not provide massive amounts of calories and carbohydrates while being (in my opinion) pleasant to eat and not feel excluded.
Recipe
1/2 tablespoon kinako
1/2 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
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
Korean kinako
Japanese kinako
While there are differences between the two, which is abundantly clear when looking at the quantities per 100 g, the numbers seem close enough to be thought of as trustworthy.
Since I used Japanese kinako this time, these are the values used in the recipe:
In 1/2 tablespoon: 3.5 g
15 kcal
0.9 g fat
1.3 g protein
1 g total carbohydrate
0.5 g fibre
0.5 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
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 actually 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:
15 + 15 + 2 + 20.3 = 52.3 kcal
0.9 + 0.4 + 0 + 0 = 1.3 g fat
1.3 + 0.8 + 0 + 4.5 = 6.6 g protein
1 + 2.3 + 0 + 1 = 4.3 g total carbohydrates
0.5 + 1.3 + 0 + 0 = 1.8 g fibre
0.5 + 1 + 0 + 1 = 2.5 g net carbohydrates
Nutrition facts for one cake:
52.3 kcal
1.3 g fat
6.6 g protein
4.3 g total carbohydrates
1.8 g fibre
2.5 g net carbohydrates
Why these ingredients?
Kinako is flour of roasted soy beans or roasted flour of soy beans. It has a nutty taste that is somewhat reminiscent of peanuts but it contains far less fat. The difference between the Japanese and the Korean versions is as the difference between a dark roast and a light roast. It is purely a matter of personal preference. They are the same product otherwise.
The advantage of kinako 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.
Kinako also makes the end product more visually appealing by providing some colour. Given the hospital-white non-colour of coconut flour, it makes the end-product a little "clinical" looking.
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.
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.
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 kinako 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. Or, if you feel so inclined, a squirt (or two) of Crystal Light, MiO and other so-called water enhancers, will provide sweetness, extra flavour and extra colour, all of which can be pleasurable without fundamentally changing anything at all in the recipe.
Both egg whites and kinako 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 shop around to find what I wanted, and it was surprisingly hard to find, but Muji has exactly what I like. I was a bit afraid that the texture inside would make it a bit difficult to get the cakes out and to clean the cups, but that is not the case. I think the cakes look quite festive in this marshmallow-like shape and they also feel like marshmallows (until you eat them).
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.
The cakes can easily be consumed on their own, or for a little more indulgence, the recipe can be modified by making some additions.
I had started talking about these, but I will put them in one or more other posts, since I do not have the ambition to write an entire book on the subject at this time.
*****
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.
 |
Recipe
1/2 tablespoon kinako
1/2 tablespoon coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
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
Korean kinako
 |  | |
| Nutrition facts | Per 1 cup (172 g) | Per 100 g |
| Energy (kcal) | 810 | 470.9 |
| Fat (g) | 44 | 25.6 |
| Proteins (g) | 61 | 35.5 |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 58 | 33.7 |
| Fibre (g) | 30 | 17.4 |
| Net carbohydrates (g) | 28 | 16.3 |
Japanese kinako
 |  | |
| Nutrition facts | Per 2 tablespoons (14 g) | Per 100 g |
| Energy (kcal) | 60 | 428.6 |
| Fat (g) | 3.5 | 25 |
| Proteins (g) | 5 | 35.7 |
| Total carbohydrates (g) | 4 | 28.6 |
| Fibre (g) | 2 | 14.3 |
| Net carbohydrates (g) | 2 | 14.3 |
While there are differences between the two, which is abundantly clear when looking at the quantities per 100 g, the numbers seem close enough to be thought of as trustworthy.
Since I used Japanese kinako this time, these are the values used in the recipe:
In 1/2 tablespoon: 3.5 g
15 kcal
0.9 g fat
1.3 g protein
1 g total carbohydrate
0.5 g fibre
0.5 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 tablespoon (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
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 actually 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 |
| Proteins (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:
15 + 15 + 2 + 20.3 = 52.3 kcal
0.9 + 0.4 + 0 + 0 = 1.3 g fat
1.3 + 0.8 + 0 + 4.5 = 6.6 g protein
1 + 2.3 + 0 + 1 = 4.3 g total carbohydrates
0.5 + 1.3 + 0 + 0 = 1.8 g fibre
0.5 + 1 + 0 + 1 = 2.5 g net carbohydrates
Nutrition facts for one cake:
52.3 kcal
1.3 g fat
6.6 g protein
4.3 g total carbohydrates
1.8 g fibre
2.5 g net carbohydrates
Why these ingredients?
Kinako is flour of roasted soy beans or roasted flour of soy beans. It has a nutty taste that is somewhat reminiscent of peanuts but it contains far less fat. The difference between the Japanese and the Korean versions is as the difference between a dark roast and a light roast. It is purely a matter of personal preference. They are the same product otherwise.
The advantage of kinako 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.
Kinako also makes the end product more visually appealing by providing some colour. Given the hospital-white non-colour of coconut flour, it makes the end-product a little "clinical" looking.
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.
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.
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 kinako 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. Or, if you feel so inclined, a squirt (or two) of Crystal Light, MiO and other so-called water enhancers, will provide sweetness, extra flavour and extra colour, all of which can be pleasurable without fundamentally changing anything at all in the recipe.
Both egg whites and kinako 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 shop around to find what I wanted, and it was surprisingly hard to find, but Muji has exactly what I like. I was a bit afraid that the texture inside would make it a bit difficult to get the cakes out and to clean the cups, but that is not the case. I think the cakes look quite festive in this marshmallow-like shape and they also feel like marshmallows (until you eat them).
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.
The cakes can easily be consumed on their own, or for a little more indulgence, the recipe can be modified by making some additions.
I had started talking about these, but I will put them in one or more other posts, since I do not have the ambition to write an entire book on the subject at this time.
*****
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.
Comments
Post a Comment