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Have you been searching for a sugar-free cake recipe that doesn’t sacrifice flavor and texture for the sake of being healthy? This keto birthday cake is exactly what you’ve been looking for, my friend. I promise. You’re about to make the best low carb cake you’ve ever had! And if you’re looking for gluten-free birthday cake, this one is for you, too.
Just imagine: three moist, richly flavored layers of sugar-free vanilla cake topped with creamy frosting. Mmmmm. Now imagine that it takes less than ten ingredients, can be made ahead of time, and is still sweetly delicious even though it’s a sugar-free cake recipe. Excited yet? You should be. This keto cake recipe delivers on all fronts!
The Inspiration For Keto Birthday Cake
The day was perfect: sunny and warm, spent with the people I loved the most, and topped with a keto birthday cake that was perfectly delicious! Happy birthday to me! Bring on the cliche – all I want is to spend it outside with my daughter and husband. The older I get, the more those little moments are worth infinitely more than any extravagant celebration.
And later, I’m making myself a sugar-free, gluten-free birthday cake! With my daughter’s help, of course.
Most people don’t pair ‘keto’ and ‘cake’ together, but they have no clue what they are missing out on.
I first made this sugar-free cake recipe for my daughter’s birthday and that was when I discovered the biggest problem with making this low carb cake: it’s so good that it disappears too quickly! I was lucky to grab a sliver because it was such a huge hit.
People don’t expect a sugar-free birthday cake to be sweet and satisfying and utterly delicious…it’s so much fun to surprise them.
Honestly, homemade gluten-free birthday cake is almost guaranteed to trump anything store bought, healthy or otherwise. Even before I cared about eating well in the slightest, ready-made American cakes always tasted too sweet, plain, and artificial to me.
Maybe it had something to do with the delicious ones my grandmother used to make for me throughout my childhood; their flavor was rich and memorable. I recreated her Russian “Medovik” honey cake in a lower sugar version last year, but it wasn’t quite right for the blog because it did contain some honey. I plan to re-make it again soon with extracts and no sugar at all.
As much as I love my grandma’s honey cake, I know many people just want a more classic gluten-free birthday cake recipe, such as a traditional yellow cake.
So this time around, I wanted to strike a balance – making it more flavorful and moist than a boring store bought cake, but still creating a classically simple yellow vanilla cake.
Mission accomplished!
Ingredients For An Easy Low Carb Keto Cake Recipe
This low carb cake has a simple list of ingredients that blend together perfectly to make the best gluten-free cake recipe ever.
While an almond flour birthday cake is definitely a solid keto cake option, it’s the mix of coconut flour and almond flour together here that make a more authentic cake texture than either one can make on its own. Also, choosing the right sweetener for your sugar-free cake recipe is important, too.
The following ingredients are all you need to make this fabulous gluten-free yellow cake recipe:
- Erythritol or monk fruit sweetener
- Butter
- Eggs
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Vanilla extract
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Gluten-free baking powder
Amazingly simple, isn’t it? No slaving over a hot stove with a ton of ingredients to make this low carb cake, my friend. This is all you need!
You can use any sweetener you prefer; here’s a natural low carb sweetener guide and conversion chart. For this particular sugar-free cake recipe (and most baking), I recommend either monk fruit sweetener or erythritol. It’s my experience that they are your best choices for any low carb cake.
How To Make a Gluten-Free Cake
Ever wonder if it’s possible to make a diabetic cake that tastes great? Mystery solved, friends! I’m about to show just how simple it is to make this sugar-free cake recipe.
Just be sure to follow the steps in order. That’s an essential part of what makes this gluten-free birthday cake so delicious. When you follow a keto cake recipe, it’s important to take things one step at a time.
First, go ahead and warm up your oven. While it’s preheating, line the bottom of a springform pan (I like this one with parchment paper.
Next, get out your mixing bowl and add your erythritol and butter. Beat them together until they are nice and fluffy. There’s no need to sacrifice that creamy, buttery texture you’ve come to love just because you’re baking a low carb cake.
Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Go ahead and add in the almond milk and vanilla extract next. Psst…if you want to make your own almond milk, it’s super simple!
After you’ve added the liquid, it’s time to beat in the almond flour, coconut flour, and baking powder. Since you’re making a gluten-free birthday cake, be sure you’re using gluten-free baking powder here. Don’t worry, most baking powders usually are, but double check.
Now you’ve got the dough for your keto vanilla cake all made up. How easy was that?
Transfer 1/3 of it to the pan and smooth it out with your spatula. You want a nice, level batter here. Bake it until lightly golden and it springs back when you gently push it. You’ll repeat this three times, to get your three sugar-free vanilla cake layers. You can also do it all at once if you have three pans.
And voila! You have made a delicious, gluten-free birthday cake.
Feel free to use your favorite frosting, if you have one, or the one I’ve listed below. Another delicious option is this cream cheese frosting. You can pick any one you choose; I bet chocolate would be delicious with this keto birthday cake!
How To Make Sugar-Free Cake Ahead of Time
Want to know a secret? I always make my keto birthday cake a day ahead of time. It’s so easy; all you do is make it up and put it in the fridge. No stress on your special day! It stays moist and delicious and makes it even more easy to have a sugar-free vanilla cake for any birthday or celebration that calls for a special dessert.
For another delicious vanilla keto cake recipe, try this gluten-free vanilla cake. I recommend using arrowroot powder with it instead of cornstarch, and the granulated sugar is easy to swap with a sugar-free sweetener to make it a sugar-free cake recipe. (See my sweetener conversion chart here.)
I couldn’t resist topping my gluten-free birthday cake with chopped pecans. Not only do I love them, but it was also the perfect sneaky way to hide my little secret – frosting cakes is not my strong suit.
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. That’s a win-win. But, if your frosting skills are better, feel free to skip the nuts and decorate the top however you like!
Tools To Make Low Carb Vanilla Birthday Cake:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Springform Pan – You need a springform pan bake this cake in. You should get three if you want to cut down on cooking time.
- Hand mixer – This hand mixed would work perfect for this keto birthday cake recipe.
- Large Mixing Bowl – You need a large mixing bowl for this recipe. I love that this set has lids.
Low Carb Gluten-Free Birthday Cake Recipe:
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RECIPE CARD
Vanilla Gluten-Free Keto Birthday Cake Recipe - Sugar Free
This gluten-free birthday cake is so rich and moist that no one will guess it's also a low carb keto cake recipe. It's easy to make with just 10 ingredients. Vanilla sugar-free cake is perfect for a birthday, or any day!
Recipe Video
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!
PrintIngredients
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Cake
- 1 cup Erythritol
- 3/4 cup Butter (softened)
- 8 large Egg
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 3 cup Blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup Coconut flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp Gluten-free baking powder
Cream cheese frosting
- 32 oz Cream cheese (softened)
- 1/3 cup Butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup Powdered erythritol (adjust to taste; regular granulated *not* recommended)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
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.
Cake
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.
- In a large bowl, beat together the erythritol and butter, until fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the almond milk and vanilla extract.
- Beat in the almond flour, coconut flour, and gluten-free baking powder.
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).
Frosting
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered erythritol, and vanilla extract, until smooth.
Assembly
- 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.
Readers Also Made These Keto Low Carb Recipes
Recipe Notes
Optional pecans not included in nutrition info.
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/24 of entire recipe
Video Showing How To Make Keto Birthday Cake:
Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Keto Birthday 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. Carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Net carb count excludes both fiber and sugar alcohols, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
More Low Carb & Keto Support
If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
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452 Comments
Andrea
Trying this out this week, but I want to make cupcakes for class. Would this recipe be enough for 24 cupcakes? And how would I adjust the baking time for that? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Andrea, Yes, this should make 24 cupcakes. Bake time and temp should be about the same.
Andrea Hasnain
Would this recipe be enough for 24 cupcakes? And how long would I bake that for?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Andrea, This recipe should make enough for 24 cupcakes. Bake time and temp will be roughly the same, but sure to test for doneness.
Rosane Santos
My cake never cooked in the middle
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Rosane, I’m sorry the cake didn’t turn out as you had expected. Baking times may vary due to the fact that everyone has a different oven. Oven temps are not always consistent and many have hotter or colder spots.
Andrea
Hey! Can I use granulated sugar in place of the powdered sugar for the icing? Thanks so much!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Andrea, No that will not work. Your icing will be very gritty if you use granulated sweetener.
Andrea
Hi! Can I use granulated sugar instead of powdered for the icing? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Andrea, I don’t recommend using a granulated sweetener for icing, because it would be grainy in texture.
Pam
Hey! I’m so glad to find this recipe. Can I cut the recipe in half ? It’s only my husband and I I don’t want to make a large cake. Will it work?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Pam, Yes, you can absolutely cut the recipe in half. You can bake in one larger cake pan or split into two as the directions say. You’ll just have to keep an eye on the cake as bake times will change slightly depending on what you decide to bake it in.
Briana M Roberts
Hello, first thank you so much for this recipe. Second, is there a way to make this into two layers instead of 3? What would the measurements be for the ingredients? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Briana, There are a couple of ways you could do this. If you still wanted a large enough cake to serve at a party, you could simply divide the cake batter between 2 pans and increase baking time to start checking for doneness around 30 minutes. If you wanted a smaller cake, then I would change the servings from 24 to 12. The recipe amounts will change to exactly half the recipe. Divide that batter into two pans and start checking for doneness around 15 minutes.
