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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowHave you been searching for a keto cake recipe that doesn’t sacrifice flavor and texture for the sake of being healthy? This keto vanilla cake is exactly what you’ve been looking for! It has three layers of low carb cake with cream cheese frosting, and while it looks impressive on a platter, it’s surprisingly easy and can be made in one bowl. It’s the perfect keto birthday cake… or any day cake.
You can’t have traditional cake on keto, since it’s made with white flour and sugar. Fortunately, this low carb cake recipe will satisfy all of your cake cravings without the sugar crash.
Why You’ll Love This Keto Cake Recipe
- Classic yellow cake flavor
- Light and tender crumb
- Sweet with no aftertaste
- Comes together in just one bowl
- Keto-friendly and gluten-free
- Only 2 grams net carbs per slice
- Makes a great keto birthday cake — or for other holidays, too!
We’re using a mix of almond flour and coconut flour in this keto dessert, because they produce a better texture than just using one of them alone. And, I always use Besti sweetener for my keto cake recipes, because it makes them super moist, and adds natural sweetness without crystallizing or causing an aftertaste. Can’t say the same for other sugar substitutes. 😉
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for low carb birthday cake, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Keto Cake:
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – The best sweetener for keto cakes, because it not only tastes and bakes like sugar, it also makes them very moist. I’ve made this cake before with other sugar substitutes (including other brands of monk fruit sweetener), and the result is more dry. If you need other options, you can use another granulated sweetener for the cake (like allulose or erythritol). The amounts you need will vary, so check my sweetener conversion chart.
- Butter – Use any unsalted butter. This keto cake recipe has salt separately, so that we can use just the right amount. If you need a dairy-free option, coconut oil would make a suitable substitute, though the flavor and texture will be a little different. (You’ll also want to swap out the frosting with a dairy-free one.)
- Eggs – Use large eggs.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk – You can use store bought or homemade almond milk, just be sure it’s unsweetened either way. This can also be substituted with other keto milk, such as coconut milk beverage (the liquid kind from a carton, not the thick kind from a can) or watered down heavy cream.
- Vanilla Extract – A must for yellow vanilla cake! But if you like other flavors, feel free to add other extracts.
- Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – My recommended brand because it’s super fine and blanched. Other brands come in varying consistencies and moisture levels, so may turn out differently, and you definitely want to avoid almond meal, which would make your cake gritty.
- Wholesome Yum Coconut Flour – Like the almond flour, this one is super fine, and also has the right moisture level. Made with premium organic coconuts.
- Baking Powder – Make sure your baking powder is fresh so that your cake rises, which tends to be more difficult with low carb cake recipes.
- Sea Salt – Balances and brings out the sweetness. Don’t worry, your cake won’t be salty.
NOTE: Yes, you need both almond and coconut flour!
The combination of flours achieves the right texture and moisture in this keto cake recipe. If you want a cake that uses just one of these flours, browse my almond flour recipes or coconut flour recipes for other options.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- Cream Cheese – I recommend full-fat, but any kind of plain cream cheese will work.
- Butter – I prefer to use grass-fed butter for nutrition and flavor, but feel free to use any unsalted butter.
- Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – The powdered version of Besti, to use for frostings. Unlike other powdered sugar alternatives, this one dissolves completely (read: no gritty texture!) and is truly as fine as powdered sugar.
- Vanilla Extract
VARIATION: Try a different keto frosting!
Keto buttercream frosting or keto chocolate frosting are both delicious on keto cake. Feel free to add sugar-free sprinkles as well!
How To Make Keto Cake
This section shows how to make keto birthday cake, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Beat butter. In a large mixing bowl, beat together Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend and butter until fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients. Beat in eggs, almond milk, and vanilla extract.
TIP: Make sure your milk and eggs are at room temperature.
Otherwise, they can solidify the butter and your batter won’t be smooth.
- Add dry ingredients. Beat in Wholesome Yum Almond Flour, Wholesome Yum Coconut Flour, and baking powder.
