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An easy keto pound cake might not be the first thing you envision when you picture keto dessert, but maybe you’ll do a double take after you try this one. 😉 My low carb pound cake takes just 10 minutes to prep, 7 ingredients, and has ALL the flavor of a classic pound cake. Serve almond flour pound cake with a touch of whipped cream and berries for a sweet summer dessert, or with coffee at breakfast – it’s healthy enough to do both!
I have a few cakes in my collection of almond flour recipes already, but realized that a keto pound cake was a big missing piece. Time to fix that!
I used my favorite monk fruit sweetener to keep it extra moist. It makes the perfect keto pound cake.
How To Make Keto Pound Cake
My low carb sugar-free pound cake takes just 10 minutes to prep! Here’s how we make it:
- Beat together butter and Besti using a hand mixer. It’s good to go when it’s nice and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Beat in vanilla. It might not be perfectly smooth, which is okay.
TIP: Use room-temperature eggs. If you don’t, the butter may solidify too much.
- Add dry ingredients. Lower the mixer speed and beat in almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Sprinkle (don’t dump!) xanthan gum over the batter and beat until just combined.
TIP: Scrape the bowl with a spatula. This ensures you got all the ingredients incorporated.
- Prepare for baking. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top, rounding slightly.
TIP: We round the top before baking, because keto pound cake doesn’t rise as much as the regular kind with wheat flour. But it will still rise some!
- Bake low carb almond pound cake. Start with 25-30 minutes, until golden, then tent the top with foil and bake for 20-30 more minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let bread cool. Allow the bread to cool completely before moving or slicing. You can use the edges of the parchment paper to transfer it to a cooling rack after 10-15 minutes out of the oven.
Low Carb Pound Cake FAQs
Why is it called pound cake?
Traditionally, pound cake calls for a pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. I tweaked the amounts a bit for my keto version, since these ingredients work a little differently, to get a very close end result.
Does pound cake use baking powder?
Traditional pound cake does not use any baking powder – the leavening comes from creaming the butter, beating the batter, and the eggs.
However, since almond flour is already so dense to begin with and does not rise as easily as white flour, we do include baking powder in this low carb pound cake recipe. Trust me, you want it in there.
Can you make keto pound cake in a tube pan or bundt pan?
Yes! I used a loaf pan, but a tube pan works great as well. You’ll need to update the amount of the recipe as follows:
- For a 10-inch tube pan: Multiply the recipe by 2.5. So instead of 12 servings, put in 30 into the box on the recipe card and ingredient amounts will update.
- For a 10-inch bundt pan: Simply double the recipe (put 24 into the servings box).
Baking time may be different in a bundt or tube pan, depending on its exact shape and material.
TIP: Leave some room in your pan for the keto bundt cake to rise. If you have extra batter, you can easily make a few muffins to use up the remaining batter.
What kind of almond flour is okay to use?
It’s important to use super fine blanched almond flour for this keto pound cake recipe. Do not use almond meal or a coarse almond flour – both of these would result is a more grainy result.
Can you use coconut flour?
No, sorry. You’d need to make multiple other changes for the recipe to work.
If you’re looking for something with coconut flour, try coconut flour blueberry muffins instead, or one of my other coconut flour recipes.
Can I use a different sweetener?
I highly recommend monk fruit allulose blend for the moistest sugar-free pound cake. If you don’t have it, my keto sweeteners guide has a conversion calculator included – use that to find out how much to use of whatever you have. Just know that the moisture and texture will be different if you use something else.
Can you make almond flour pound cake dairy-free?
Yes, swap out the butter for your favorite vegan butter alternative. (Check the labels on these to see if you’re okay with what they use instead.)
You could use coconut oil, but this almond flour pound cake tastes best with butter flavor! While I haven’t tried it in this keto pound cake recipe, I’ve have had success with butter-flavored coconut oil for other recipes.
Troubleshooting Keto Pound Cake
Why is my cake wet in the middle? (Or why did it burn on top?)
The baking time in this recipe is a two-step process – bake it until golden on top, then tent the top with foil and continue baking until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Both parts are important to avoid burning the top or under-cooking the center.
- If your cake is wet in the middle, it means it needed to bake longer. You can place it back in the oven IF it hasn’t cooled yet.
- If your cake burned on top, it means you needed to tent it with foil sooner. Unfortunately you can’t undo this, but it’s probably still good inside – just don’t eat the burned part.
Why did my pound cake crack on top?
Keto or not, pound cakes with a cracked top are common because the batter is very dense. I actually think it looks pretty!
If the crack bothers you, you can use a tube pan instead of a loaf pan. (See above for how to adjust the ingredient amounts for a tube pan.)