Ana
This cake has been an absolute success amongst all my friends – low carb followers or not.
I divide the batter in 2 only and bake for about 28 min. It’s a nice height, I believe divided in 3 will be too shallow. Also I use whipping cream instead of almond milk.
Just finished baking once again – this time for the birthday of a non-low carb friend (his request!).
Dee
To be dairy free, can I eliminate the cream cheese for the frosting, but keep the rest of the ingredients? We are allergic.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Dee, You can sub coconut oil for the butter listed in the recipe to make it dairy-free, that would work fine. The frosting would need to be changed a bit in order for it work without the cream cheese. I suggest substituting with dairy-free cream cheese to save on the amount of powdered sweetener you would need to use.
Ana
Delicious! I divided the recipe by 4 and baked on a 7in pan for 21 min (18 was not enough). It came out perfect, tasty and moist. It was devoured at once by 2 adults and 2 children!
Thanks for another great the recipe!
N. Insley
Can this recipe be baked in a 9×11 baking pan instead of a springform pan?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes, you can do that but the baking time might be different.
Terry
I am always wary of trying Keto/GF dessert recipes because, sadly, there are usually awful! Even when there are a lot of comments, many people rate before they even trying the recipe. I tried this recipe today. It was easy and it came out great! I cut it in half, baked it at once (One tier) ,and added five minutes to the baking time. I will be keeping this recipe! Thank you so much!
Veronica
Great recipe! The only issue I had (and it’s not your issue but mine), is that I have a strong dislike for coconut and the coconut flour overwhelmed the flavor of the cake. Second time around I substituted lupin flour and it still came out perfectly, with full vanilla flavor.
Tammy Badeaux
Our entire office is now Keto – Made this for a group of gentlemen, it was devoured in minutes!
Loved how easy it was. And not a huge amount of ingredients. I used two 9″ round pounds and it worked perfectly.
AGV
I loved this recipe, any way you could help out in making it a bit more moist mine came out a bit on the dry side. Other than that tastes great.
Eva
Love it.
Will make it again for 100%. Did with few changes, but the most of it is from your recipe. Didn’t have just Erythritol- so, used xylitol and Monk fruit. I added choco in 2/3. So it’s layered choco- vanila- choco.. and Instead of crerm cheese i used ricotta cheese. ( Don’t like salt and sourness of cream cheese).
Covered with chocolate
Thank you
Linda Wootton
I was teaching my granddaughter how to bake a cake without using sugar. It was my trial run in order to make the cake for my girlfriend on her birthday. Everything went so good and then it didn’t rise so I started looking at the recipe and realized I didn’t add baking powder. We went ahead and frosted think it would be like a cookie however I was moist and really good!!! Great recipe next time I’ll use the baking powder. 🙂
Jodi Grow
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! It was delicious and guilt free. My entire family loved it.
Valerie Rankin
I am one of those ‘very special people’ that cannot tolerate erythritol (Or isomalt, malitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and especially xylitol). Do you think xantham gum + a little monk fruit would give me lift I need? All I want is a birthday cake 🙂 ..As a diabetic I’m glad I found your page. tks
Wholesome Yum A
Hi Valerie, have you tried allulose? It’s not a sugar alcohol, so it might work better for you. You’ll need a lot less, so xanthan gum and monk fruit might be useful to add too. Check my sweetener conversion calculator to get an exact measurement.
Patty Bernateau
My mom is an insulin dependent diabetic and a cancer patient. We are so glad to have her another year and I was so happy to make this as her birthday cake. We loved it, used swerve granulated for the cake and swerve confectioners for the frosting and it came out delicious and moist. I’d love to share pics if I can!
Talia
Do you cover the decorated cake and store in the fridge or can you leave it uncovered? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum
Hi Talia, I would store it covered in the fridge if possible.
Lisa Marie
I just made this and put it in a 9 x 13 pan. Modifications: added a bit of salt, about 10 drops of French Vanilla stevia, and half a bag of Lily’s chocolate chips. (Didn’t use the frosting. Didn’t need it!) Cooking time increased to about 30-35 minutes. PERFECT cake! Very moist and makes a ton! I ended up with 16 good-sized pieces. : )
Thanks for this recipe base!
Jolanta
Do you think I can make this into a sheet cake?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Jolanta, you should be able to do that. Monitor closely for doneness and tent it with foil if it looks too brown.
Gary
Odd – the recipe states “For this particular sugar-free cake recipe (and most baking), I recommend either monk fruit sweetener or erythritol.”, but your response seem to indicate that monk fruit sweetener isn’t going to work? I was just about to ask if you used granulated or powdered in the cake mix itself, as I have both (I use Lakanto).
Wholesome Yum
Hi Gary, monk fruit on its own will not work. Brands like Lakanto blend both monk fruit and erythritol to create a 1:1 sugar substitute. You can definitely substitute Lakanto here, but check the linked conversion chart in my comment above first for the exact amount.
Sara
I want to use monk fruit instead of erythritol since that is made from corn (severe corn allergy here). Would I use the same amount in the cake (not the icing)?? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum
Hi Sara, the monk fruit conversion wouldn’t work here. The next best choice would be birch xylitol (check labels to make sure it’s not corn-derived). Use my sweetener conversion calculator to get the correct measurement.
Shailya
Looks yummy, cant wait to try for my daughter’s birthday!
Can I just make one layer cake by diving the recipe ingredients by 3?
Wholesome Yum
Yes you can!
Gail Loud
This sounds good…would I be able to use a 9X13 pan for a sheet cake?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Gail, you should be able to do that. Monitor closely for doneness and tent it with foil if it looks too brown.
Alisha
Hi! How can I make this a chocolate cake?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Alisha, I haven’t tried doing that, but you could probably mix 4-5 tablespoons of cocoa powder into the batter. Let me know if it works for you!
Dalma
What can we use instead of butter if we want to make it dairy free? Coconut oil? How much?
Many thanks
Wholesome Yum
Hi Dalma, you can use the same quantity of coconut oil.
Sasha
Hi Maya, thank you for another wonderful recipe. I don’t expect you to remember but some years ago you helped me figure out the whole sweetener conversion thing even though I’m in the UK.
I made this last week as I’d made a friend’s full carb, sugar, gluten cake & I wanted one for myself that fits into my way of eating. It is delicious, my husband, who loves cake & says the way I cook makes weight loss easy, loves it too.
It’s my birthday on 26 July, so I’m making this again for me ☺
I was quite lazy and just put all the ingredients in the bowl at once-still fabulous. Thank you again xxx
PS thank you for the metric conversion option, it makes this UK baker’s life so much easier
Shana
In have a coconut allergy in my home. Can we just not use coconut flour or what would you recommend?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Shana, unfortunately you need both flours for this recipe. The cake won’t turn out with just one.
Joy
This is amazingly quick and delicious. With a Grandson with celiac and a Husband with Type 2 I was beginning to think cardboard was my only option. I added fresh blueberries and baked it in a bundt pan. It does need extra time, but so worth the wait. Now they want me to buy a doughnut pan so they can have morning doughnuts . I think you have created dessert monsters and I can not thank you enough. Just a quick note, we live off the grid and you can mix it by hand and still have it turn out :^)
Keshia
This looks like the perfect cake for my daughter’s birthday. I already have a blueberry icing I’m going to make, so I wanted a simple vanilla cake to go with it. I’m also having a small wedding reception later this year and want to make my own cake, so this looks perfect.
My question though is how will the time change if I used a 8in pan instead of 9in? I want to make a taller cake, but will it be too dense for that? Would I need rods to keep it together?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Keshia, you’d probably just need to bake it longer and use a toothpick to check for doneness. If the top gets too brown, you can simply tent some foil over it.
Laura
THANK YOU for giving me faith in keto baking. I consider myself good in the kitchen, so when my first keto cake failed nearly a year ago (despite doing everything right and the great reviews the recipe had), I felt discouraged. Ingredients for keto baking are expensive, especially the sweeteners, and knowing how keto-friendly flours can be tricky to bake with, it took me a long time to dare again. Instead, I opted for buying things already made. This cake came out great! I tried a bit of it before frosting it and cannot wait for my Mom to try it today, her birthday. I halved the amount of cream cheese and added 1.5 cups of heavy cream instead, along with some red color to make it pink and thinly sliced inside strawberries to cover it and fill it. Also, it was so big that I saved a layer to share! I even had enough icing for that layer too, which I cut in half to make it a half cake. I cannot wait to try other recipes from your blog now that I feel confident they will be great! Thank you!
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Laura, thank you so much for the kind words and great feedback. I hope your mother has a Happy Birthday and enjoys her cake.
Jo
Hi, can I make this with all the same ingredients but with zero calories sugar instead?
Nick Christopher
I made this cake and it was DELICIOUS! I halved the recipe and made it in two standard 9” cake pans. I also added a pinch of salt. I got a delightful two layer cake, which I paired with the cream cheese frosting recipe. I again halved that recipe and added way more vanilla than indicated, as well as about two tablespoons of almond extract for added flavor. Thank you so much for this recipe, it is delightful!
