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Low-Carb Mirror Glaze Cake – this is a decadent chocolate mousse cake, sweetened with low-carb sweetener, with a flourless chocolate cake layer on the bottom and finished off with a low-carb chocolate mirror glaze. Elegant dessert, that is relatively easy to make and gluten and sugar free. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Even though I’ve chosen to eat mostly low-carb, cake decorating and desserts still remain my passion.
No, the mirror glaze trend is not over yet! Mirror glazed cakes are still popular and I have a great Chocolate Mirror Glaze Cake recipe that my readers love. Today I’m sharing the Keto friendly, low-carb version of this cake with you.
At first sight the two cakes look similar, but the Low-Carb Mirror Glaze Cake is lower in carbs, sugar and gluten-free and is missing the gelee (jelly) layer.
The ingredients and steps are pretty similar for both recipes.
What is Mirror Glaze?
Mirror glaze is glossy and smooth cake glaze with a sheen, so you can see your reflection in it. It is used on cakes (mostly mousse cakes), entremets and pastries. Gelatin is used to see the mirror glaze.
There are different kinds of mirror glaze – made with regular or white chocolate and colored in different colors.
Can you make a low-carb Mirror Glaze Cake?
The cake I’m sharing with you today is an entremet style cake.
It consists of three main components:
- gluten-free chocolate cake
- low-carb chocolate mousse
- sugar-free mirror glaze
For the low-carb chocolate cake I used my Keto chocolate layer cake recipe, but only baked a thin single layer.
The chocolate mousse layer is made with heavy whipping cream, dark stevia sweetened chocolate and set with gelatin.
In this Low-Carb Mirror Glaze Cake recipe I used stevia sweetened dark chocolate and erythritol for the glaze. It did work.
What ingredients do I need to make this Low-Carb Mirror Glaze Cake?
- almond flour
- coconut flour
- egg
- coconut oil
- vanilla
- baking powder
- erythritol
- vinegar
- milk
- heavy cream
- stevia sweetened dark chocolate
- water
- gelatin
Gelatin in mousse cakes, entremets, mirror glaze cakes:
In this recipe I used powdered gelatin. While I enjoy the use of leaf gelatin, I did not have any in my pantry and most people find it pretty expensive. It is worth it for some desserts, but powdered definitely works well.
Keep in mind that when using powdered gelatin, you need to sprinkle it over 2-3 tablespoons (per pack) of cold water, let it bloom, then either warm it up over double boiler or microwave it for a few seconds to liquify. Never add powder (that has not been bloomed) to mousses.
If you prefer to use leaf gelatin, you need to convert the amounts of powdered gelatin into leaf gelatin.
I usually use the Perfecta Gel Platinum Gelatin.
In general:
1 (0.25 oz.) envelope granulated gelatin = 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin = 3 sheets leaf gelatin
Keep in mind that depending on the brand of gelatin, the amounts might differ slightly. Read the instructions on the package.
What kind of chocolate is good for Keto desserts, mousses and cakes?
Since this is a low-carb, Keto friendly recipe, you can either use Stevia sweetened dark chocolate, such as Lily’s or Trader Joe’s Brand. This is the pricier option.
Another option is to use unsweetened baking chocolate. While this is not a bad idea and this chocolate tastes ok, I personally do not prefer it for mousse cakes, it works better for baked goods.. Also if you decide to use unsweetened chocolate, keep in mind that you need to adjust the amount of sweetener in the mousse.
How to make this Low-Carb Chocolate Mirror Glaze cake?
For the low-carb chocolate cake layer: (Recipe adapted from this cake)
In a bowl beat together sweetener and egg for 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and beat to combine. Add milk, vinegar and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, cocoa powder, Xantan gum (optional), baking powder.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix just until combined.
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Pour the cake batter over a greased 6-inch pan. Silicone mold can be used to bake the cake layer. Bake cake layer for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Use in the cake, or wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
For the sugar-free chocolate mousse:
For the low-carb mirror glaze:
You can make the Mirror Glaze up to a few days in advance.
