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This healthy keto lemon cake recipe is based on my popular keto chocolate cake and lemon blueberry zucchini bread… and it’s just as moist and decadent, with plenty of zing and fresh flavor. You might associate an almond flour lemon cake with a dense, dry cake, but this one is far from it. A few key ingredients make all the difference. And the result? Layers of fluffy sugar-free lemon cake, studded with lemon zest and topped with a lemon buttercream frosting. If you enjoy tangy desserts like keto lemon bars, you’re going to love this one!
What makes this the best keto lemon cake recipe? Besti sweetener! This blend of monk fruit and allulose makes a sweet, super moist cake, with no aftertaste. I use it for all my cakes now and it makes a huge difference in moisture and texture.
And, my Wholesome Yum Superfine Blanched Almond Flour makes the cake perfectly fluffy just like it did in my French almond flour cake, not dense like some low carb cakes.
Keto Almond Lemon Cake Ingredients
This keto lemon cake recipe comes together with pretty basic low carb pantry staples, plus a few common items from the grocery store:
Low carb lemon cake ingredients
- Butter – I prefer to use this grass-fed butter for best flavor and quality, but any unsalted kind will work. Be sure to soften the butter!
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – A must for keto cakes, it makes them super moist and not dry! And of course, zero net carbs, sugar, or aftertaste.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, not medium or jumbo.
- Sour cream – Full-fat sour cream is best for keto and the best cake texture, but low-fat works too if that’s what you have.
- Lemons – Look for a bright lemon that has a slight give to it when pressed.
- Vanilla – Look for a high quality extract to make sure there aren’t any other added sugars.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – The superfine, blanched texture of my brand makes the lemon cake fluffy and not dense.
- Baking powder – Make sure it’s fresh to avoid a dense cake.
- Sea salt
Sugar-free lemon buttercream frosting ingredients
- Butter – Same kind as above.
- Lemons – We use both the juice and the zest in the frosting as well, but if you want your frosting ultra smooth, you can swap the lemon zest for lemon extract to taste.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – A powdered sweetener is crucial so that your frosting isn’t gritty, and this one has no aftertaste.
- Heavy cream – This thins out the frosting to reach the right consistency. Almond milk will also work, but you’d need to use less.
Ingredient amounts are on the recipe card below.
How To Make Keto Lemon Cake
- Beat in wet ingredients: eggs (one at a time!), sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.
TIP: Make sure your wet ingredients are at room temperature. This will keep the batter smooth.
- Beat in dry ingredients: superfine almond flour, baking powder, and salt, until the batter is uniform.
- Bake. Divide cake batter among 2 pans and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the top springs back and cool completely.
- Make frosting. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter and powdered Besti, until fluffy. Add the lemon juice and heavy cream and beat until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more cream as needed.
- Assemble. When cake layers are cooled, place one layer of cake onto cake stand and frost with 3/4 cup frosting. Place the second layer on top and frost with another 3/4 cup frosting. Frost the sides with remaining frosting.
TIP: If desired, decorate the top! I used twisted lemon slices and fresh mint leaves. You could also make additional frosting and pipe it onto the cake in patterns.
Almond Flour Lemon Cake FAQs
How many carbs are in lemon cake?
Traditional lemon cake slices will have 50+ grams of carbohydrates. Because we’ve used almond flour and Besti sweeteners, this almond flour lemon cake has just 4.1 grams net carbs per slice!
Can I make it dairy-free?
You can make this cake dairy-free, but it will take a few adjustments:
- Swap the butter for coconut oil.
- Use dairy-free sour cream substitute. This is found at the grocery store, but note it does typically have more carbs. Alternatively, you could use coconut cream instead of the sour cream.
- Use an alternative keto milk instead of heavy cream in the frosting. You may need a bit less if it’s thinner than heavy cream.
I haven’t personally tested these swaps in this recipe, but have done so in baking in the past, and it should work.
Can I use a different sweetener?
I highly recommend Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend for cakes, including this healthy almond flour lemon cake, because this sweetener makes them super moist and won’t crystallize if it sits.
However, allulose makes a very close substitute – it will have the same moist qualities. Another alternative is erythritol, which definitely makes a worse end result, but works okay if that’s all you can get. With both erythritol and allulose subs, use 30% more than the stated amount.
You’ll also need a powdered sweetener for the frosting. Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend is recommended, but you can also use powdered erythritol or powdered allulose.
Refer to my healthy sweetener guide and sweetener conversion chart for conversions and differences among sweeteners.
Storage Instructions
Like most cakes, you can make this keto friendly lemon cake a couple of days in advance if needed.
Store covered at room temperature for about a day, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Can you freeze lemon cake made with almond flour?