Terry D. Blair
The only thing I can say about this recipe is OMG! This cake was divine and so good. My girlfriend loved it and it was a hit with my coworkers too! I did added orange, almond and lemon flavor with a quarter of almond milk to the cream cheese frosting, and it was great! I think I will make this recipe again! I followed the exact steps and it came out perfectly . Thank you so much!
Lynne
I made this for VBS Commencement night because I knew they would have high carb desserts but very few to zero, low carb ones. I thought I’d done something wrong when it came time to transfer from the mixing bowl to the cake pans. Thank God for the remark & video that confirmed it was “dough” and not “batter” that was to be transferred. I baked all 3 layers at the same time for a few extra minutes. I made your Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe to go on it instead of the cream cheese frosting included with the cake recipe. I was only able to frost 2 layers because I had let myself run out of vanilla extract & couldn’t make a tad more frosting. So I saved the 3rd layer to frost later on & keep. I’m kind of happy it worked out that way. The cake was as moist as a high carb cake and a huge hit at the commencement! I didn’t realize just how many diabetics were there and they were thrilled to actually have a slice of cake. A few people took slices home. There were all kinds of high carb desserts leftover but not this cake. Absolutely none of it was left. This recipe is a keeper! Next time I make it, I’m going to add some cake batter flavoring. It’s great as is…I just like to experiment. Thank you for this awesome recipe & blog!
Michael
I love the taste of this cake and the fact that it is keto friendly. I did find the cake a bit too dense and was wondering about methods to make it lighter. Also, I added 3 teaspoons of vanilla and a cup of powdered Swerve to the cream cheese frosting. This helped to erase the ‘cream cheesy’ flavor and gives the frosting more sweetness.
Wholesome Yum
Glad you enjoyed it, Michael. If you’re looking for a lighter cake, you might enjoy my strawberry lemonade cake recipe.
Seanna
Hey I’m about to try this recipe for my daughter’s 2nd birthday! Have you tried to bake it in one rectangular pan and then cut it into any shapes? And then cover in icing on a cookie sheet?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Seanna, I haven’t tried baking it in a pan like that, but it should work if you adjust the baking time and monitor it closely. You’ll probably want to grease the pan generously to ensure it comes out easily.
Tanya
Hi, I have a customer who doesn’t want any sugar (not even the erythritol) and she asked me to replace it with bananas. Is that possible? If so, how many bananas I will need?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tried a substitution like that for this recipe. Let me know how it goes if you do.
Beverly Wheeler
Monk fruit is a GREAT option. Tastes like sugar, plant based.
Tina Myatt
I followed the recipe but instead of making cake I made waffles! They were so delicious and fluffy and light!
Christy Kimsey
I am making this cake now and eating the batter with a spoon. It is surprisingly delicious. I can’t wait to taste the finished product complete with icing.
Anni
I would like to make this cake in a dinosaur pan for my son’s birthday but if I used parchment paper, the dinosaur features won’t show up. Do you think if I grease it enough, it’ll come out easily?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Anni, I’ve never tried this recipe without parchment so I can’t guarantee that the cake will release that easily. Let me know if you try it, though!
Anni
I tried it without parchment paper and just greased it super good with coconut oil and it came out great!
Kimberlee Victoria, RN
I haven’t read any of the comments yet but wanted to mention that I’ve turned this recipe into cupcakes and it comes out very nice! Also, I ran out of the monkfruit sugar so I just used the extra monkfruit powdered sugar and it came out just as nice. Love this recipe!
Janet
Thank you for your comment! I was reading the comments specifically to see if someone had made cupcakes. Great to hear that they turned out well. I’ll be trying that tomorrow. Thanks!
Tierney Boorboor
Thank you, Maya, your recipes never disappoint! I was craving cake, but also a berry crisp, so I used your vanilla cake recipe and made a low carb keto-friendly blackberry coffee cake. It’s fantastic. I followed your recipe exactly, although I halved it, and had enough “dough” to lay in a 9×9 pan in two layers with fresh blackberries and a thin layer of cinnamon “sugar” between. A layer of low carb crumble on top and into the oven it went, it needed an hour to fully cook but it’s perfectly moist. (foil on top to protect the crumble from over-browning). This cake recipe will be the base for so many creations! Thanks for the work you do to perfect the recipes 🙂
Erin
Well I think this will taste good. I’m glad I only made 2 layers. My cake batter was so thick it hardly spread. I’m thinking I could have doubled the almond milk. Not sure why this happened. Followed the recipe. The cake itself tastes good just waiting to ice this.
Wholesome Yum
Hi Erin, the batter is fairly thick. Check the recipe video for comparison!
Charlie
Recently made this cake for a friend’s birthday. IT WAS A HIT! It was dense, moist, it was REALLY AMAZING! My friends also loved that it was keto and sugar free I am not a baker by any means, but gave it a go. The steps were pretty easy to follow even for a noob like me. i used 9×13 pan, then cut in half for a double layer cake. Thank you so much!!! looking forward to other recipes!
Coco Gracia
Oh my God you cake is out of this world, so delicious I love it and my in-law family as well, thank you so much for all your yummy and scrumptious dishes and desserts
Sumaiya Dewji
I’m planning on making these! Where do you store them and for how long?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sumaiya, Yes, you can make the cake ahead and refrigerate for a few days. The frosting is best fresh, if possible.
Liz
Can I add all the mixture into a glass cake pan, 10.4w 8.6d 2.5h and just cook it like this? Would the time to cook be different? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum
Hi Liz, I haven’t tried that so I don’t know for sure. I would keep the temperature and test with a toothpick for doneness. Let me know if you give it a shot!
Linda
Do you really use 8 eggs? I’m about to make this cake and can’t imagine using that many!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Linda, Yes, you do. Baking with low carb flours is quite different from wheat flour.
DavetteB
Lots of traditional cakes call for 8-12 eggs, especially sponge cakes.
It won’t taste ‘eggy’.
Ella Chisum
Can this cake be baked in 3 cake pans in place of springform?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ella, Yes, you can do that, just grease well and line the bottom with parchment paper. The springform is mainly to make it easier to remove.
Barb Harper
OMG! I tried this cake recipe the other day for a friend’s birthday. It was wonderful!! Enveryone really enjoyed it. Will definitely have it again.
Leisha Trott
Where can I buy Erythritol. I looked at Publix, Ingles, and Wal-Mart none of them carry it.
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Leisha, you can find eyrthritol in this link. I also have a pantry shopping list here.
Tammy Duell
Can you use a 9×13 pan instead for a sheet cake?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tammy, Yes, absolutely!
Stephanie Stoppenbrink
I made the cake I cut the recipe by 3 since I was only making 1 later for a trial. I may have not done my math right but my question is it really tasted like coconut and had the texture. I don’t have a mixer could that have been my issue?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Stephanie, This recipe does contain coconut flour, so depending on the brand you buy, it may have a detectable coconut taste. Some brands have stronger flavor profiles than others. A mixer will do the best job here, as it will incorporate more air into the batter than hand mixing can.
Meg
I made this today. I made 24 cupcakes baking for 23min. They don’t really “rise” so I filled them pretty well.
I made some icing -but used far less cream cheese-about 12oz. Or one and a half blocks, 1/4 cup butter and 1/3 cup sugar sub… but poured in heavy whipping cream while blending and it made a delightful whipped cream cheese frosting. I didn’t measure but probably close to 3/4cup. It is so light and airy and the HWC made the little bit of cream cheese I had on hand stretch easily over 24 cupcakes. (I splashed in some sugar free Strawberry mio to the icing for just a hint of tart to add some balance, and it was drool worthy)Winner!!
Maureen
Maybe a dumb question but can I make powdered erythritol from granulated by processing it in the blender/processor ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Maureen, Yes, you can if your blender/processor is powerful enough. I’ve done it before. You’re just looking for it to become the consistency of powdered sugar.
Amy
Do you think I could add a box of sugar free strawberry jello and strawberries and make a strawberry cake using this recipe as the base?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amy, Possibly, but I haven’t tried that. I do have a strawberry lemonade cake recipe here.
Amy
Forgive me if this has been asked already (I tried reading through the comments but there are ALOT!)! I am looking to make a strawberry cake with cream cheesing frosting for Easter/my bday. A lot of recipes I’ve found for “normal” strawberry cake call for a vanilla cake mix, strawberry packet of jello and strawberries. Do you think that would work using this cake recipe as the base? I follow a keto diet and can’t have gluten anyway but you would be surprised how hard it is to find a keto strawberry cake recipe! All of them are usually for strawberry shortcake type of desserts which isn’t what I’m going for. Thank you so much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amy, Sorry, I haven’t tried making this into a strawberry cake, so am not sure. I do know I have made it with fresh strawberries on top of the frosting between the layers, and that did turn out great!
Nikki
This cake was amazing!! I didn’t have high hopes while doing Keto but I was so amazed. My boyfriend was too and really liked it as he doesn’t like things too sweet. I would actually make this again and not tell anyone as everyone thought it was regular cake. It was moist and I cut the amount of icing and still covered 3 layers. 5/5! I did add more vanilla in the icing.
