This chocolate keto cake is rich, decadent, and intensely chocolatey. From the soft and fudgy cake to the creamy frosting, a keto cake doesn't get any better than this. And each serving of this indulgent low carb chocolate cake has just over 2 NET CARBS!
THE BEST KETO CHOCOLATE CAKE
For a low carb cake, this keto chocolate cake recipe is without a doubt one of the BEST – if not the absolute best – I've ever had.
My family and friends seem to think so, too. Keto or not, everyone who tries this always goes in for seconds and asks for the recipe.
If you ever need to make a keto birthday cake, this recipe is the one to make.
It's so rich, so moist, and so wonderfully chocolatey. And the flavors are perfectly balanced too, so it isn't overly sweet or rich like some cakes can be.
And did I mention that it is sugar free and there is just over 2 NET CARBS per serving? It may sound hard to believe, but it's true!
Plus, having this easy keto chocolate cake come together in about 30 minutes truly is the icing on the cake.
Oh, and if you're a chocolate lover, I suggest having a slice of this cake with a cup of my Keto Hot Chocolate!
INGREDIENTS
This keto chocolate cake recipe uses all basic keto-friendly baking ingredients.
So if you've made one of my recipes recently, then you probably have most of these in your kitchen already to make this keto.
Here's what you'll need for the cake:
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup almond milk (or any other milk)
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup granular swerve
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
And for the keto chocolate frosting:
- 4 tbsps. cocoa powder
- ⅔ cup confectioners swerve
- Just over 1 cup mascarpone
- ⅔ cup heavy cream (make sure it's cold)
Like I said, super simple stuff!
If you don't have some of the ingredients on this list, I highly recommend picking them up now because you'll want to dig into this chocolatey goodness ASAP.
Also, I use almond flour and few other ingredients to make some other keto cake recipes, like for this keto lemon pound cake and these keto cupcakes.
DIVING INTO THE INGREDIENTS
So, today we will be making an almond flour keto chocolate cake. And you might think that the texture of this cake would be "off" because of that - but, honestly, the texture is so spot on you'd swear it was made with "regular" flour.
Now, if you don't want to use almond flour or have an allergy, you can easily substitute it with an equal amount of sunflower seed flour or walnut flour.
With that said, a flour you DO NOT want to use as a substitute is coconut flour. It's a highly absorbent flour and will make your cake extremely dry and crumbly.
So stick with almond flour, walnut flour, or sunflower seed flour.
SWEETENING THIS CHOCOLATE KETO CAKE
Since this recipe is keto-friendly, of course, it is a sugar free chocolate cake.
And to make it sugar free, we'll be using Granular Swerve for the cake and Confectioners Swerve for the frosting.
Using that sweetener will give our keto birthday cake the perfect texture and sweetness level without the additional carbs.
However, you can also use Lakanto's Granulated Monk Fruit and Confectioner's Monkfruit Sweeteners in its place. Monk fruit has 0 calories, 0 sugars, and the same sweetness as sugar.
So essentially, these monk fruit based sweeteners are the same thing as Swerve and will work to make this keto and sugar free.
Sweeteners To Avoid
Having said that, just make sure you stay away from Stevia and Xylitol.
Stevia products are typically far to sweet to replace the sweeteners we're using, and also a lot of them have added sugar/carbs.
And as far as xylitol goes, it has half the calories and half the carbs of normal sugar. Also, it's incredibly deadly to dogs/pets. So, I stay away from using it.
HOW TO MAKE KETO CHOCOLATE CAKE
This keto birthday cake is as easy as it gets!
From start to finish, the whole recipe takes about 30 minutes and doesn't require any fancy techniques either like some cake recipes.
It's a great recipe for beginner bakers and a fun recipe to make with your kids.
So round up your baking crew, and let's make some low carb cake!
Step 1: MAKING THE CAKE BATTER
Before everything else, you'll want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C) and line two 7 or 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
And just FYI, I made my cake in 7-inch pans, so it may come out a little thinner if you use 8-inch ones.
Next, sift all of your dry ingredients - cocoa powder, baking powder, almond flour, granular swerve - into a large bowl.
Then add in the rest of your ingredients and whisk everything together until it is well incorporated.
STEP 2: BAKING YOUR CAKE
For the baking portion of this recipe, the first thing you will do is divide the cake batter evenly between the two cake pans.
Then, smooth out the tops and give the pans a couple of taps on the table to get rid of any air bubbles.
Next, place the pans in your preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes or until fully cooked.
You can stick a toothpick in the center to check, and if it comes out completely clean, your cake is done. But if it has a little wet batter stuck to it, you'll want to give the cake a few more minutes.
