Italian Cream Gateau

pstrongServes 6-8/strong/p
h3Notes/h3
pThis looks intimidating, but it is really very easy. It just takes a little time to prepare, but you will see it is well worth your time./p
pI most often use part-skim ricotta cheese and 1/3 lower fat cream cheese./p
pThis is a fun recipe. Depending on your piping skills, you can make the cake 8" and round (as I do), 8" and square, 5"x10" and rectangular, or even the shape of Mickey Mouse./p
pThis is a very adaptable recipe. If you don't like chocolate, simply add the juice and zest of a lemon to the vanilla cream and add a layer of fresh berries to one of the layers./p
pThis recipe is gluten-free./p
h3Ingredients/h3
pFor the layers:/p
ul
li1 ½ cups toasted, sliced almonds, cooled to room temperature/li
li1 ½ cups granulated sugar substitute/li
li6 egg whites at room temperature/li
li¼ tsp cream of tartar/li
lipinch of salt/li
li½ tsp ground cinnamon (or 1/4 tsp ground cardamom)/li
li3 tbsp granulated sugar substitute/li
li1 tbsp pure vanilla extract/li
/ul
pFor the frosting and filling:/p
ul
li1 package unflavored gelatin dissolved in 1 cup boiling water (you will only use 3 tbsp of this)/li
li¾ cup granulated sugar substitute/li
li1 vanilla bean/li
li1 tsp pure vanilla extract/li
li1 30oz container of ricotta cheese/li
li1 8oz package of cream cheese at room temperature/li
li2 tbsp unsweetend Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder/li
li2 oz Pergina 70 percent bittersweet chocolate/li
li1 tbsp bourbon (or 1 tbsp strong decaffeinated coffee for kid-friendly recipe)/li
li1 cup toasted, sliced almonds, lightly chopped/li
/ul
h3Preparation/h3
ol
liPre heat oven to 250 F./li
liPrepare two sheet pans with parchment paper. Draw the shape you are doing on the parchment and turn it over so no graphite gets on the layer./li
liIn a food processor, pulse the almonds and granulated sugar substitute until it forms a light powdery flour-like consistency. Add the cinnamon or cardamom, and pulse to combine./li
liUsing a clean hand beater, beat egg whites on low until they are broken up, add the cream of tartar and salt. Turn mixer on high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form./li
liAdd in the vanilla extract and remaining 3 tbsp sugar substitute and beat for another minute./li
liQuickly and gently fold the almond mixture into the egg whites./li
liPipe the egg whites onto the parchment paper and smooth to an even layer./li
liBake, switching the baking sheets about every 20 minutes so they cook evenly. The layers, when done, will be a light tan color and move easily on the parchment./li
/ol
pWhile the meringue layers are baking:/p
ol
liScrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the bowl of a food processor, add the ¾ cup of granulated sugar substitute. Pulse to combine./li
liAdd the ricotta cheese and mix on high to break down the ricotta curds. Add the cream cheese and vanilla extract, and process on high until combined. Add 3 tbsp of the gelatin mixture, and pulse to combine. (This will give the filling some extra body when cooled.)/li
liRemove about 1/3 of this mixture to a different bowl./li
liAdd the cocoa powder to the new bowl, and mix to combine completely./li
liChop the bittersweet chocolate into very small bits and add to the chocolate cream. Add the bourbon or coffee and combine./li
/ol
pTo assemble the cake:/p
ol
liTrim a cake plate with pieces of waxed paper to keep the plate underneath clean./li
liPlace a layer of the meringue on the plate. Place 1/3 of the vanilla cream on the meringue and smooth to even. Place another layer of meringue on top and cover with the chocolate cream. Place the last meringue layer on top./li
liFrost with remaining vanilla cream./li
liGently press the chopped almonds around the outside of the cake. Remove the waxed paper. Refrigerate for at least two hours./li
/ol
pNote: I suggest cutting with a wet knife./p
h3Nutritional Information/h3
pNet carbohydrates: 12-16g per slice/p
pciteRecipe from a href="http://www.thedecadentdiabetic.com/"Ward Alper, the Decadent Diabetic/a./cite/p
p class="small-note"In the event that you find that this recipe is not appropriate for diabetics, please a href="http://www.informationaboutdiabetes.com/ content/main/about-contact"contact us/a and we will review your suggestions./p