Jill
I am so excited to try this recipe for my husbands birthday. Is there a specific reason that a spring form pan is used or can a regular round pan be used to make the makes. Is it just easier using the spring form? Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jill, It’s just easier with a spring form, but you can use a regular one if you grease the sides well and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Jacqueline Geraghty
Absolutely lovely. The batter was a lot thicker than I thought, so I panicked – bit watched the video again, crossed my fingers and put it in the oven. Beautiful cake was made! Taste delicious! Swapped cream cheese for mascarpone and reduced sweetener. Lovely. Definitely make again!
Deborah
It is excellent…best low carb cake I have ever made…..a keeper.
Kate
Oh goodness. I just mixed up my recipes. Disregard the last message. I do want to make this vanilla cake and want to know if there might be a substitute for the almond flour that will work just as well. Perhaps Pamela’s nut flour? Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kate, I haven’t tried it with Pamela’s nut flour, but in theory a nut flour blend could work. Just needs to be very finely ground. Let me know how it goes for you.
Kate
I am very excited to try this recipe for my 60th! I’d like to make half a cake a head of time just to be sure it’ll be good for the big party. Can I use powdered dry milk in place of the whey?
Emily E.
Thanks for the recipe! Can this be made in a bundt pan??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Emily, I haven’t tried that, but I’m sure you can make it in a bundt pan.
Megan
I just made this cake (my first attempt at a low-carb cake), and I’m certain I did something wrong. Every layer is extremely crumbly. I had a pretty difficult time frosting in, the cake was coming apart I’m chunks. I made sure to measure everything and had fresh ingredients, so just not sure what I did wrong.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Megan, Sorry to hear you had issues with it. I’ve made it many times and never had this issue, but it’s hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you and seeing what the process was like. Did you use parchment paper? Was the batter mixed well enough? Did you watch the video? At what point did it go differently for you?
Valeri
Could I add food coloring if I’m attempting rainbow layers for St Patrick’s Day?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Valeri, Sure, you can!
Sandy
Thanks. I tried your recipe last night. It tasted really good. I was wondering where you inputted the recipe to get the nutrition facts. I inputted just the cake on Very Well Fit and got three times the total carbs (15.3 g). Any assistance with this would be great before I have a friend of mine who is diabetic and counting all carbs try the cake.
Thanks
Sandy
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sandy, I’m glad you liked the recipe! Nutrition info comes from the USDA Food Database, which is more reliable than 3rd party calculators. Unfortunately I can’t troubleshoot 3rd party calculators, but the nutrition info on the recipe card is correct.
Rohan
Can I substitute almond milk with normal dairy milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rohan, Yes, you can, but that would increase the carb count.
Nathalie
H! I’m ready to make this amazing cake, however; I could only find Stevia in the raw. So not sure how to measure the amount. (on the package is says 1 cup Stevia equals 1 cup sugar) Please advise.
Wholesome Yum L
Hi Nathalie, you can check this sweetener conversion chart to figure out measurements. I would not recommend using a granular sweetener for the icing though.
Beth
What is the nutrition on just the cake without icing?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Beth, Sorry, I don’t have the nutrition info available for just parts of the recipe. You can enter ingredients into an online calculator if you leave something out.
Mark Roth
My wife (her birthday) absolutely LOVED this cake! She’s new to lower carb type foods and I think this really opened up her eyes to the possibilities!
Used heavy whipping cream vs the almond milk – no dairy issues & nutrition seems pretty equal.
Linda E Fairham
The Cream cheese frosting is so delicious! I never thought that I’d like 0 calorie sweetener but the powdered erythritol in this recipe tastes great.
Joanne
Is it really 8 eggs am I reading this right?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Joanne, Yes, that’s correct.
Diana
How many grams is in one serving of cake?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Diana, Sorry, I don’t weigh the final cake or individual servings. You can find out the weight of one slice, if you need it, by weighing the whole cake and dividing by the number of slices. Or just weigh one slice.
Dee
Does this cake hold together? Or does it fall apart? If it does not hold together well, do you think a little xanthan gum or konjac powder would work ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dee, It does hold together, but if you want it more sturdy you can add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
Nikki O
I have made this recipe multiple times! I have made cupcakes from this recipe too! Very good and simple too! the frosting is sooo good!
Rachele Leone
Hi can I sub oil for the butter to make it dairy free?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rachele, You can use coconut oil.
Mel R
Hi I’m looking to make this tonight as a birthday cake, can I use ground almonds instead of blanched almond flour?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Mel, I don’t recommend that as the texture won’t be as good. It will still bake okay, but the texture will be less cake-like and more multi-grain-like.
Kevin
Please answer this in the next 5 minutes, lol. I put the whole mixture into the baking pan instead of coming in 3rds. Teach me to not read it properly! Is this going to run the cake or will it turn out ok if I just bake for longer?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kevin, I try to answer as fast as I can. 🙂 You can bake it for longer, but it will probably brown on top too much before the inside is set. You’ll likely need to cover it then and continue baking until the center is done. Then, if you want the layers, you’ll have to carefully slice it horizontally into the layers, which can be challenging but is doable. I do prefer the 3rds baked separately since you get more of those golden edges, but the way I described should still work. Hope it works out for you!
Kara Wilson
I need a substitute for coconut flour. I can’t stand coconut or almond flavor. Hopefully it won’t taste like almonds?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kara, I don’t think this tastes like coconut or almonds. I don’t recommend leaving out either of the flours, it won’t turn out.
Yanitza
Can you sustitute the almond flour for any other flour? I have the coconut flour. Just can find the other flour. Thank you
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Yanitza, Sorry, you need both flours in this recipe. Almond and coconut flour are not interchangeable. Sunflower seed meal is sometimes a possible replacement for almond flour, but typically that is even harder to find. You can make your own by grinding sunflower seeds, but making it fine enough in a home setting can be challenging.
Becky
Can I use a baking blend trim healthy mama? It’s a blend, keto friendly, and if so how much?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Becky, No, you’d need a different recipe designed for the THM blend.
Noice Broice
Hey, nice job with the recipe!
I approve
Patricia Jones
I made this into 24 cupcakes and they are delicious. We don’t like frosting and didn’t make that. Can you tell me the nutrition info for the frosting only please? Thank you very much, we enjoy your recipes ❤️
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Patricia, Cupcakes are a great idea and glad you liked them! I don’t have nutrition info for parts of the recipe without some of the ingredients, but you could enter what you used into an online calculator if needed.
Holly
How long did you bake the cupcakes and at what temp?
Selin Kilic
Hi, I am really looking forward to baking this for my mum’s birthday next week and it definitely seems like the best and easiest keto cake on the internet! However, I was just wondering if I could also use powdered erythritol for the cake batter, or would it be better to just use granulated erythritol? Thanks very much.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Selin, Sure, you could use powdered. It’s usually more expensive, though, so I save it for uses where powdered is required.
Kathy
My husband wanted waffles for breakfast this morning, so I cut the recipe down, substituted Truvia, and made it in my waffle iron. He said I better keep this recipe. I will definitely make it again.
Alyssa
I just made this cake for my mom’s birthday and it smells amazing! I can’t wait to try it when we celebrate tomorrow. I substituted the erythitol for xylitol & used the recommended conversion. I am wondering do you make up the cake as a whole frosted and refrigerate? Or can you store the cake in the fridge and frost the next day? Which do you recommend? Thank you so much for creating this wonderful recipe btw! We’re all so excited to eat it!!!! Can’t wait to try out more of your recipes 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Alyssa, You could do it either way, but it’s better to frost the day-of to be safe, just to reduce the chance of the sweetener crystallizing in the frosting. Happy birthday to your mom and so thoughtful of you to bake a homemade cake for her!
Melanie
When you are baking the cake the day before, do you frost the day of the party or the day of cooking the cakes?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Melanie, I usually prefer to frost it the day-of to be on the safe side and ensure the erythritol doesn’t crystallize in the frosting.
Donna
Can you freeze the left over cake?
I will try making it again. Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Donna, Yes, you can!
Lauren
Hi there, definitely trying this tomorrow. I couldn’t find straight erythritol where I live, so I bought the mix of erythritol and stevia. I do also have monk fruit and xylitol at home. What do you recommend I do? Cheers and thanks, Lauren
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lauren, Any of those should work – just use the sweetener conversion calculator here to find out the amount depending on what you use (convert from erythritol to whatever you have).
Rosa McAllister
Hi I was wondering if I can use sweet additions calorie free Stevia sweetener in this recipe
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rosa, I haven’t heard of that one so am not sure. You probably could but the amount would be different and I’m not sure what the conversion is.
Ariana
Hello,
Can I substitute the almond milk for coconut milk? I have some on hand already, but if the almond milk is a must for this recipe I’ll go ahead and get some.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ariana, You can substitute coconut milk beverage (the liquid kind in a carton next to the dairy milk at the grocery store), but not the thick canned coconut milk.
Anna
I must not have mixed the eggs enough as it was grainy and has a weird aftertaste, due to the stevia I think. It’s what I had on hand. Maybe I can cover with fruit or something. Bummed being all the positive reviews.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Anna, Not mixing enough can certainly have an issue, but more likely the problem was changing the recipe. Erythritol and stevia are definitely not a 1:1 replacement, so if that’s what you did I would expect an aftertaste and other issues. I hope you’ll get the chance to try the recipe as written – the reviews you see are for the original recipe.