Yes, you can freeze leftover sugar-free lemon cake for 2-3 months. Freeze uncovered first until the frosting solidifes, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil, to keep freezer burn at bay.
Another option would be to freeze individual pieces, but again, let them freeze uncovered before wrapping individually.
More Keto Cake Recipes
If you like this low carb lemon cake with almond flour, you might also like some of these other keto cake recipes:
- Keto Birthday Cake – One of the first keto cakes I made and still love. Simple vanilla flavor and yummy frosting!
- Coconut Flour Cake – Impossibly moist, without almond flour!
- Keto Red Velvet Cake – So luscious! This cake is naturally colored and ready in an hour.
- Sugar-Free Carrot Cake – Unbelievably low carb, and complete with rich cream cheese frosting.
- Keto Angel Food Cake – The best light dessert! Made with almond flour and coconut flour, it’s light and fluffy.
- Keto Lemon Pound Cake – Sweet, moist, and just 4 grams net carbs per slice.
Tools To Make Lemon Keto Cake
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Citrus Zester – Using a zester is the easiest and fastest way to get all the zest from lemons.
- Hand Mixer – Mix up the cake and frosting with this easy-to-store mixer.
- Springform Pans – You’ll need two pans for the two cake layers. I love springform pans for easy removal, and these are the perfect size.
- Cake Stand – Put this cake on the stand… it’s easier to frost and makes it easy to display.
- Icing Spatula – This simple little tool is the best way to get a smooth, even application of frosting on your cake.
Healthy Keto Lemon Cake Recipe
Almond Flour Keto Lemon Cake Recipe
A moist, fluffy keto lemon cake recipe, with just 4g net carbs per slice! You'll love the layers of sugar-free almond flour lemon cake + buttercream frosting.
Recipe Video
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Cake:
Lemon Buttercream Frosting:
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line the bottom of two 9" round pans with parchment paper. (I prefer these springform pans for easy removal.)
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In a large bowl, beat together Besti and butter, until fluffy.
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Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla, if using.
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Beat in the almond flour, baking powder, and salt, until the batter is uniform.
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Divide the batter among the two pans and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the top springs back and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in the pans, then run a knife along the sides and flip to release, or release the springform if using that type of pan.
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Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the butter and powdered Besti, until fluffy.
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Add the lemon juice, lemon juice, and heavy cream, and beat until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more cream as needed.
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When the cake layers are cooled, place one layer of cake onto a cake stand or platter. Frost the top with 3/4 cup frosting. Place the second layer on top and frost the top with another 3/4 cup frosting. Finally, frost the sides with the remaining frosting.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/16 entire recipe
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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29 Comments
AF
0Mine rose and then fell. I also had issues with structural integrity and couldn’t get it out of the pan.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations. I suggest checking the expiration date of your baking powder, if it’s outdated this could compromise the cake.
J. Cottrill
0I agree with a lot of the comments on this point: This cake is excellent, surprisingly light, delicious. But it could do with a different icing. I think that a keto cream cheese icing would bring it up to 5 stars. 🙂
Leslie carter
0Mine never rose..flat like a scone… so disappointed… made twice thinking it was me.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Leslie, I suggest checking the expiration date of your baking powder, if it’s outdated this could cause the cake to not rise.
Jess
0Hi… can you substitute butter with a light vegetable oil eg. sunflower oil, light EVOO? thanks
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jess, You can replace the butter in that cake but not in the frosting.
Julie
0This cake was delicious. I didn’t use the frosting recipe. I definitely will be making again.
Dawn
0Would this recipe work as mini cupcakes?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Dawn, Yes, that should work for you.
Jasmine Scott
0Today is the second time I’ve made this cake.. and Let me tell you… this recipe is a star. The cake is moist and light… and the closest to a cake made with flour I’ve had the pleasure of baking myself. Agree with others the frosting curdled a lot, but I found adjusting the sweetener and adding in my lemon juice last helped a lot. A few people who tasted this cake, couldn’t believe it was made with almond flour.