- Bake. Transfer 1/3 of the cake batter into the lined springform pan and bake. Repeat with remaining 2 layers. Set aside to cool.
TIP: If you have three pans, this will go much faster.
You can bake all three at the same time, on the same oven rack, or rotate their placement on the racks if they don’t all fit on the same rack.
- Cool. Let your vanilla keto cake cool completely before removing from the pan and assembling.
- Make frosting. Beat together cream cheese, butter, Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend, and vanilla extract until it is smooth.
- Layer cake. Place one layer on a cake stand or platter and spread some of the frosting on top. Repeat with the other two layers. Frost the top and sides of cake.
- Top with chopped pecans. The keto birthday cake looked prettier with the nuts on top, and I didn’t have to obsess about making the frosting perfectly smooth on top. But, if your frosting skills are better, feel free to skip the nuts and decorate the top however you like!
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep the whole keto cake, or any leftovers, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: You can freeze cake for 2-3 months. To do so, place it on a sheet pan, uncovered, and freeze until solid. Once solid, wrap in several layers of plastic wrap and foil to freeze long-term. To thaw, unwrap the layers and thaw in the fridge overnight.
More Easy Keto Cake Recipes
If you like this keto friendly cake, you might also like some of these other low carb cake recipes:
Recommended Tools
- Hand Mixer – I love mine because it has storage for all the different beaters.
- Springform Pans – You can can bake the layers in regular cake pans, but I prefer springform pans for easier removal. Get three pans if you want to cut down on cooking time.
Keto Cake Recipe
Keto Cake (Easy & Moist!)
This easy keto cake recipe is so rich, sweet and moist, that no one will guess it's low carb (2g net carbs per slice). Perfect for birthdays!
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Keto Cake:
Cream Cheese 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 a 9 in (23 cm) round springform pan with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, beat together the Besti and butter, until fluffy with a hand mixer.
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Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the almond milk and vanilla extract.
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Beat in the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt.
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Transfer 1/3 of the dough to the lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and spring-y. Repeat with another 1/3 of the dough, then again with the final 1/3 (making 3 layers total).
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Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered Besti, and vanilla extract, until smooth.
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Let the cake layers cool separately to room temperature before stacking. Frost between the layers, and all over the top and sides at the end. Top with chopped pecans (optional) if desired.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/24 of entire recipe
Optional pecans are not included in nutrition info.
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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626 Comments
Deborah
0My husband is a diabetic and he says that this cake tastes like a homemade cake. He is happy to be able to eat a cake without fear of raising his blood sugar. Thanks
Valerie
0Can these be made into cupcakes? If so, how long would I bake them?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Valerie, Yes, this would be made into cupcakes but you would have to reduce the bake time.
Sean E
0Nice base recipe! I modified for banana cake… cake recipe: added 2 ripe bananas, replaced butter with coconut oil and reduced almond milk by half; icing recipe, reduced cream cheese and butter by half and added a combo of greek yogurt and raw coconut butter to replace.
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Modified Cake Recipe
1.50 cup (28g), Unblanched Almond Flour
0.25 cup(s), Organic Coconut Flour
0.50 cup(s), Monk Fruit Erythritol Blend
2.50 tsp, Baking Powder0.25 tsp, Sea Salt
4 large, Egg
2 medium, Banana
0.125 cup, Almond Milk – Vanilla – Unsweetened
4 tbsp, Virgin Coconut Oil
15 gram, Vanilla Bean Paste
Icing Recipe
0.33 container (16 tbsp ea.), Organic Cream Cheese
2 tbsp, Raw Coconut Butter
1.50 tablespoon, Butter, salted
0.5 cup, Greek Nonfat Yogurt Plain
0.33 cup(s), Powdered Monkfruit Sweetener
Serving size 1/9 of 8×8 square pan: calories 322, fat 26g, carb 31g (fiber 4g), protein 10g
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you for sharing, Sean! Just a note for other readers, this modified recipe sounds delicious but would no longer be keto friendly.