Once the cakes are cooked, take them out of the oven and let them cool a bit in the pan. Then, transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 3: MAKING THE FROSTING
While the cake is cooling, it's time to get started on the frosting.
First, sift the cocoa powder and confectioners swerve into a mixing bowl, then add in the mascarpone and heavy cream. And make sure your heavy cream is cold but not frozen - so take it out of the fridge just before you add it in.
Then, using a hand mixer on medium speed, mix the ingredients until they're well-combined and thick enough to hold their shape.
Once you get stiff peaks, the frosting should be good to go. You'll want to be careful not to overbeat it as it can become grainy.
STEP 4: FROSTING AND SERVING YOUR CAKE
Finally, saving the best for last, frosting, and completing your cake.
To start, make sure both cake layers have completely cooled.
Now, start by adding frosting to the top of the bottom cake layer. If the cake tops are domed, you can cut the rounded part away with a serrated knife.
Then, place the second cake layer on top and use the rest of the frosting to cover the entire cake. And for a finishing touch, you can add some keto chocolate chips to the edges of the cake.
Now your keto chocolate cake is ready to eat!
If you don't plan on digging into this moist cake immediately, make sure you put it in the refrigerator.
HOW TO STORE YOUR KETO CHOCOLATE CAKE
This recipe makes 16 servings of the best keto chocolate cake. And the flavors of this cake are so well-balanced that people usually help themselves to another slice (or two).
So if you're making this as a keto birthday cake, you can expect it to disappear almost immediately.
But if you have leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
Oh, and storing this cake at room temperature is out of the question since the mascarpone frosting needs to be kept chilled.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
As I mentioned earlier, each serving of this low carb cake comes out to just 2.6g NET CARBS per serving! And what's even better is it has ideal macros for the keto diet.
Here's a closer look at the nutritional information for 1 serving:
- 212.37 Calories
- 20.3g Fat
- 5.6g Carbs
- 3g Fiber
- 2.6g NET CARBS
- 6.5g Protein
Pretty impressive, right?
This keto chocolate cake recipe will be a hit for any party, holiday, or get-together. Everyone will love it whether they follow a keto diet or not.
It's one of my personal favorites, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
And if you make it, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear from you.
MORE KETO DESSERT RECIPES
This cake is perfect for sharing because when you make something this good, you just have to show it off.
For more low carb recipes that will impress anyone who tries them, I highly suggest making these:
- No Bake Keto Peanut Butter Pie
- Keto Chocolate Mousse
- Keto Funnel Cake
- Keto Bread Pudding
- Keto Brownies
- Keto Lemon Bars
Chocolate Keto Cake | Easy Keto Chocolate Cake
This chocolate keto cake is rich, decadent, and intensely chocolatey. From the soft and fudgy cake to the creamy frosting, a keto cake doesn't get any better than this. And each serving of this indulgent low carb chocolate cake has just over 2 NET CARBS!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Low Carb Keto
Ingredients
4 eggs
½ cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup almond milk (or any other milk)
2 cups (220g) almond flour
½ cup granular swerve
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
4 tbsps. cocoa powder
⅔ cup confectioners swerve
Just over 1 cup (250g) mascarpone
⅔ cup heavy cream (make sure it's cold)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two 8 or 7 inch pans with parchment paper (I used 7 inch pans, so it will be a little thinner in 8 inch ones).
- Next, sift all of your dry ingredients (cocoa powder, baking powder, almond flour, granular swerve) into a large bowl. Then add in the rest of your ingredients and whisk everything together until well incorporated.
- Divide batter evenly between 2 pans and bake for about 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick to make sure it's completely baked.
- Let the cake cool in the pans for a bit, then on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- For the frosting sift the cocoa powder and confectioners swerve into a mixing bowl, then add in the mascarpone and heavy cream. Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed until it holds its shape. Be careful to not overbeat, it can become grainy.
- Frost the bottom layer of your cake, put the other layer on top, and frost the rest of the cake.
Notes
The scale up function does not change the gram measurements.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 212.37
- Fat: 20.3
- Carbohydrates: 5.6
- Fiber: 3.2
- Protein: 6.5
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Cherie
Do you need to ice the sides of the cake, if not would how much would you need reduce the icing amount by. We don't have swerve brand Sweetner in my country, what else would I use. We have erythritol, stevia, xylitol, allulose and in mall amounts we can buy erythritol mixed with stevia or monk
I'm Hungry
Erythritol will work. You don't need to ice the sides, probably reduce it by 1/3 or 1/4.
Rae Ru
This is the first recipe I've seen that doesn't use oil for a cake.. does that affect the texture? And which of the ingredients replaces the function of oil in a regular recipe..?
