Just because you’ve given up grains and sugar doesn’t mean you can’t have delicious, moist chocolate cake! This recipe is super easy and can be made as a bunt cake, layer cake, or cupcakes! The texture is so spot on no one would ever guess it was keto.
On the Ingredients
- Almond flour is a grain-free flour made by grinding blanched almonds to a fine flour. It is not the same thing as almond meal, which is coarser, due to the skins being left on. Almond flour is a common ingredient in keto and paleo recipes, an alternative to grain flour. It can be used instead of wheat flour in many recipes but will have a denser consistency, due to the lack of gluten. (Read more about almond flour.)
- Monk fruit sweetener is a natural sugar alternative made from the luohan guo fruit, cultivated in Asia for hundreds of years. Its sweetness comes from mogroside, so it doesn’t affect the body like other sugars. Since it’s sweeter than white sugar, monk fruit sweeteners are often mixed with erythritol, a sugar alcohol. Monk fruit is non-caloric, sugar-free, and doesn’t raise blood sugar. For most people, it tastes the same as sugar, though sweeter, with no aftertaste. Monk fruit may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Studies in animals and test tubes suggest monk fruit may inhibit cancer cell growth. Though few studies have been conducted, monk fruit has been eaten for hundreds of years in Asia and is used in Chinese medicine. (Read more about monk fruit.)
- Swerve powdered sweetener is a powdered sugar alternative made from erythritol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol found in corn. Its glycemic index is 0, so it’s a safe sugar alternative for people with diabetes. It has 6% of the calories of table sugar but retains 70% of the sweetness. There is no aftertaste. Unlike other sugar alcohols, it is mainly absorbed into the bloodstream, preventing it from causing digestive troubles. Unlike xylitol, it is not poisonous to dogs. (Read more about erythritol.)
Ultimate Keto Chocolate Cake
Servings
16
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
1
hourTotal time
1
hour30
minutesJust because you’ve given up grains and sugar doesn’t mean you can’t have delicious, moist chocolate cake! This recipe is super easy and can be made as a bunt cake, layer cake, or cupcakes! The texture is so spot on no one would ever guess it was keto.
Ingredients
- Cake Ingredients
3 cups almond flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder (sifted)
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
6 eggs
2/3 cup monkfruit sweetener
3 tsp vanilla extract
- Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
3.5 oz Lily’s dark chocolate baking chips
1/3 cup heavy cream
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
8oz cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
4 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup Swerve powdered sweetener (sifted)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cocoa powder (sifted)
- Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
8oz cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 cup butter (room temp)
4 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 cup Swerve powdered sweetener (sifted)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp powdered instant coffee granules
Directions
- For Bunt Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a bunt pan thoroughly.
- Combine all the cake ingredients in a bowl and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a butter knife inserted into the cake comes out clean (with a few crumbs sticking).
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan. Let the cake cool completely.
- Set up a double boiler with the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Melt the chocolate while stirring until the heavy cream and chocolate combine for a velvety, smooth sauce.
- Remove the top of the double boiler and let the ganache cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour the ganache over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Enjoy!
- For Layer Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease two 8” cake pans and line with cut parchment paper.
- Combine all the cake ingredients in a bowl and mix until just incorporated.
- Divide the batter into the prepared pans.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a butter knife inserted into the cake comes out clean (with a few crumbs sticking).
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them sit for 10 minutes before carefully removing them from the pans. Let the cakes cool completely.
- Beat the chocolate frosting ingredients together until light and creamy.
- Frost the cakes, stacked, with a layer of frosting between them.
- Optionally, you can also pour ganache over the top of the frosted cake. Set up a double boiler with the chocolate chips and heavy cream.
- Melt the chocolate while stirring until the heavy cream and chocolate combine for a velvety, smooth sauce. Remove the top of the double boiler and let the ganache cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour the ganache over the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
- Top the cake with some coconut flakes. Enjoy!
- For Cupcakes**
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cupcake pans with cupcake papers (recipe makes 16).
- Combine all the cake ingredients in a bowl and mix until just incorporated.
- Divide the batter into the cupcake pans, filling each liner 3/4 full. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a butter knife inserted into a center cupcake comes out clean (with a few crumbs sticking).
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them sit for 10 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan. Let the cupcakes cool completely.
- Beat the coffee frosting ingredients together until light and creamy. Fill a pastry bag with a star tip with the frosting and frost each cupcake. You can also use a butter knife or a frosting knife to spread the frosting. Enjoy!