Megan
I am currently making this cake and the cake batter is very thick. Is it supposed to be?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Megan, Yes, the batter is fairly thick, but not super thick. You can thin it out a bit with more of the wet ingredients if it’s dense like cookie dough, though it shouldn’t be, but can vary based on the brand of coconut flour. I’ll be posting a video soon of what it should look like.
Selina Sarah Newell
Hi! This is an amazing recipe! I’ve made it several times now. I’ve done a lemon blueberry version adding in lemon curd to the batter. Delicious! The nutritional facts you have provided -are they with or without the frosting? Thanks so much.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Selina! The nutrition info includes the frosting.
Liz Pat
Lemon curd!!! My sister would love that, how much did you add?
Fran
Hi! Thank you for your recipe. Can I bake it in sheet cake pan without any altering of texture, taste, or flavor?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Fran, Yes, you can. You might need to adjust the baking time.
Lorri
Trying this for a bday girl (17) and want to know what temp/time conversions for 9×11 pan instead? Recently (1month) started Keto and getting the family converted a little at a time. Loving your recipes so thank you for all you do!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lorri, You can use the same temperature as the recipe card says. I haven’t tried that pan size to say how long it would take, so you’d have to just monitor it. It’s done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean, and the top is golden and spring-y to the touch.
Carmen Martinez
My husband made this for my birthday what a beautiful and delicious surprise!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
How thoughtful of him, Carmen! Happy birthday!
Diana
Hi Maya
Can I use granulated xylitol instead of erythritol for the cake?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Diana, Yes, you can. Check the conversion calculator here.
Sheri D. Patten
I Buy the Swerve Vanilla cake mix but it wasn’t going to be in on time for a birthday I needed to make a cake for. So I experimented with this recipe. OMG! It was a huge success and hit with me family and Co-workers who do more Keto foods. So I made the cake with this recipe and needless to say, the cake was gone and raving reviews. thank you so much for sharing this. it is now my go to for a vanilla cake mix.
SHERI
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love to hear that, Sheri! Thank you!
Mandy H
Well after following the instructions, and putting the cake in the oven, on washing up I found 1 large egg!!! Cakes seem to be coming along nicely even though one egg short!!!
I’m only doing a two layer cake for my hubby for his birthday, the other layer will be portioned for my newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic son for his lunches. Two birds one stone! My son can cook but is new to keto, i’m hoping to leave him with some recipes and links before I return from UK to Portugal. Hoping I’m setting a good example for my sons future health.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am glad you liked it, Mandy, even without the egg!
Rebecca
So I cut the recipe in half as I’m not having a party. If the recipe is cut in half and I just am making one layer in a spring form pan…What would be the serving size?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rebecca, The serving size would be the same size, so if you cut the recipe in half, it would be 1/12 of the whole pan instead of 1/24.
Amanda
I was wondering if it would be possible to adapt this recipe as a chocolate cake with cocoa powder and if so what recommendations would you have? If not, do you have a comparable chocolate cake recipe recommendation? Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amanda, The recipe would need other changes to make into a chocolate cake. I haven’t tested that yet, but in the meantime you could try flourless chocolate cake or chocolate mug cake.
Tammy
Do you think xylitol would work in place of the erythritol?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tammy, Yes, it would. You’d need less – check the low carb sweetener conversion calculator.
Anna
Spectacular cake! We have a GF, keto, allergen-avoidant household and have been sweets-free most of the year. I made this for Hubby’s birthday and we just cannot. believe how delicious.
I couldn’t find powdered erythritol or monkfuit locally so I melted granulated erythritol in heavy cream and vanilla extract before adding to the rest of the frosting. Worked great.
I may take up baking again. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Anna! Happy birthday to your hubby!
Celeste Weber
What is the weight of your large eggs please? I would love to try this recipe, but find that egg sizes are not always the same universally.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Celeste, Sorry, I didn’t weigh my eggs but if they are labeled “large” they will work fine in the recipe.
Nelly
I just make the cake no frosting. It was amazing! I whipped the liquid mixture a little extra when I incorporated each egg. I used a silicon muffin pan and it made 24 cupcakes. I baked at 350 for 20 minutes per pan. The cake was not overly sweet and it was fluffy. My other half ate it plain and loved it. Great recipe we will use over and over.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Nelly! Thank you!
Amy Haug
Oooooops, just baked 2 layers for 55 min. Cook time at top says 1 hour. I thought that sounded too long.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amy, Yes, that would be too long. Sorry!
Tamara Lee
I made this cake into cupcakes not to long ago. I used swerve sweetener and the cupcakes definitely had a weird aftertaste, but I found that adding SALT helped a lot with the taste. I don’t remember exactly how much I used exactly because I didn’t figure it out until after I had already baked them and I just sprinkled it on top of the icing. Will be making this into a cake soon to see if the salt helps in the cake itself once baked. WILL UPDATE!!!
Joey
Thank you for this amazing recipe! Am
anaphylactic to all tree nuts so ground my own flour from raw sunflower seeds and this cake is so moist and delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love to hear that, Joey!
Christina
Hi Maya,
2 questions on the spring foam pan.
Have you experienced issues with the cake batter seeping through the base of the pan? I have one of these pans but have only used it once due to this issue (for a cake recipe found elsewhere). Is it just a poorly designed pan? Or is a little seeping through normal?
Another question I have is – when I line the pan with parchment paper, am I lining just the base or the base and the sides?
Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Christina, I’ve had that happen with one of my pans and not another one, so I think it depends on the pan. Try a different brand. The parchment paper online needs to go on the bottom of the pan. You can grease the sides to be safe if you’d like, but with a non-stick surface I don’t find it necessary. Run a knife along the edge if it’s stuck to the edge and then releasing the springform works fine.
Victoria Leonard
Could you use coconut oil instead of butter?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes, you can use coconut oil, Victoria!
Robin
How much unsweetened almond milk do we use? It’s not in the recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Robin, The ingredient amounts are on the recipe card above.
Tabitha
Approximately how many carbs per serving?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Tabitha, The nutrition info is on the recipe card above!
Sarah
Hello!
I don’t suppose you have tried baking this cake in other shapes? I am planning to make a 2-shaped cake for my son’s birthday (silicone mould) and am hoping this recipe will allow me to do this. Fingers crossed!
Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried, but you can bake it in any shapes you like! The baking time might vary depending on your pan size, shape and material.
Sarah
Thank you, I’ll give it a go…
I forgot to say before that I made the cake to the same as your recipe above for my eldest son’s birthday party a couple of months back and received so many good comments from family and friends. Most people didn’t believe me it was sugar free/low carb! I was worried how it would turn out as I used ground almonds and not almond flour (harder to get hold of in the UK) and it looked more like porridge as I put it in the oven but turned out great. Success. Thank you for creating it for us to enjoy!!
Rocio
Hi! I am going to make this cake again but I realized I do not have almond milk. Do you think I can use heavy cream instead? This cake is awesome and I LOVE your site!! I have shared it with a few people.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rocio, Yes, that should work. Thank you so much for sharing!
Kevin
For the baking powder, did you mean Tsp (teaspoon) or does it really call for 3.5 Tbsp. (tablespoons)??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kevin, The recipe card says 1 1/2 (1.5) tablespoons.
Ruth
This cake is EXCEPTIONAL!!!!!!
I never leave reviews….ever , but this cake has me going crazy. I subbed lemon extract and eat butter and did a coconut cream whipped topping so my dairy free daughter could eat it and topped with some raspberries.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Ruth! Thanks for leaving your review!
Kate
I’m about to try this cake for my hubby’s birthday! Praying for a success, lol. Can I add cocoa powder for icing? If yes, how much can I add? Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kate, Yes, you can do that. I don’t have an amount for you but you can just add a tablespoon at a time to taste. Happy birthday to your husband!
Deepanjali
Hi there! Great recipe but was wondering do you have any ideas how to swap out the eggs? I need the recipe to be egg free for my husband’s birthday. He’s keto vegan.
Have tried other recipes with little success, the flaxseed egg and chia seed egg don’t give a nice texture to the cake. They usually end up quite dense.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Sorry, I haven’t tried this without eggs. My only recommendations would be flax or chia eggs, but agree they don’t come out quite the same as real eggs.
Vanessa
Aquafaba can be used as a replacement for eggs. Aquafaba Is the water from canned beans, garbanzo bean water is best. It’s amazing stuff.
Keara
I made this for my mom’s birthday. I also chose to whip some of the egg whites. I whipped 4 of the egg whites until stiff and stirred them in last after I had mixed everything. I used an 8 inch spring form and made two layers. Because the layers were thicker, I baked the cakes at 360 for roughly 30 mins. I checked often after the first 20 minutes to make sure it didn’t burn. It turned out great!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the cake, Keara! Thank you!
Jane McGinnis
Would it work if cocoa powder were added to make a chocolate cake?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jane, The recipe would need other modifications. Just adding cocoa powder would make it too dry.
Jenny
Sounds delicious! If it’s like any of your others I’m sure it will be! Is there a reason for baking the mix in thirds? Would there be an issue if you baked the entire batter at once and then sliced afterwards?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jenny, I don’t think it’s sturdy enough to hold up well if you tried to slice it horizontally into thirds after baking all in one pan. It would also take much longer to bake. If you try it, let me know how it goes. You’d likely need a lower oven temperature to prevent burning the top before the center is done, which means even longer baking time.