When ready to use, warm up on a double boiler until it reaches 50 C.
Place chocolate in a bowl. Add the bloomed gelatin.
Place erythritol in a saucepan (try to add it to the middle, so it does not stick to the walls of the pan), pour heavy cream around it, swirl. Cook on medium-high, swirling, not stirring the mixture, until the sweetener is dissolved and reaches 220 F (104C).
Pour hot mixture over the chocolate and gelatin. Wait for 1 minute, then blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
Before adding to the cake heat over a double boiler, until it reaches temperature of 122 F (50 C).
Assembly:
Fill a 8-inch silicone mold pan with the chocolate mousse.
Place the cake layer on top, it needs to be in the middle, push it in, so the upper edge of the cake layer is touching the mousse. Carefully add a 8-inch round cake cardboard circle. Freeze for at least 4 hours.
Remove cake from the mold.
Place over a bowl, so it acts like a cake stand for when you are pouring the glaze.
When the mirror glaze is at the correct temperature, pour on top of the cake, so the top and the sides are covered. If needed, gently spread the glaze with a spatula.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Keep the cake in the fridge for up to 1 week.
What cake pan or mold to use for mirror glaze cake?
I used to make mousse cakes by using a ring mold or a lipless cheesecake pan (I use Fat Daddio from Amazon).
I recently got round silicone mold (baking) cake pans in different sizes and I’m very happy with them.
In this recipe I used the 6-inch round cake pan for the cake layer and the 8-inch pan to assemble the cake.
When assembling the cake, I did it upside down, meaning I filled the 8-inch pan with mousse, then pushed in the cake layer. You can definitely place the cake layer at the bottom and top with mousse, but then you need to make the top very smooth.
By assembling upside down, you can easily get a smooth top of the mousse cake.
More low-carb desserts:
Low-Carb Mirror Glaze Cake
Ingredients
For the low-carb chocolate cake layer: (Recipe adapted from this cake)
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/4 cup erythritol
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp Xantan gum, optional
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp apple cider or white vinegar
For the sugar-free chocolate mousse:
- 6 oz dark stevia sweetened chocolate
- 1/2 cup heavy cream —, to use with the chocolate
- 1 tbsp gelatin
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream —, to whip
- 1-2 tbsp erythritol to whip the cream, optional
For the low-carb mirror glaze:
- 9 g powdered gelatin
- 50 g chopped stevia sweetened chocolate
- 3/4 cups erythritol
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the low-carb chocolate cake layer: (Recipe adapted from this cake)
- In a bowl beat together sweetener and egg for 2 minutes. Add coconut oil and beat to combine. Add milk, vinegar and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, cocoa powder, Xantan gum (optional), baking powder.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix just until combined.
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Pour the cake batter over a greased 6-inch pan. Silicone mold can be used to bake the cake layer. Bake cake layer for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool completely.
- Use in the cake, or wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
For the sugar-free chocolate mousse:
- Heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream, bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Place chocolate in a bowl and pour heavy cream over it. Let it stand for 1 minutes, then using a spatula, stir to incorporate. Let it cool to room temperature.
- Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water. Let it stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, until it blooms. Warm up to liquify. Add gelatin to the cooled chocolate mixture.
- Beat the remaining 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream with the sweetener (optional) until stiff peaks form.
- Add the chocolate/gelatin mixture to the heavy cream and mix (with a mixer on low or a spatula), until combined.
For the low-carb mirror glaze:
- Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water. Let it stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, until it blooms. Warm up to liquify.
- Place chocolate in a bowl. Add the bloomed gelatin.
- Place erythritol in a saucepan (try to add it to the middle, so it does not stick to the walls of the pan), pour heavy cream around it, swirl. Cook on medium-high, swirling, not stirring the mixture, until the sweetener is dissolved and reaches 220 F (104C).