Almond Flour Pound Cake Storage Instructions
Can you make it ahead?
Absolutely! This pound cake recipe with almond flour is perfect for making in advance. Just follow the storage instructions below.
How to store low carb almond flour pound cake
Store the cake in an airtight container in the pantry for 2-3 days. It’s also fine to refrigerate it for up to a week, wrapped in plastic or foil to prevent drying out.
Can you freeze keto vanilla pound cake?
Yes, you can also freeze this keto pound cake recipe for up to 6 months. I recommend slicing the cake, then wrapping each slice with plastic wrap, so that you can take out a slice at a time.
Alternatively, you can also freeze the whole cake. It’s perfect for gifting, so be sure to make a double or triple batch! 😉
How to thaw the cake
Always thaw your pound cake while it’s still wrapped, either in the fridge or on the counter.
More Low Carb Keto Cake Recipes
If you like this keto almond flour pound cake, you might also like some of these other cakes:
- Keto Red Velvet Cake – This gorgeous cake is sure to impress – whether you’re keto or not!
- Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake – One of the first keto pound cakes I’ve made, and still one of my faves. This one is in a bundt pan.
- Keto Chocolate Cake – So rich and moist, and made with my favorite keto chocolate frosting.
- Keto Carrot Cake – The perfect spring cake for special occasions… or any day. 😉
Tools To Make Keto Pound Cake:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Just two natural ingredients that taste and act like sugar. It’s the key to a super moist sugar-free pound cake.
- Hand Mixer – I love that this hand mixer can be stored all together – no more searching for missing pieces.
- Small Loaf Pan – This pan is the perfect size for this almond flour pound cake recipe, plus it never sticks. Many other loaf pans are actually too large.
Reader Fave Keto Recipes
The recipe card is below! Readers also made these similar recipes after making this one.
RECIPE CARD
The Best Low Carb Keto Pound Cake Recipe
This easy low carb keto pound cake recipe is moist, rich and buttery, with just 3g net carbs per slice! Almond flour pound cake tastes like the real deal, using 7 ingredients and 10 minutes prep.
Recipe Video
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Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line an 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, so that the paper hangs over the 2 long sides.
In a large, deep bowl, use a hand mixer at high speed to beat the butter and Besti together, until fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
Lower the mixer speed to medium-low. Beat in the almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt. If using xanthan gum, sprinkle (don’t dump) it evenly over the batter and beat in at low speed until just combined.
Scrape the sides of the bowl. The batter will be thick and creamy. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and smooth the top, rounding slightly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Tent the top with foil, then continue baking for 20-30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool in the pan before moving or slicing.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice (between 1/2" and 3/4" thick), or 1/12 entire loaf
Video Showing How To Make Keto Pound Cake:
Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Keto Pound Cake!
Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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47 Comments
Andi
I made this recipe and it turned out good with exception of being too oily. I read other reviews with similar results. The texture is perfect though. I will try not over-mixing but I believe it separated when adding the eggs. I put in 2 eggs then was interrupted. It was several minutes before I could continue. The mixture got lumpy but after adding the flour it looked normal. I will definitely try it again.
Melissa
Hi Andi, It definitely sounds like it was overmixed. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Karen Dalton
I experienced an oily result, too. I used Besti monk fruit/erythritol, granulated, since it was what I had on hand. Could the granulated texture have caused the problem? I used a stand mixer instead of a hand-held model. Could that have resulted in over mixing?
I have been a baker for years but am new to Keto. I am just learning how to get good results with all these new ingredients! Thanks for all the great recipes. The Keto bread is marvelous.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Karen, I am sorry the recipe didn’t turn out as expected. Likely the problem is one of two possibilities. 1. The butter was melted and not softened or 2. The batter was overmixed. Try to combine the dry ingredients into wet with as efficiently as possible. Overmixing can cause fat separation and ultimately an oily cake. I hope this helps!
Carole
I made this yesterday and it is fantastic. I am thinking of changing it up next time and adding Mango or Pineapple extract and then making a flavored whipped cream as well. Thank you for a fantastic and easy recipe.
Rena
I’ve made this pound cake several times and it always comes out great (using Splenda for the sweetener). No one could never guess it’s GF, the texture is really cake-like, different from any other GF cake I’ve baked. Perhaps it’s the butter? In any case, a winner – thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Rena, Yes! Enjoy!
Tonia
Hi Maya,
This recipe looks so good!! Just wondering how Lakanto Classic Monkfruit Sweetener will turn out in this recipe. That’s all I have in pantry and I really love the taste of it in recipes. I also like the fact that it doesn’t have the cooling sensation a lot of other sweeteners have.