Nadia
0Why so many eggs? Will additional milk substitute for some of the eggs?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nadia, No, additional milk is not a substitute for eggs.
Dilia
0Best keto cake I had. It’s soft and moist.
Linda Blaksley
0I love this cake. I made it for my birthday with only one addition. Blue food coloring for a “Frozen” cake as per my granddaughter. There were 2 cakes mine and a regular one for my nephew. My son and daughter in law ate mine and liked it. I cut the rest into serving slices and froze them so I could enjoy them when ever I craved something sweet.
Will
0Hi, Omg. That’s soooo many eggs… and cream cheese. I can’t afford that in just one recipe.Can I halve the recipe? And make a small cake? Or can I use less eggs? Coconut oil, I’ve discovered, is great in keto cookie and cake recipes so they’re not so dry. Perhaps I can replace some of the eggs with coconut oil? Thank as always, for replying.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Will, You can change the number of servings at the top of the recipe card that will reduce the amount of ingredients used.
Michelle McHugh
0Can this be baked as a sheet pan cake?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Michelle, Yes, that should work.
Kayla
0Hi, I accidentally ordered the Wholesome Yum Allulose powdered form instead of the Monk Fruit Allulose Blend. Would that work with the same or similar results?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Kayla, You could try but the results would not be the same. Powdered sweetener won’t create as much air when creaming with butter, so the cake would be more dense. You’d also need to use more plain allulose than monk fruit allulose blend – see the sweetener conversion chart here if you still want to use it. I’d recommend getting Besti to use for the cake an you can still use the powdered allulose for the frosting.
Anna Medvedeva
0Will this work if I split the sugar into half cup of the allulose and half cup of golden monk fruit with erythritol sweetener? I want more of a caramel flavour.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Anna, I don’t recommend erythritol as it’s drying and has a cooling effect. If you want a caramel/brown sugar flavor, I would instead recommend replacing 1/4 of the regular Besti (which contains allulose but is not the same as plain allulose) with Besti Brown sweetener.
Renee
0I can do without all the ads can’t read the recipe very well with all the extra popups.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Renee, Thanks for your feedback. Ads keep the Wholesome Yum website running and allow me to develop recipes that readers like you can access absolutely free. However, you may be interested in Wholesome Yum Plus, which includes an ad-free version of the website, along with other perks.
Judie
0How do I adjust this recipe for two layers instead of three? Will using 2/3’s of the ingredients work properly?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Judie, Yes, that should work.
Gen
0Oh wow, this cake was fantastic! The taste was wonderful and the texture was just perfect. Thank you for the recipe!
Sarita
0This was SO good – love the almond flavour and even my picky kids loved it!
jennifer fisher
0what a BEAUTIFUL and DELICIOUS celebration cake for spring!!! That keto-friendly cream cheese frosting was EVERYTHING . . I licked the bowl clean!
Addison
0This cake was so moist and flavorful! I appreciate that it is made with healthier ingredients.
Lisa
0My friends loved this birthday cake and couldn’t even tell it was low-carb.
brenda
0Cake batter does not go flat while waiting for three baking times??
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Brenda, You shouldn’t experience that with this recipe.
Jane
0It was perfect, I do love much sweeter icing so I added more confectioners sugar and a little cream! Perfect cake!!!! Thank you!!!
Songangel20
0Can you make a roll cake out of this?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, I have never tried to do that, but if you do, let me know your results.
Carolyn
0Can you make this cake in a 9×13-inch pan instead of 2 round cake pans? I would like also to know if you can bake your other cakes in this size pan?
thank you
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Carolyn, You should be able to do that. Monitor closely for doneness and tent it with foil if it looks too brown.
Ediith
0Is that 32 oz cream cheese….
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Edith, Yes, there is 32oz of cream cheese in this recipe.