These little cakes are ZERO net carbs. Seriously!! 🙂
I have a confession to make… Lately I’ve had donuts on my mind 😯 in a BIG way. I’ve made donut jokes, I’ve threatened to actually EAT a donut, I’ve even dreamed about donuts. 😳 I have NO idea what’s up with that, because I don’t generally have cravings – but it’s definitely been eating at me lately. 😛 (haha, I love a good pun!!)
In the most perfect timing, the SmartCake company reached out to me to see if I would be willing to review their “Zero Carb Cakes.”
Yes, you heard me right – ZERO carb, gluten free CAKE. (I know – I was thinking the same thing you probably are now 🙄 lol)
This is what I had for breakfast this morning:
Yum, right? 😀 Don’t freak out – it’s VERY low carb! 😉
Of course I said “YES! I would LOVE to review your CAKE!” (haha) – so they sent me three different boxes, with three different flavors to try: Cinnamon, Coconut and Chocolate cakes. That’s TWELVE cakes. ♥ ♥ *happiness* !!!
Click here for ingredients, nutrition facts, flavors & pricing
I read the labels and it all looked good – but I was STILL skeptical.
I mean… they have hardly any calories, ZERO net carbs, they’re gluten free – so what could they possibly taste like?! 😛 lol
Let’s start with the important thing…
They’re CUTE! 🙂
They come two cakes per pack, and each cake is in a cute little paper cup:
Here’s the official product description:
Smart Baking Company SmartCake is a delicious gluten free, low carb snack cake. SmartCake has zero carbs from starch, zero carbs from sugar and only the good carbs from fiber. SmartCake’s have only 38 calories per cake and are high in omega-3 fatty acids. – read more
The ingredients vary by flavor, but they use Erythritol as the sweetener, and here are the ingredients for the Cinnamon flavor to give you an example:
Ingredients: Eggs, purified water, proprietary fiber blend (oat fiber, corn fiber, flax), erythritol, whey protein isolate, olive oil, cinnamon, pure vanilla, salt, cellulose gum, monk fruit, citric acid, spices, herbs. *click here to see all flavors/ingredients
Not bad, right? 🙂
Right. But how do they TASTE? I wasn’t expecting much. And speaking of… I knew 38 calories each was NEVER going to hold me over. 😛
Since I was going to make a MEAL out of this “review” I knew I had to add some more calories and fats to it.
I looked around my kitchen and found some peanut butter, a cream cheese packet, ah – and then I spotted the Hazelnut Milk Chocolate NutiLight I got in one of my Keto Krate boxes. 🙂 🙂 YES!!
How did I miss that low carb hazelnut chocolate spread?! That stuff is amazing!!
Taste Test…
My first bite was the Cinnamon SmartCake with Philadelphia Cream Cheese on top. A big fat “WOW” does not even come close to describing my reaction. 🙂 lol… YUM. It was like a REAL muffin, or more like a cake-style donut! I absolutely LOVED the texture *and* the flavor.
Next I tried the Coconut SmartCake. This one was much softer in texture, very MOIST, and an amazing coconut cake flavor! It was more like really moist coconut yellow cake. PERFECT.
I tried the Chocolate SmartCake last. It was my least favorite for flavor and texture, which is unfair – because it was REALLY good, but just didn’t compare to the first two I had tried before it.;) It had a more dense texture, but a great cocoa flavor. Not TOO sweet, but the perfect “chocolate cake” flavor – with no icky aftertaste. Of course the TBSP of peanut butter made it absolutely delicious. 🙂
I’m not even normally a very big coconut fan, but the Cinnamon and Coconut cakes were definitely my favorite – and something I would order over and over again!
There’s no strong artificially sweet aftertaste, not even the “cooling effect” you get with most sugar free products, and the flavors and textures are *perfect*.
They really pegged this one. 😉
Since they are zero net carbs, the only carb count from my breakfast came from the toppings/spreads I put on top (to add fat & calories).
Here are the macronutrients for my breakfast (as shown above):
Would I recommend these to you?
That would be a YES. 🙂 Especially if you want a low carb, gluten free, non gmo, zero net carbs TREAT you can truly ENJOY anytime you’re about to jerk your car straight into a donut shop. (lol, because that has been SO me lately! 😛 )
They’re small, they’re low calorie AND low fat, but they are amazingly delicious and will totally satisfy any crazy craving you might ever have for cake or donuts or whatever.
