The Best Keto Chocolate Cake Recipe

The BEST keto chocolate cake recipe! This low carb almond flour chocolate cake is rich, moist, and decadent, yet EASY to make in one bowl.

By Maya on April 13, 2020

58 Comments

The full ingredients and instructions are on the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll or jump to the recipe card, don't miss the HELPFUL RECIPE TIPS in the post itself!

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One taste and you’ll declare it the best keto chocolate cake recipe! It’s rich, soft, moist, and has a deep chocolate flavor. It’s almost hard to believe this almond flour chocolate cake has no flour or sugar, but it’s true. And while a low carb chocolate cake looks complex, I promise it’s easy to pull off at home.

Make this keto chocolate birthday cake for a birthday celebration… or anytime you need a special treat! I served it for my daughter’s 5th birthday when we could still see her friends, and all the kids (and parents) ate this up. The only thing I changed after that was to add more sweetener based on their feedback, and this is the final version.

I like to time my cake recipes to birthdays, because I don’t bake cakes very often normally (I’d rather make keto cupcakes for portion control), but it’s well worth it for a special occasion. My classic vanilla keto birthday cake from 3 years ago is still a hit!

I actually developed this chocolate keto cake recipe a couple years ago, but originally made it with a peanut butter frosting. While that tasted great, I re-tested it more recently with keto chocolate frosting and decided that was the winner, with the flavor most people expect from this type of dessert. If you prefer, feel free to swap it for peanut butter like my original had. I haven’t posted the frosting recipe yet, but in the meantime, you can slather it with the keto peanut butter mousse.

What Is Keto Chocolate Cake?

Wondering how an almond flour chocolate cake that looks this decadent can possibly be keto and low carb? I get it, it’s hard to believe that this cake has just 5 grams net carbs per serving! So, how did we make this happen?

We’re using wholesome and healthy almond flour instead of white refined flour, and my very own Besti allulose sweetener instead of white refined sugar.

But make no mistake – this low carb chocolate cake is just as decadent, rich and moist as the real thing.

How To Make Keto Chocolate Cake

This sugar-free chocolate cake recipe is ready in less than an hour! Here are the simple steps:

Prep pans. Line the bottom of two 9″ round springform pans with parchment paper.
Beat butter and sweetener. In a large bowl, beat together the Besti allulose and butter, until fluffy.

Add wet ingredients. Beat in eggs one at a time, then almond milk, sour cream, and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients. Beat in almond flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. The batter will not be very liquid or very thick – somewhere in between.

Divide batter into 2 prepared pans. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake almond flour chocolate cake. It’s done when the top springs back and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely right in the pans, then run a knife along the sides and flip to release.

Make the best keto chocolate cake frosting. Find the full recipe for keto chocolate frosting here. (And plenty of frosting tips below!)
Assemble and frost chocolate keto cake recipe. See the section below on how to assemble and frost it.

Add toppings if desired. Feel free to decorate with more chocolate frosting (not my strong suit!) or with fresh berries like I did!

Tips For Frosting Easy Keto Chocolate Cake

I used 3 1/2 cups of frosting – plan accordingly. Most 2-tier cake recipes call for about 4 cups frosting, but I used a bit less. The cake is already very rich and caloric, so didn’t find it necessary to use more. I recommended 3/4 cup between layers, 1 1/4 cup on top, and 1 1/2 cups for the sides, for 3 1/2 cups total. If you want to be on the safe side, make extra so that you can hide any flaws and/or decorate the top. (Leftover frosting is fair game for keto ice cream topping…or straight from the spoon!)
Double the frosting amount if you want to decorate the top. Cake decorating needs a lot of extra frosting.
An icing spatula makes it easier to apply frosting. Using one reduces sticking and helps it go on evenly.
A cake stand is helpful for frosting – it allows you to rotate your keto friendly chocolate cake as you frost it.
Frost the flat parts first, then the sides. Start by frosting the flat top of the bottom layer, then add the top layer and frost that. Finally, finish with the sides. I usually go back to check on any imperfections at the end.

And then serve! I recommend cutting it into narrow slices, because it’s extremely rich and decadent.

Substitutions For Keto Chocolate Cake

Can I use coconut flour?