Thanks,
Tonia
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tonia, I have not tested it, but know that the pound cake will not be as moist with that sweetener. It is actually over 95% erythritol, which can cause a cooling sensation depending on the quantity used. Even if that is not a concern, the baked goods with it will be less moist compared to Besti, because allulose-based sweeteners make baked goods more moist. Hope you’ll give my monk fruit sweetener a try – Besti is available here. I spent years using other brands, including the one you mentioned, before developing mine.
doh
I gave it 25 min before putting in a tent for another 25 min, but I needed another 15 minutes after that.
After I took it out, it sank in the middle -_-?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi, Sounds like your bread needed to bake longer. The bake times listed are guidelines as some ovens can vary with hot and cold spots. Please check your pound cake for doneness with a toothpick before pulling from the oven.
doh
Thanks for the response. After 65 min, the top was already browning and has a little burned. Using the toothpick test, it came out nonstick.
Not only it sank in the middle, the bottom was super oily. I wonder why. Did I over mix that caused fat separation and mixed with a lot more air?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Doh, Overmixing can cause this problem or using melted instead of softened butter.
doh
Did not over mix this time. Left it in the oven for 1 hour without taking it out. The top was browned, and there were some tiny air bubble inside. It didn’t sink this time! I adjusted the recipe to use 1/2 cup of sweetener instead of 2/3. It came out just right! Maybe next time I will only bake for 50 to 55 min to avoid the top browning. (I want to avoid opening it half way to put the tent!)
Thanks! It tastes much better when served chilled!
Noel Parker
Maya, My husband and I wanted to make the Best Keto Pound Cake to go with his home grown Strawberries. We had purchased Costco’s Almond Flour and had Stevia on hand. Per your Tips, our Pound Cake was very grainy. But the really odd thing was, using 2 sticks of butter, the Pound Cake was super Oily inside.
Not to be deterred, I purchased all the Besti Ingredients you had listed in the Recipe. The only difference, I used Double Acting Baking Powder. And, I actually Baked the Cake an additional 20 minutes. Alas, using the two sticks of Butter, again the Pound Cake is so OILY INSIDE, we cannot eat it.
I’m wondering if I can substitute Unsweetened Applesauce? If so, Measurements? Or maybe you have other suggestions? The Strawberries are still coming on.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Noel, I have a couple of thoughts for you. 1. Make sure your butter is softened, but not melted. The butter should be soft enough to whip easily with the sweetener into a light, fluffy texture (see 3rd image down from the top for visual reference). If the butter/sweetener mixture was very dense or liquidy, then the butter was too soft or melted. If the batter was chunky and the butter was difficult to break down, then it was too cold. Either butter that is too soft or too cold can cause fat separation. 2. Once you incorporated the dry ingredients, try not to overmix the batter. Combine the dry into wet with as efficiently as possible. Overmixing can cause fat separation. I hope you find these tips helpful!
Angelo
It’s really good, but mine came out still greasy/wet and sunken. Despite the extra time spent in the oven. Why is that?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Angelo, It sounds like your pound cake was not finished baking in the oven. Temperatures can vary from oven to oven and some have hot or cold spots. I recommend doing the toothpick test to check for doneness, and leaving it in the oven to bake a little longer until the toothpick comes out clean.
Ruth Yakich
This keto pound cake is so delicious! A little raspberry sauce drizzled over it with a tad of whipped cream & garnished with a sprig of fresh chocolate mint was quite the presentation! I will make this recipe often! Thank you so much!
Carol Lauer
Made this today. Mine is real greasy, I used the 2 sticks of butter what did I do wrong? Maybe next time use less?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Carol, This can happen when you use a flour that is too coarse. I recommend using Wholesome Yum Almond Flour.
Joslyn
Mine too was Super heavy and could see some melted butter (oil) in the tin after removing the cake. I used blanched almond flour.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Joslyn, Make sure your butter is softened, but not melted. The butter should be soft enough to whip easily with the sweetener into a light, fluffy texture (see 3rd image down from the top for visual reference). If the butter/sweetener mixture was very dense or liquidy, then the butter was too soft or melted. If the batter was chunky and the butter was difficult to break down, then it was too cold. Either butter that is too soft or too cold can cause fat separation. Once you incorporated the dry ingredients into the cake batter, try not to overmix the batter. Combine the dry into wet with as efficiently as possible. Overmixing can cause fat separation. I hope you find these tips helpful!
Margaret
This recipe was amazing. If I had been served this by someone else, I would have never know it was keto. The whole family loved it!!!
Nancy
Hi Maya,
I LOVE your recipes and I have your cookbook (excellent!). This recipe was great (needed to use Erythritol as that was what I had) but I want to try it with coconut flour. What do you think and what would you recommend?