- Pour hot mixture over the chocolate and gelatin. Wait for 1 minute, then blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.
- Before adding to the cake heat over a double boiler, until it reaches temperature of 122 F (50 C).
- Pour over the assembled, frozen cake.
Assembly:
- Fill a 8-inch silicone mold pan with the chocolate mousse.
- Place the cake layer on top, it needs to be in the middle, push it in, so the upper edge of the cake layer is touching the mousse. Carefully add a 8-inch round cake cardboard circle. Freeze for at least 4 hours.
- Remove cake from the mold.
- Place over a bowl, so it acts like a cake stand for when you are pouring the glaze.
- When the mirror glaze is at the correct temperature, pour on top of the cake, so the top and the sides are covered. If needed, gently spread the glaze with a spatula.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Keep the cake in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
WOW this cake is stunning and the glaze is absolutely perfect!
The instructions say beat sweetener with eggs, but the recipe doesn’t list any sweetener/erythritol amounts. Help?! I checked the original cake recipe you linked to and it wasn’t there either. Thanks!
There is a recipe card at the end of the post with amounts.
Your cake is beautiful and I can’t wait to try making the glaze. How did you get the gold look?
I used some edible gold dust mixed with vodka (1/2 tsp gold dust + 2 tsp vodka) then I took a brush, dipped it in and splashed some dots over the set mirror glaze. It is easy and always works.
Your cake is so amazing! I want to try to do it myself 🙂 Just wanted to ask you: the nutritional info are per slice (20 slices for one cake) or for the whole cake?
Moreover, where I live, we have only access to Hershey’s unsweetened chocolate, as you don’t really recommend this (but because I dont have any other choice), could you advise me on how much sweetener shall I add?
Thanks 😉
Hi Donna, you can use Hersheys if this is what you have access to. Let me know how it works.
Hello dear Mira, I’m also interested, is this nutrition info per serving or 100 g?
Thank you!!! The cake was amazing, I made it for my birthday
Hi Tanya, it is per serving.
Hi,
For the mirror glaze recipe, can we leave out the additional sweetener erythritol? And can it be made by mixing chocolate, heavy cream and gelatin? Also for gelatin, the water (correction) its dissolved into, should also be added to chocolate?
Thanks
HI, NO THE ERYTHRITOL NEEDS TO BE USED BECAUSE WE NEED THE SWEETNESS AND TEXTURE. YOU CAN USE SUGAR INSTEAD OF ERYTHRITOL. THE WATER AND GELATIN GOES TOGETHER INTO THE GLAZE.
The recipe card is inaccurate and does not match the instructions at the top. In the recipe card, the gelatin is added before whipped cream and in the written instructions, the gelatin is added after. This makes a huge difference in the mousse!
There’s also an error in which one of the instructions in the recipe card says to add coconut milk but I think you meant coconut oil.
Please take 5 minutes to edit your recipe cards to make sure they are accurate!
Everything is edited, thanks!
Can stevia sweetened white chocolate be used and if so, can you add food coloring to part of the mixture to make a marbling effect? Thank you.
I have not tried the recipe with white chocolate, but it most likely will work. White chocolate mirror glazes (non low carb) usually tend to be runnier than dark chocolate ones. You may want to add a little more gelatine to it. And yes, food coloring can be used. Let me know how it works 🙂
Hi Mira,
Look forward to trying this stunning recipe! Would it be possible at all to substitute the gelatin with agar (for the vegetarians)?
Thank you! 😊
Hi Sneha, yes Agar can be used in the same amount instead of gelatin. Hope you like it!
Hi Mira,
Look forward to trying this stunning cake! 😊 Do you think agar would work in place of gelatin (for the vegetarians)?
Thank you!
Yes, Agar can be used. Sorry for the late response.
Thank you so very much for this recipe and your detailed instructions. Â I have been searching for a recipe like this! Â
Truly appreciate your efforts!
Glad you liked it!