I’m all for anything that keeps me on track on… “those days.” 🙂
They are cheapest on Netrition, and that’s also where the Nutilight spread is cheapest:
Get Cinnamon, Coconut or Chocolate SmartCakes
Get Nutilight Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Spread
The great thing about ordering from Netrition is that you can order individual packs (2 cakes per pack) instead of having to order an entire case – which means you can mix & match your flavors. 🙂
Netrition also JUST announced FREE SHIPPING in the 48 states on orders $99+, which is great when you’re stocking up on your low carb staples! ♥
Have you tried these SmartCakes yet?
If so, I would love to hear YOUR thoughts – and your favorite flavors!
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
p.s. I really did only eat 3 cakes. Seriously! (so far, lol…)
You can get SO creative with them & turn them into a meal even:
Discount Code: LOWCARBTRAVELER
Did the. Cakes come frozen? I bet they are addicting. These are pricey but it might make for a special occasion like my Birthday in June. π
Btw. I tried a real donut lately
.it did not taste good to me anymore. Funny how are tastes change (for the better) once we have started to eat healthy for a while…..the old woe is not appealing anymore
I bet you would not even enjoy a real donut anymore. I didn’t. It was not worth the calories and carbs. π π
Yes, I think sometimes the memory of the taste of a forbidden treat is better than the actual taste and not worth the cheat. I try to remind myself of that before I fall off the wagon!
Hi Gina π No, the cakes are not frozen. They are like little super moist & delicious cupcakes!
I’ve done that too, where something sounded much better than it was. π Totally NOT worth it, lol. Ack!
I am so glad that you got a chance to review this product! I have been eyeing them on Netrition for a couple of months, but didn’t know whether I should order or not. I think I will try some of the coconut ones – Thanks!
They are SO good, Kim! Did you order the coconut cakes? If not, here’s the link: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/cake Those are delicious with cream cheese on them. π I look forward to hearing what YOU thought of them!
I have a bad sweet tooth! I just made “Homemade ChocolateTruffles” – Low carb & Keto. They’re good, not quite as sweet as I’d like but I love dark chocolate. I also just bought the Keto Kookies, choc chip and double chocolate, both are good but again not quite as sweet as I’d like but they do help my sweet tooth.
These look really good and I will try them but sigh sigh sigh they are SO expensive! My husband is also diabetic and works in construction, has to pack his lunch, all carbs, sandwiches, Entenmann’s Little Bites and Fiber One baked bars for something sweet. I keep saying those aren’t good for you, he keeps saying, find me something else! LOL. These would be good except he eats several of these every day and it certainly wouldn’t be affordable.
Thanks for the review, I’m disappointed the chocolate weren’t your favorite, those would have been my first choice. But I will try all three.
That’s so funny, Roye – because most people complain the Keto Kookies and Keto Bars are TOO sweet. π
The second batch of chocolate cakes I tried were MUCH better. More moist than the first batch for some reason. I don’t think they have enough calories for your husband to consider them part of his lunch – not in a substantial way anyway, they’re only 38 calories each.;)
Did you both try them, or not? If you did I’d love to hear what you thought!
Already placed my order! Thanks for the awesome review (as always!)
I hope you enjoyed those smart cakes, KR! π *cheers*
p.s. I’m on my 3rd box. lol – but of course I’m sharing. π
Have you tried their Smart Carb buns? I first discovered Smart Baking Company about a year ago. Their Smart Carb hamburger buns are great, too! Netrition has those as well.
The buns are delish! I love making garlic bread out of them!
I haven’t tried those yet, Amy. I’ll have to do that, and compare them to the low carb bread company I do use & like (GLCBC). π Thanks!
Hi Lynn!
I find it very interesting that while you list ingredients here on your blog, the netrition site does not offer ingredient listings nor does the site of the Smart Baking Company. I refuse to buy food from companies that don’t want everyone to know what’s in their product. The monk fruit alone is a turn off for me but when a manufacturer isn’t up front with ingredients that’s just a giant red flag for me. Glad you enjoyed them though π
Have a happy,
TT
Hi TT π That’s exactly where I got the ingredients list myself! You have to select a flavor to see the ingredients: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/cake – when you select one, then click Ingredients (or it may say Nutrition Facts). π
p.s. What is it that you don’t like about Monk Fruit as a natural sweetener?
Thanks for the link and directions. Yes I see the ingredients now lol. As for the monk fruit, it’s just another fructose & glucose fruit. I gave up oranges for the same reason I don’t do monk fruit. It may be a natural sugar but it’s still a sugar rather than a sweetener.
What sweeteners do you prefer & use?