Thanks so much for all your awesome recipes.
Nancy
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Nancy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the pound cake! Unfortunately, I don’t think this recipe would work with coconut flour.
Denise
2 questions actually. Can this recipe be done in cupcake form? “Xanthan gum optional” How does it effect the recipe if omitted?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Denise, Xanthan gum helps to give the cake a bit of elasticity. It is optional, but if you have xanthan gum on hand, I recommend using it. They should turn out well in cupcake form, however, the bake time will be different. I have not tested this recipe in cupcake form, so I’m not sure how long they will need to bake.
Baker Judy
Hi Maya!
This looks just great! Looking forward to making it.
1. I have a lot of allulose on hand already. Can I use that? Or half/half allulose and erythiotal?
Your book was delivered the other day. My baking friend and I made a fun event of going through the book together on Facetime! I could see how much I learned in the last year of low carb; so many of the ingredients were strange. The pictures are very enticing, and there’s a bunch of recipes I want to make. The funny thing is when I turned the page to the blueberry muffins, and I was eating the muffins from that recipe! And I love the broccoli cheese soup, which I’ve made many times. I wish I had gotten this when I first started low carb.
2. Can I ask how to make some of the book recipes vegetarian in the future? I’m sure the spices will be different. Should I ask that on the Facebook page?
Thank you so much!!!
Thank you very much
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Baker Judy, 1. If you are using pure allulose, increase the amount to 1 cup and the recipe will be the correct sweetness. 2. Many of the proteins can simply be omitted if you are looking for more vegetarian options. There shouldn’t be much of a need to adjust the seasonings unless you are sensitive to them. I hope you love your new cookbook!
Debbie
We are away from home and I don’t have a loaf pan with me. I do have a normal sized bundt pan and a half size bundt pan. Will have to work with the timing in the oven but do you think I should use the normal pan or the half size? Thank you 🙂
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Debbie, A half-sized bundt pan in roughly 6 cups. If your pan is approximately this size, then it will work great!
Lorraine
Hi Maya
I don’t have any monk fruit allulose blend – could I use erythritol instead?
Thanks
Lorraine
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Lorraine, Yes. Erythritol will give a slightly different outcome (it won’t be as moist), but it will work. If using an erythritol blend, use the same amount as listed. If you are using pure erythritol, increase the amount to 1 cup.
Cynthia
Maya, I get blurry vision and migraines from all sugar substitutes. I can only use Pure Monk Fruit Extract. What should I use for the big difference in volume in the Pound cake recipe. I also don’t use baking powder whenever possible because corn is GMO.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Cynthia, Have you tried monk fruit allulose blend in particular? I ask because it’s pretty different from other sugar substitutes – the others almost all contain erythritol. Unfortunately I have not tested this recipe with pure monk fruit extract and you are right that it would change the consistency due to volume, so don’t have any specific recommendation without having tested it. Let me know how it goes for you if you decide to try it. Or if you are open to it, I have not heard of people getting migraines from allulose (it’s a rare sugar that we can’t metabolize), so would encourage you to try the monk fruit blend and see how that goes. 🙂 As for the baking powder, I use this one which is non-GMO. 🙂
Carol
Can you use unflavored gelatin instead of Xanthan gum?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Carol, Gelatin will not provide exactly the same qualities as xanthan gum, but it may help with pliability if you aren’t using xanthan gum. Please let us know how it turns out if you decide to try it!
Donna M Madeja
Do you have your own mix of sweetner….?
I have both Monk fruit and Allulose and would prefer to not buy another sweetner. I can’t wait to make this….
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Donna, Yes! I have a full line of sweeteners called Besti. Erythritol, Allulose, Monk Fruit Allulose, and Monk Fruit Erythritol are all available in granular or powdered forms. You can order here https://www.wholesomeyumfoods.com or get select varieties on Amazon!
wilhelmina
A slice of this cake topped with fresh berries and whipped cream is perfection!
Beth
This cake is so dreamy! Rich and buttery are two of my favorite things! I may or may not share this with my family 😉
Danielle Wolter
This came out so perfect! I love all the step by step instructions – it made it so easy! Thank you!
Jo
I love baking with almond flour but have never tried it in pound cake so am really looking forward to making your recipe. The loaf looks so beautifully moist and inviting too!
Shashi
I haven’t had pound cake in ages and your low carb version is making me crave it! This looks fantastic!
Anjali
This looks so good!! Just like traditional pound cake, but I love how much lower in sugar it is! Can’t wait to try it!
Farah Maizar
This looks fabulous! I would have no idea it wasn’t a traditionally pound cake packed with regular flour. I love the idea of almond flour, I bet it makes it so moist. Can’t wait to try!