Jaime
I made this for my husband’s birthday. I subbed a cup of almond flour for ground pistachios because a pistachio cake fit better with our menu and also added some lemon zest. The flavor and texture were excellent! However, the Swerve aftertaste was so prominent that I’d rather just eat the carbs and use regular sugar. Which is exactly what I’m doing for my daughter’s chocolate cake (added a bunch of cocoa powder and some freeze dried coffee). This is an outstanding base recipe and so easy to modify to add other flavors. Definitely staying in the recipe rotation.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks for sharing your tips with us, Jaime! Thanks for stopping by!
Amanda
Would I be able to make this 3 days before it’s needed or does it tend to dry out or go stale? Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amanda, It stores fairly well but is not as good as fresh 3 days later. I would easily do it days ahead for my family but probably not for an occasion with guests.
Suzanne McKay
Not wanting to make a big cake, I cut the batch into 1/4 to make 6 cupcakes. After seeing some comments about the cake not rising as much as expected, I decided to whip my egg whites separately and fold them in at the end. The cake rose beautifully. We split the cupcakes in half and topped with whipped cream and berries to make mini strawberry shortcakes. Very nice. I have had many keto flops, so happy to have one to put in the keeper file.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the cake, Suzanne! Thanks for stopping by!
Carla Reger
Hi Maya – I love your web site, recipes and all of the helpful tips you give with your recipes – it’s great – thank you!
Living in Australia, I always have to convert U.S. measurements to metric unfortunately. I know you have the metric conversion option in your recipes, but I am concerned that some of the measurements don’t seem correct, when compared to to doing my own conversions of the amounts. I would love to make this cake (Vanilla Gluten-Free Keto Birthday Cake) as it sounds delicious, but I want to make sure the measurements are correct. Correct measurements in baking, I’ve learnt, are particularly important!
Based on 1oz = 28.35ml, 1 Cup = 237ml, 1 Tab U.S. = 15ml, 1 Tsp U.S. = 5ml
1 U.S Cup erythritol you have = 200g (? should be 237ml / g)
3/4 cup butter = 170g (? should be 178g)
1/2 cup almond milk = 125ml (? should be 118ml) (1/2 a METRIC cup is 125ml)
3 cup almond flour = 336g (? should be 711g – a very big difference and my main concern!)
1/2 cup coconut flour = 56g (? should be 118g or ml – another big difference!)
1/3 cup powdered erythritol = 133g (? should be 158g)
The other ingredient measurements I agree with the conversions – which makes me more suspicious that those mentioned are inaccurate.
Have you weighed in grams what 1 US cup of the ingredients is, rather than using the volume of 237ml? I do prefer to weigh all ingredients where possible, as it is much more accurate in baking than cup measurements. I would love to know how you do your conversions, not only for this recipe, but for all baking recipes of yours. In general cooking, it is not so important to be so accurate.
I look forward to hearing back from you Maya, as I can’t wait to make this cake!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Carla, I’m glad you like the recipes.
The metric conversions on the recipe card are correct and tested. I’m not sure where you got these numbers – “Based on 1oz = 28.35ml, 1 Cup = 237ml, 1 Tab U.S. = 15ml, 1 Tsp U.S. = 5ml” – but they will depend on the ingredient. Different ingredients have different densities, so you can’t say that 1 cup of something = X ml and then apply that to all ingredients. It will vary by ingredient.
Please go ahead and use the metric amount given on the recipe card. Hope you love the cake!
Carla
Thanks Maya – I will look forward to making (and eating!) this cake now – Cheers!
Misty
So delish! I made 24 cupcakes for my son’s birthday. Usually my sister and husband are always critics of sugar free desserts but this one won them over. My sis said “ if I could eat like this I could do this diet”! I used Pyure and Lakanto for sweeteners, for the icing I used both by making them “powdered”. Thank You for this recipe. Will definitely be my go to vanilla cake recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so glad that you enjoyed the cupcakes, Misty! Have a great day!
Erin
I’ve been looking for the ultimate keto vanilla cupcake recipe, and I’VE FOUND IT!!
I split the recipe into thirds (Metric/8 slices), mixed up the recipe, and it fit just over 24 mini cupcake liners. [Baked at 325 for about 14 minutes – check them at minute 10, and take them out when the tops spring back when lightly touched, and before they get brown]
Most low carb cupcake recipes stick to liners, and these definitely did, even after I sprayed them with avocado oil spray :/ So I’m definitely going to invest in mini parchment liners, because I’ve got the regular sized parchment liners and NOTHING sticks to those. These were even better the day after. I topped them with my favorite ermine buttercream frosting and set them into a closed tupperware container on the counter overnight. SO FLUFFY! SO MOIST! The flavor is amazing. I need to not bake these all the time becasue I will eat all of them, lol. Thank you for the recipe! xx 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Erin! Thanks for stopping by!
Deanna C
I came across this recipe and thought to myself, my birthday is coming up and I’m on Keto diet but I still want a birthday cake. I end up using your cake mix recipe and it turned out great! Made my own frosting but no one can tell it was a sugar free/ gluten free cake. Everyone loved it. Thanks for posting.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy that you liked it, Deanna! Happy birthday!
Susan
Can you use Splenda?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Susan, Yes, you can. I prefer their Splenda Naturals line which is a natural sugar-free sweetener. If you use that, use scant measuring cups because it’s sweeter than plain erythritol.
Noelia I.
Hi, this looks great! I wanted to ask you is it necessary the coconut flour? Or can I just use almond flour instead for all? If I can, how much? I only have almond flour. Thanks!!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Ho Noelia, You need both almond and coconut flour. The texture won’t be the same with just one of them.
Karen
This is not only my first Keto cake, but the first cake I have ever made! I ended up making a double decker instead of a triple one, since I had 2 pans (had to add 10 minutes to the bake time). It came out amazing! I kind of wish I had gone with butter cream icing. I think that might have complimented it better (personal taste), but I am extremely happy! It is by far my favorite Keto dessert bar none. This is the first time I have LOVED a Keto dessert! Thank you so much for this!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Congrats on your first cake, Karen! I’m so glad you loved it.
Jessica Margerum
Could I make this the night before a party and it still taste fresh the next afternoon?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jessica, Yes, you can! It’s slightly better if the frosting is fresh but not a must.
Rebecca
This cake is easy and awesome. Best cake ever.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Rebecca! Thanks for stopping by!
Rocio
Hi! I purchased unsweetened vanilla almond milk by accident. Do you think this is ok?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Rocio, Yep, totally fine! You can reduce the vanilla extract a bit.
Becky
Hello. It says to use a spring form pan. Is there a reason for it? Can I bake them in regular cake pans?
Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Becky, It just sticks fairly easily so the spring form pan makes it easier, but isn’t required. You can use a regular pan – line with parchment paper and grease the sides well.
Anastasia Brown
My daughter wants a vanilla cake for her birthday. This looks really good! Can I make it a sheet cake? If so, what size pan? 9×11?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Anastasia, Yes, you can make a sheet cake. I haven’t tried so can’t say for sure if it’s a perfect ratio, but you can probably turn the 3-layer regular cake into a 2-layer low carb sheet cake. The layers will be pretty thin (it’s not super tall to begin with), so if you want them thicker, you could multiply the recipe by 1.5 and bake in 2 9×13 pans for the sheet cake. Let me know how that goes. Happy birthday to your daughter!
Calla
Could you use heavy cream instead of almond milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Calla, I haven’t tried but I’m sure you can!
Sara
I absolutely love this cake! I’ve made it 3 times as cupcakes to make dividing it into 24 servings easily. Keto and non-keto friends always ask me for the recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Sara! Thanks for stopping by!
Rocio
Do you mind sharing how long and at what degree they were baked? What kind of cupcake pan did you use?
Lindsey Powell
Made this cake for my birthday and loved it! instead of nuts, I topped it with sliced strawberries!
I have a question about the icing though. If I wanted to make this into a chocolate icing could I just add cocoa powder to the recipe? Any idea how much or what brand cocoa powder to use?
Thanks for your hellp!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Happy birthday, Lindsey! Sliced strawberries on top sound delicious.
You can definitely make the cake with chocolate icing, but I haven’t tried it yet to advise on amounts.
Bina
Hey, so happy I saw this comment! Of course Hershey makes cocoa powder but if you can get dutch cocoa powder it is far superior because they tend to have more fat ( and less carbs) and can help your products stay moist. If you can find it, the droste brand is my favorite. Also for a big batch of frosting, I like to start with 1/4 cup cocoa powder and add more to taste keeping an eye on texture. You can add a bit of heavy cream, yogurt or butter to achieve the consistency you want
Kate
Just made this cake for my T1 Diabetic daughter. It is so, so, good!! Tastes great and is light and fluffy, just like a real cake. I did make it into muffins though which worked just as well. Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you and your daughter liked the cake, Kate!
Vicki
Is it really 8 eggs?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Vicki, Yes, it’s 8 eggs.
Emily Luckower
Did you level off the top of the cake layers?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Emily, Yes, level the top.