It’s one of the last ingredients, so they use very little, and it only takes a very small amount of monk fruit to use as a sweetener anyway, so it’s negligible in this product. As in, totally safe for diabetics even.
I would much rather have an all natural low carb sweetener than an artificial sweetener. That’s why I like the NHM low carb pancake mix so much – it doesn’t contain any artificial sweeteners.
I use stevia in my cooking and baking but I prefer saccharin in my coffee. I like SweetLeaf brand for my stevia and Necta Sweet for my saccharin. I like as few fillers as possible even if I have to put a bit of work into making my baking come out right due to the huge difference in dry quantities. The SweetLeaf powdered concentrate is 2 Tbsp = 1 C of sugar. It’s a bit of a challenge but I don’t shy away from those π
It’s a bit of a hassle finding recipes I can use online since almost no one gives a sugar equivalent for the sweeteners they use. I’ve noticed that different brands of stevia have different concentrates of sweetness. I’ve also learned through trial and error that when you combine just a touch of saccharin with the stevia that the end result actually tastes better. Together they cancel out any strange after taste they would have singly. I’ve noticed that my fav brands of stevia soda pop, Honest Fizz & Blue Sky, have that same lack of odd taste which I assume is due to the combo of stevia and erythritol. I have yet to try using erythritol in my own baking.
Unlike you, I actually love to cook from scratch π and as a homemaker I have time for it. I have never purchased nor tried any low carb ‘product’ like the baking mix, breads, muffins, wraps etc. though I always check them out. They are so incredibly expensive, even if they are convenient. I usually cook more than we need for a meal so I always have good, ready to eat food in the freezer for those days when I don’t feel like cooking.
After 6 years of learning to cook LC I rarely want to eat out or have desserts. Lucky for me you have great ideas on how to eat out responsibly when we go on vacation! It no longer bothers me when my server gives me “the look” as I order food the way I want it, thanks to you. It’s nice knowing I am not the only person out there that does this.
I just got my Keto Crate today and the Smart Cake is one of the items in the pkg. It is (or should I say was!) LOL! It was a pkg of 2 cinnamon flavored and about the best low carb (actually no carbs) product I have ever eaten. I shared them with my hubby and we LOVED them! They will be in with my next order with Netrition for sure!
I was so excited to see the Smart Cakes featured in that recent Keto Krate. π EVERYONE enjoyed that!! Did you order more, and if so – which flavors did you get and/or like the most??
mmmmh! looks Yummy!
I tried all 3 flavors. I liked the coconut the best and the chocolate the least.
Same here, Nita – that coconut cake is SO moist and delicious!! I definitely think cinnamon pulls a very close second though. π
My husband and I tried all 3 in a sample pack. We did not like the chocolate or cinnamon ones. Too dry. But the coconut was moist and delicious. We divided each 2 pack. Also did not like the hamburger buns. Again too dry. They were kept in the freezer till used.
Did you toast the buns, Mary? I’m guessing buttered & toasted would be best. But yes – those little coconut cakes are amazing! π
A friend brought some to church camp where I tasted my first taste of heaven! (Bad pun I know!) I love the cinnamon! As it is the only one she had! SO moist and yummy!! Will be stocking up for sure! Can’t wait to try the coconut and chocolate! Yours look so good!
lol Robin, I love a good pun! π They really are amazingly delicious. The coconut is my absolute FAVORITE. I like getting them from Netrition – here’s the link: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/cake because you can order individual packs instead of larger boxes, which means you can mix & match the flavors. π
I just got the cinnamon version in my SleekTreat box. OMG I know what I want for my birthday next week!! So moist and flavorful and tasted like something that should have had a LOT more calories and carbs. I am a Type 2 diabetic and it’s such a struggle for me and my sweet tooth at times to eat the way I should. So I went online to learn more about Smartcakes and ran across your post. Now I am following your blog! π
Aren’t they AMAZING, Angie?! π I’m so glad you got to try them. They got me hooked at first bite too, lol.
Welcome, btw! I look forward to getting to know you. We have a GREAT community here of keto / low carb / diabetics / etc – you’ll love it! π
Tried sesame buns, and three flavors of cakes. Buns are ok, toasted is better with toppings etc. Cakes were so bad I was shocked. To each their own of course. Cakes tasted like strong. artificially flavored plastic. The raspberry creme tasted like cough syrup. This is the last time I buy anything mentioned on line that I cannot try a small sample of locally! Meanwhile, there are plenty of delicious pinterest recipes that can be made and frozen.