Brendan Cunningham
It will have a light and fluffy texture.
SMG
This cake is amazing! Easy to make and taste absolutely delicious. Thank you!
★★★★★
Carolyn Jorgensen
Looks amazing.. making this tomorrow!!
★★★★★
Sonja Milutin
I made this and the cake was delicious. Even my daughter who loves chocolate cakes said it was great, she didn't miss sugar.
When I make it again, I may add the orange zest to make it a bit refreshing and less bitter.
Will definitely make it again.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
Amy
Thanks for a great recipe! Is there a substitute for the mascarpone?
I'm Hungry
I'd make our keto cream cheese frosting recipe and add 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder to it.
Maureen
Wow this was delicious!! I was skeptical about the frosting but it was probably the best frosting I’ve had on a cake!
★★★★★
Wendy
Best keto cake I’ve ever made!
★★★★★
Jason
So decadent. Will be making again very soon!
★★★★★
Sara
Was very happy with the result. Delicious!
★★★★★
Clarissima
Wow this was good !! I really can't believe it is this low in carbs.
★★★★★
Meghan Larken
Very good tasting frosting! Cake was perfect too!!
★★★★★
Melanie K.
My kids favorite dessert is chocolate cake and both of them loved this!! Thanks for the healthy cake alternative!
★★★★★
Darcy
So rich and decadent!!
★★★★★
Iris
Very good recipe.
★★★★★
Marcy
Wow this was very delicious! I made it for dessert for my family over the weekend and they all really liked it!!
★★★★★
Racheal
5/5 Devine chocolate goodness!!!
★★★★★
Fiona
Delicious!! The chocolate chips were a nice touch.
★★★★★
Bri
If I were to make these into cupcakes instead how would you suggest cooking them? Thanks Chef!
I'm Hungry
Same temperature but for about 10-12 minutes. Make sure to check them before then to see how they're baking 🙂
Darcy
Sinfully delicious! Like, wow….this cake is incredible.
★★★★★
Cathy
The frosting was delicious!!
★★★★★
Eliana
Made it for my sisters bday last night and my entire family loved it!! Thanks such a good cake recipe!
★★★★★
Liam R
Outstanding recipe!
★★★★★
Malcom
Loved how much chocolate flavor was in this cake!!
★★★★★
Margarie
Was easy to make.
★★★★★
Marlie
Tasted like actual chocolate cake. Well done.
★★★★★
Anne
The middle layer of frosting completes it. So delicious.
★★★★★
Farah
Delectable chocolate cakey cake.
★★★★★
Jace
Rich chocolatey deliciousness!!
★★★★★
Myra
Moist and chocolatey af.
★★★★★
Ellen
I have made this for my birthday and my sons. It is a delicious gluten free cake recipe!!
★★★★★
Lorel
Splendid chocolate cake recipe.
★★★★★
Astrid
This comes out perfect every time!!
★★★★★
Tia
Everyone...best keto chocolate cake that you will make! The frosting, cake, easiness, everything is just superb.
★★★★★
May
This cake is decadence on a plate!
★★★★★
Shelly
This was even better than I imagined!!
★★★★★
Maddeline
This is decadent af.
★★★★★
Miranda
My favorite chocolate keto dessert to date.
★★★★★
Alyssa
Everything about this is a decadent dream. Loved loved loved it!
★★★★★
Cindy Pierce
I ended up making this for my dads birthday and he loved it! (he's a big chocolate fan)
★★★★★
Amanda N.
Chocolate dream come true!
★★★★★
Samantha
No keto cake comes close to this one. I use it for the base to all of my cakes and change up the frosting!
★★★★★
Karolin
Amaizing chocolate cake!
★★★★★
LAUREL DORR
Great flavor and super easy and fast to make! I used sour cream for substitute with frosting and it's not firm, but still has good flavor, just not pretty enough to share a picture but good enough to say Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★
Brendan Cunningham
We're glad you liked the cake!
Olaf
Oh wow this was terrfiic!
★★★★★
Alexis
A chocolate lovers dream. This cake was the best!
★★★★★
Elaine
I loved this cake it, it really tasted light a chocolate cake the frosting was amazing. I could just eat that by itself😋
★★★★★
Brendan Cunningham
We're so happy you like the recipe!!
Shawn
I have been battling trying to find a decent sugar free chocolate cake that doesn't have that weird cooling effect. This is the one! Only thing I did was switch the sweetener for a monkfruit blend. It is so good! Tastes like a brownie! Thank you for this.
May I ask what brand almond flour you used? I used Kirkland and it says superfine, but it is kind of grainy.
★★★★★
Brendan Cunningham
We're so happy you like the cake!! We usually use Blue Diamond almond flour, hope that helps!