Susan Metcalfe
0First I’d like to say that so far, I’m loving all the different recipes I’ve tried from your Cookbook that I purchased. Everything has been a huge success! Today though, I just finished baking the Almond Flour Keto Lemon Cake Recipe. The cake looks like it has turned out – I realize it will be a different texture since it is with almond flour, but what I had difficulty with was the frosting. I’ve baked for many years, and was surprised that there were 2 cups of butter (I used the grass fed organic butter as that is what we use), but it never got to the consistency of “normal” icing. I kept adding in much more heavy cream, but the consistency never improved. I forged ahead though and when icing the cake, the icing just kept separating and it was like the butter was “oozing” from it. It’s done, but is now in the refrigerator. Can’t comment on the taste yet, so maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised, but it just seemed like the butter to icing sugar (also purchased from your site) was too high. I just wondered if you had experienced anything like this before? Again, it may taste great, so I may be premature in asking about this. Is the consistency supposed to be smooth like “normal” icing? I’ll look forward to hearing back from you and once I’ve tasted it, I’ll let you know. Everything else though has been amazing (broccoli cheddar soup/healthy cobb salad, taco salad,, loaded cauliflower mash, Spanish Cauliflower Rice, Cauliflower Fried Rice, crispy orange chicken, classic cheesecake with raspberry sauce, strawberry ice-cream, angel food mug cake, avocado brownies, eggplant pizzas, eggplant parmesan – all winners big time, so thanks for that!
Mrs. Susan Metcalfe
0Hello again, I’m just following up to my previous question concerning the lemon icing for the lemon cake. The cake turned out just like your picture, even after iced. The cake tasted great, but as I suspected, the icing just tasted like butter. I’ve sliced it into the 16 pieces and have frozen most of it, but I’ll cut off the icing on the top of the cake before eating next time, just leaving the sides and middle the same. I think I’ll make a different icing next time as the cake was very good. I just want to make sure I didn’t do something wrong, or the measurements were off. I’ll make a Keto Vanilla Frosting instead and add in lemon extract/juice and zest. Will be anxious to hear your thoughts or what I did wrong, as every other recipe has been stellar in ease of making it, up to serving and eating it. You are my go to personhttps://www.wholesomeyum.comhttps://www.wholesomeyum.com/cookbook// when looking for something else to try and enjoy! Appreciate your time for a response. Keep up the great work Maya!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Susan, It sounds like your icing possibly got a little too warm and started to separate. This can be fixed by refrigerating the icing for 30 minutes (or so) and then re-whipping. The frosting is buttercream frosting, but it uses a lot less sweetener than a traditional buttercream. Using more sweetener would give it a lighter texture, but it would also overpower the lemon flavors in the frosting. I hope this helps to answer your questions!
Sue
0I had the same results. No separation, but the butter/sweetener ratio seemed off.
As I like a huge ‘hit you in the face’ lemon flavor we opted to use the frosting only for the filling and then topped the cake with a very bold lemon glaze (powdered sweetener and straight lemon juice). Perfection!
Kristyn
0I love using almond flour. It makes whatever you are making so soft & moist. I am excited to try this frosting on other things..it is delicious!
Sally
0Hi, I am reaaaally hoping you might see this message today as my son’s 18th and I’m hoping to make a healthier version of his fav lemon cake… I’d be using coconut sugar and probably too with a glaze of lemon juice and icing sugar as suggested.
Do. Can I keep the same amounts of coconut sugar as you have in the recipe? Thx so much!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sally, I do not often use coconut sugar because it is not low carb. But it is sweeter than allulose so you need to use 25% less so 3/4 cup + 3 tbsp of coconut sugar.
Natalie
0This is the softest cake! I am loving lemon flavor right now. And, with hardly any carbs…I will be making this all summer!
Amy L Huntley
0We love all things lemon at our house. This really is so moist and fluffy and full of lemony flavor. It’s making me excited for summer!
MM
0I made this for an early mothers day brunch for my MIL…who eats low carb. This looked so perfect and YES it WAS!! Everyone enjoyed a slice even though not everyone eats low carb they loved the cake. Lemon flavor is just so tart with the perfect amount of sweet. Thanks for this beautiful and delicious cake recipe!
Robyn
0Can this be made in a 9×13 pan?
Wholesome Yum M
1Hi Robyn, Your cake would be very thin in a 9×13″ pan. If you would like to do a sheet cake style with this recipe, you can, but I would recommend using an 8×8″ pan instead.
Pam Curl
0Have not tried this yet. Lemon is my absolute favorite. Can this be baked in a 9X13 pan? I have been preferring that shape/size, to the layered cakes here of late. Thanks for all of your great food ideas.
Wholesome Yum M
1Hi Pam, Your cake would be very thin in a 9×13″ pan. If you would like to do a sheet cake style with this recipe, you can, but I would recommend using an 8×8″ pan instead.
Jac
0Love lemon cake! My friend follows a keto diet and I am going to bake this lemon cake for a gift. I will send the recipe along too! I know she will adore it as she been having difficulty finding keto bakes. Thanks 🙂
Colleen
0It’s so fluffy and moist.
Julie
0So moist. A perfect lemon cake I can eat without worrying about carbs. Yay!
Natalie
0This looks delicious. SO healthy and perfect for Summer. I will have to make this! Can’t wait!