Jenny
Can I use coconut milk and all coconut flour? I am allergic to nuts.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jenny, You can use coconut milk beverage (the liquid from a carton, not the thick kind from a can). You can’t use all coconut flour, but you can try swapping the almond flour with sunflower seed meal. The color and flavor will be different, but should still work. Coconut flour alone definitely will not – sorry.
Amanda
Is this cake supposed to turn out pretty dense? I just made it and I cooked it a little longer than suggested because it didn’t firm up until around 25 minutes for each layer.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amanda, The time can vary depending on your oven and pan. It usually comes out a medium density, but maybe a bit denser than some other cakes. Check your baking powder if it’s super dense – this needs it to be very fresh.
Michele Sellers
Ok so this is really a stupid question but how did you cut this cake into 24 servings??? I can’t imagine being able to cut it into 24ths.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Michelle, No worries – no stupid questions! It’s super rich, so I found that a little goes a long way. I just cut it into 8th’s and cut each of those into 3 thin slices. We had a lot of people at the party when I made this, so I needed to cut it into a lot of slices, but then discovered that one slice was actually quite satisfying. You could probably also cut it into 6×4 squares, but they wouldn’t all be the same unless you make the cake square instead of round.
Michele Sellers
Thank you for letting me know how you did that. I’m still not sure I could do it but I guess I won’t know until I try. 🙂
Jessica
Hi! I’m thinking about doing this cake for my brother’s birthday. My step mom avoids gluten and dairy products and my sister and I are following the keto diet. However, my husband is intolerant to almonds! Lol A Little bit complicated to satisfy everyone without having to bake 2-3 different cakes. Could I use another type of vegetable milk instead of almond (rice, coconut?) and another flour to replace almond flour? If I use only coconut flour, will it be the same consistency? Thanks a lot!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jessica, Happy upcoming birthday to your brother! That is a challenge. It’s doable, but I’m not sure if it would work with this recipe. You’d need to make a lot of changes, which I haven’t tested, so can’t say if it would work. But if you want to attempt it, here are the things you can try:
Good luck!
joanne
I have made this cake twice and both times it turned out to be moist and delicious. We ate it plain without icing and with whipped bream and berries. Everyone loved it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Joanne! Whipped cream and berries make the perfect additions!
Jenn
Hey! I made this on Monday for my own birthday! I added raspberry flavoring and fresh raspberries to the middle and it came out great! Everyone who tried it liked it, and my daughter even bragged to one of her co-workers about it, and ended up bringing in a slice to work this morning! Thank you very much for the recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Jenn! Happy birthday!
Feryl
Could you please let us know the amount for each ingredient?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Feryl, Yes, the amounts are on the recipe card above.
Jeremy
Just made this, subbed buttermilk for the almond milk and put strawberries in between the layers. It is shockingly good! Bravo on this recipe, it’s really outstanding! Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the cake, Jeremy! Thank you!
Sandra Vandevelde
Do I have to use coconut flour? Why?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sandra, Yes, the combination of flours is needed for the right texture and ratio with other ingredients.
Shelli Eastman
Does this have any carbs at all? My brother is a type one diabetic and I want to make this for his birthday but we have to count carbs.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Shelli, The nutrition info is on the recipe card. One serving has 2g net carbs.
Leslie
Made this cake tonight as a “practice” for a good friends 60th birthday party. It’s so yummy, I can’t wait to share it next weekend! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Leslie! Thank you for stopping by!
Edith Colwell
I just found out i have pancreatitis. My birthday passed without any celebrating, so I found this recipe. I’m still in the hospital but when I get home I’m going to make this and make me a party.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hope you feel better, Edith! Enjoy the cake and happy belated birthday.
Candice Barrow
I made this cake but the cake didn’t rise as much as your photos, any idea what could have gone wrong? Also, the dough was more like a cookie dough than a normal cake dough. I’m wondering if I put too much almond flour and if that could have affected the rise and the texture. Any thoughts would be appreciated!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Candice, Low carb baked goods don’t rise as much as regular wheat ones, but it should be similar to the pictures. It’s hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you, but I’d like to help if I can. Did you add more almond flour than the recipe called for? If so, that would definitely be the cause. Otherwise, another common culprit is the baking powder – make sure it’s very fresh. Finally, mix the batter well to create air which helps it rise. Hope you liked it otherwise.
Pooja
This cake is the bomb…it turned out better than the many cakes I have made with traditional ingredients. It is fluffy, moist, not sickeningly sweet and utterly delicious. I was truly blown away. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the cake! Please come back again soon!
Kathy
Are the measurements the same for erythritol (which I could not find) and monk fruit the same….1 cup??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kathy, No, it’s not the same. The amount depends on the brand of monk fruit as they are typically a blend. Check my sweetener conversion chart.
Lori
Made this today for my sister’s bday. Everyone loved it! Incredibly delicious and unbelievable it’s just 2 net carbs. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’m saving this one!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Lori! Happy birthday to your sister!
Sara
Hi.. After reading all the great reviews I am making this for my own birthday.. Do I have to make 3 layers or can I do it in 2?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Happy birthday, Sara! You can do 2 layers, but you’d likely need to bake for longer.
Sara Chwatt
I made it in 2 & it was great!!
Melissa
Has this been converted to cupcakes? How many would it make and how much would you fill the cups? Made the cake and it was such a huge hit it was requested again for cupcakes for another event 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Melissa, I haven’t tried that yet, but I’m sure it would work. You’d just need to decrease the oven time. I’m so glad the cake was a hit!
Amanda M Stone
I am attempting “cupcakes” right now, using a silicone cupcake pan, because we cannot find a good keto muffin recipe, so attempting huckleberry muffins with this cake recipe, I’ll post when they are done!!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes, please do, Amanda!
Lindsay
I want to make this tonight because I am doing keto and my coworker has gestational diabetes. Neither of us is gluten free so is it totally necessary to use gluten free baking powder? Or is regular okay? If it it’s okay, is it the same measurement? Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lindsay, Any kind of baking powder is fine and the measurement is the same. Let me know what you think of the cake after you make it!
Sarah
I’m going to attempt this for my husband’s birthday. I’m new to baking with almond/coconut flours… do you pack them when measuring (like brown sugar) or spoon it into your measuring cup until it reaches the top, scraping off the excess?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sarah, Do it the second way – scoop and level, don’t pack. Hope you and your husband love the cake!
Elaine
I made this today for my brother’s birthday, he is diabetic! Despite the many great reviews I was still worried it wouldn’t really be as good as everyone said.It was a big hit! It’s moist and full of flavor and I’ll be making this again!
Baked mine in a bunt pan (50 min) and did a sugar free marshmallow frosting.
Thanks again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Marshmallow frosting sounds delicious, Elaine! I am so happy you enjoyed the cake!
Sharon
I am looking forward to trying this cake recipe…I was wondering, how do you make marshmallow sugar-free icing?? That sounds amazing, too!
Elaine
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Beat your egg whites until stiff, while bring corn syrup to a simmer, add sugar to egg whites and drizzle hot syrup down side of bowl while beating. Beat until its light and fluffy and cooled.
I switched out sugar for stevia and agave for the corn syrup.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you for sharing, Elaine! For anyone reading, keep in mind that using agave would not be low carb or sugar-free (just like corn syrup or sugar would not be either), but is fine for anyone gluten-free only.
Cindy
Somali makes a good mock corn syrup. 3 parts Somali granules to 1 part water. Cook and stir over medium heat til granules are melted. Cool and use like regular corn syrup. I’ve read that if you cook it in a heatproof jar in a water bath, instead, it will not crystallize when it cools.
Asdrymarie
Love this recipe!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yay! I love that! Thanks for stopping by!
Carmen Yolanda Limparis
Thank you so very much! I will be 65 tomorrow and now I can make a birthday cake for me that I can actually eat, not just look at! I was told I can make frosting with avocados, cocoa powder and maple syrup. Do you have a recipe for that, too? Thank you. Sincerely,
Carmen Limparis
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Happy Birthday, Carmen! I hope you made and liked the cake. I don’t have a chocolate frosting recipe yet. You can definitely make one with the ingredients you listed, but it wouldn’t be low carb or sugar-free due to the maple syrup; if you just need gluten-free, it would work great.
Karissa
Hi, I have been on KETO for 2 months now and my birthday is in a week and I would love to make this cake but I’m craving coconut! What adjustments do u think I could make without sacrificing the cake? I was thinking substituting vanilla extract for coconut but I don’t think it would give it that coconut cake taste. Please help!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Karissa, The safest would be just adding coconut extract like you suggested. You could make other changes but I can’t vouch for anything without testing. One easy swap would be making a coconut cream frosting, which would have coconut flavor. Hope you have a happy birthday!
Emily
Your recipe looks delicious and I would love to try it but I’ve tried other recipes with a lot of eggs and coconut flour in the past and they’ve come out very eggy. I’m certain it’s something I’ve done wrong and not the recipe itself, bc I’ve only tried recipes that have great reviews (which is why I was drawn to this one). Do you have any idea what could cause that? The texture ends up gummy and dense and the cake taste like quiche. Could it be over mixing? I’m scared to waste 9 organic eggs but I really want to make this cake and get it right! Thank you for any suggestions!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Emily, What you’re describing is pretty common with recipes that use only coconut flour, though not all, but it’s easier for that to happen. A blend of almond and coconut flour works better like in this recipe, and I don’t think this cake tastes eggy. I hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think!