No, sorry. You’d need to make multiple changes to the recipe to substitute coconut flour. It’s so different that I can’t recommend it without testing it.

If you are nut-free, you may be able to use sunflower seed meal as a 1-1 replacement for the almond flour, but the color, texture, and flavor of the cake will be somewhat different.

Can I use almond meal?

No, you need blanched super fine almond flour like this. Using almond meal would yield a grainy result.

Can I use a different sweetener?

Yes, you can. You’d want 1 3/4 cups (as written) using pure allulose or pure erythritol, OR 1 1/4 cups using a 1:1 sugar replacement. (Use the sweetener conversion calculator to find out the right amount for the sweetener you have.)

However, I strongly recommend using either allulose or monk fruit allulose blend to get the moist texture a chocolate cake should have. Using other sweeteners will yield a more dry result.

Can I make it dairy-free?

Probably, though it won’t be identical. You can try the following substitutions for the dairy in this keto chocolate cake recipe:

Sour cream substitute – Replace the 3/4 cup sour cream with 11 tablespoons full-fat coconut cream + 1 tablespoon lemon juice + 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar.
Butter substitute – Replace the butter with coconut oil (same amount). If possible, get butter-flavored coconut oil to get that buttery flavor.

I have not tested making dairy-free chocolate frosting, but in theory, you can use the butter subtitute for that as well.

How To Store Low Carb Chocolate Cake

Store this low carb chocolate cake recipe in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s best at room temperature, but fine cold as well.

Can You Freeze Almond Flour Chocolate Cake?

Yes, you can freeze this keto chocolate cake recipe with almond flour for 3-4 months for optimal taste, though it will be safe to eat beyond that.

You have 2 options:

Option 1: Freeze Chocolate Cake Layers Separately

For best results, pre-bake the cake layers separately and don’t assemble. Once they cool, wrap each layer with plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. Then you can stack the layers and freeze them.

You can make and freeze the frosting ahead as well, and freeze that in a zip lock bag. But, the frosting is super quick to make, so you can easily make it fresh when you are ready to have the cake.

Option 2: Freeze The Frosted Chocolate Cake

If you prefer, you can assemble and frost the entire cake. The frosting is sticky, though, so you can’t wrap it while it’s at room temperature.

Instead, make room in the freezer and place the uncovered cake inside on a tray. Once it’s solid (at least 4 hours in the freezer), remove it from the freezer and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, followed by foil to keep any moisture out.

How To Thaw Chocolate Keto Cake

Thaw in the fridge overnight, or at least 8 hours. You can thaw them at room temperature in a pinch.

If your cakes were frozen without the frosting, it’s best to let them thaw while they are wrapped, so that condensation doesn’t get inside. However, if you freeze a frosted keto chocolate cake, you’ll need to unwrap it while it’s frozen and let it thaw unwrapped, otherwise the frosting will stick to the plastic.

More Keto Cake Recipes

If you like this easy keto chocolate cake recipe, you’ll probably like some of these other keto cake recipes:

French Almond Cake – Lightly sweet and completely acceptable for any time of day.
Sugar-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake – Dense and chocolatey. One small sliver is so rich and satisfying.
Keto Cheesecake – The most popular dessert on Wholesome Yum, with good reason! This one has fooled thousands of people that it’s the real thing.
Keto Birthday Cake – Classic vanilla cake. Top with chocolate or vanilla and always sprinkles.
Chocolate Cupcakes – Rich chocolate cake and a thick slather of chocolate frosting, just like your favorite bakery cupcake.
Keto Tres Leches – If you like sweet and creamy, this tres leches (three milks) cake is the one for you.

Tools To Make Keto Chocolate Cake:

Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

Hand Mixer – Believe it or not, but I don’t own a stand mixer! This handheld version works just as well and I love that I can store it away when it’s not in use.
Cake Pans – You’ll want a set of two so that you can bake the layers at the same time. This brand never, ever sticks, which is important since only the bottom gets lined with parchment paper.
Cake Stand – The best keto chocolate cake recipe deserves to be put on a pedestal, don’t you think? And if you need a more practical reason to get a cake stand, it makes it way more convenient to frost the cake.
Icing Spatula – This special spatula makes frosting this sugar free low carb chocolate cake recipe easy. Definitely recommend!

The Best Keto Chocolate Cake Recipe:
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