Fa
Wow! This cake is truly spectacular! The springy, airy, spongy consistency of the cake is remarkable! Thank you for this awesome recipe!
The frosting was also very yummy. 32oz of cream cheese is A LOT so I only used 24oz and I think next time I make it, I will only use 16. It was difficult to work with at that thickness, even with the kitchen aid!
Overall, I am completely impressed by this cake!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked the cake! Thanks for stopping by!
Hope
How much monk fruit sweetener did you use in this recipe? I’m having trouble converting it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Hope, I have a sweetener conversion chart here. The exact amount to use would depend on the brand as monk fruit sweetener comes in different forms.
Craig
OMG!! This cake is moist and delicious. I made a scaled down size for my wife’s birthday. She was so happy…”you can make that again for me anytime you want!” I added a little whipping cream to thin down the icing to make it a little easier to spread, but otherwise followed the recipie 100%. Love your website.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Craig! I love that you and your wife loved the cake! Thanks for stopping by!
Katie
Is there an alternate substitution for the unsweetened almond milk? Could I use regular milk?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Katie, Yes, you can!
Mary
I made this but added the zest from 3 lemons and squeezed 1/2 of one into the icing. Then made a blackberry compote to go between layers + a little on top. It was delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I love all of your additions, Mary! Thank you for sharing with us!
Ellen Cox
Best keto cake I have had. I took another comment’s advice and dumped all the batter in the 9 inch pan. Worked perfect. The sides we’re a little dark, but I covered it in frosting so didn’t matter. Considering I ran out of baking powder 1/2 tbsp in… It was suprisingly fluffy and moist. I added a couple splashes of almond extract and a little extra swerve. It was perfection!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you loved the cake, Ellen! Thanks for stooping by!
Dan
Many thanks for all your wonderful recipes. On this recipe, can I substitute regular baking powder for the gluten free baking powder? Thanks again.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dan, You’re welcome! Yes, you can use any kind of baking powder.
Dina
The cake is very dry and I cooked it for the minimum time. It’s super sweet and dry. I made it for myself but since it’s not very flavorful, I serve to my kids with peaches.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dina, Sorry that it turned out dry for you! It’s hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. It does sound like either one of the ingredient amounts was off or it was baked too long, as I’ve made it a few times and it’s always been moist. I’m happy to help troubleshoot any specific steps!
Cheryl
Wow! So simple yet so good! I made this for my sister’s birthday(she’s been keto since last Labor Day and has lost a LOT of weight). I was just hoping it would be edible but it’s actually quite tasty.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
Will be checking out your others now as well
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Cheryl! I am so happy you liked the cake! Have a great day!
Joel
Thanks for the recipe!!! Cake came out great! Wish I could post a picture of it.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy you liked it, Joel! Thanks for stopping by!
Beverly
I want to make this. Do you know how many cupcakes this recipe would make?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Beverly, I’m sorry, I don’t. I’m sure it would work fine as cupcakes, I just haven’t made it that way. Please let us know how many you end up with if you do that!
Priscilla
It makes 24 perfectly
Sheilagh Romero
Can I substitute a gluten free baking mix for the almond flour, coconut flour and gluten free baking powder? Do you have any gluten free, sugar free recipes using Gluten free baking mix???
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Sheilagh, I haven’t tried but I don’t think so. The recipe is written for the right ratios using the flours listed, and other things would need to change if you change the flour. I don’t use gluten-free baking mix because it’s high in carbs. My recipes are both gluten-free and low carb.
Priscilla
I did and it worked great! I used Bob’s Red Mill. Only thing was with using that and Truvia to sweeten my carb count was really high 🙁
Was delicious though!
Chantel Nielson
Can I substitute coconut flour for more almond flour in this recipe vanilla birthday cake with pecans?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Chantel, Unfortunately no, you’d have to make other changes to the recipe. The amount of liquid would need to change and then that would affect the sweetener, which would in turn again affect the liquid. It’s not completely clear which direction you are wanting to go? Get rid of the almond flour or get rid of the coconut flour? For best results I recommend the combination of both.
Raychel Brown
Could you do this in a 9 x 13 or in a bundt pan?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Raychel, Yes, you can. I just don’t have the exact baking times for you since I haven’t tested those sizes.
Ken Blackburn
I think if I make this again I will use 8 inch spring form pans in place of 9 inch, the recipe made to larger but thinner layers in 9 inch. I would think maybe I could get the full three layers using 8 inch pans. Haven’t tasted it yet as its for my wife’s birthday. We have been living a ketogenic lifestyle for 2 months now and she was bummed by no cake, so I googled this to make for her. Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Ken, Thank you for the feedback! You can definitely use smaller pans for more layers. Happy birthday to your wife – that is so awesome that you made a keto cake for her! Hope you’ll both love it.
Giselle
HI,
I want to make this cake for my birthday. Could I substitute the unsweetened almond milk with heavy whipping cream? If not, do you have other suggestions?
Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Giselle, Yes, you can definitely make that substitution. Hope you like the cake! Come back and let me know what you thought!
Giselle
The cake was delicious. It was my first time eating cake that was not made with white flour and white sugar, so I was not sure what to expect.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Giselle!
Jacky
Does this cake come out like a pound cake?? I will like to know before baking it please. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jacky, It’s not really like a pound cake but maybe a bit more dense than a regular cake made with wheat flour. Hope you’ll try it and let me know what you think!
Jacky
I just tried it and it is truly delicious!! It was such a hit that my entire family wants me to bake it every weekend! Thank you for such a tasty keto cake 🙂
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Jacky! I’m so glad 🙂
Dominic scott
For some reason it won’t let me leave a 5 star rating! Made the cake for my wife and we loved it!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
I am so happy to hear that, Dominic! I am glad you and your wife liked it!
Jessica
I tried this tonight and it was pretty dry? I did everything exactly as the recipes asked. Also the frosting tasted a lot like cream cheese.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jessica, Sorry that it came out dry for you. It might have been over-baked? The frosting is cream cheese frosting, so is supposed to taste that way. 🙂 You can make a buttercream frosting instead if you like that better.
Chelsea Mitchell
What is the size of the cake pans you’re using?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Chelsea, They are 9-inch round pans. Springform ones are easier, but you can use regular ones if that’s what you have.
Katja
Hi. 🙂 I tried your recipe and with cream cheese and it was delish. I put it in two 6 inch pans and didn’t rise like I was expecting. It was 1.5 inch high each. My question is: did I do something wrong or these keto cakes don’t really do what a regular cake does? Hope I’m not complicating much. Was yours a little grainy (like grits)?
It was my first try and even kids loved it. 🙂 We all did because we ate it all right away. I have 6 little kids and for low carb cake, they didn’t feel the difference at all.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Katja, I’m glad you liked it!
It’s true that low carb baked goods don’t usually rise as much as regular flour does. Having fresh baking powder and mixing well to introduce air can help. For this cake there are 2 layers, so when you stack them the cake is taller, like shown in the picture.
The texture definitely should not be gritty. The most likely culprit is the almond flour. It needs to be blanched and finely ground, not coarse almond meal, which creates a different texture. I use a few brands depending on what is on sale, one of them is linked on the recipe card.
Karen
Thank you for sharing your recipes! I was wondering if you could offer any suggestions for adapting your recipes for a low-carb dieter with an almond sensitivity. We loved your almond based cookies, but unfortunately, my husband found that he just can’t eat that much almond. Could the proportions of the coconut and almond flour be inverted? Is there a better alternative to almond flour? I want to make this birthday cake low carb with less almond flour.
Thanks much!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Karen, Almond and coconut flour are not interchangeable, so the result would be very dry if you inverted them. If he can still eat almonds but in smaller amounts, I’d recommend replacing 1/2 of the almond flour with sunflower seed meal (finely ground sunflower seeds) and leaving the rest the same.
Karen
Thank you! I’ll give it a try. 🙂
Lowell Morton
Your recipes are always something I like to try. But I’m looking for a cake that has a fine texture and is light. My wife is throwing a birthday party for me on Saturday and wanted me to make the cake, because I have baked professionally for years. I’m looking for a cake like I would use to decorate, with a fine texture that is light. I tried your yellow cake for two and the texture was dry and heavy. I was considering trying a chiffon cake, but I thought I’d ask if you know of another cake instead. Thanks.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lowell, This cake has a fine texture as long as you use finely ground blanched almond flour. I would say it’s medium, not super light but not heavy, either. I don’t think it’s dry at all.
I’m not sure which yellow cake for two you say you tried. I don’t think that was my recipe.
You can definitely decorate this one any way you want. Hope you’ll give this one a try and let me know what you think! Otherwise, you might also like this strawberry lemonade cake, which is a little lighter.
Jillian
Hi there! I just made this cake and it tastes delicious! I’m wondering if maybe I did something wrong or maybe you have advice for me as my cake came out so crumbly. I even had to melt the frosting a little bit to be able to spread it without messing up the cake! I make 2 layers, rather than 3 but I can’t imagine that would make a big difference. We enjoy lots of your delish recipes, thanks for sharing them all!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jillian, I’m glad you liked the cake! It probably needed to bake a little longer if you did two layers instead of three, since they would be thicker. If you want to, you can also try adding a little xanthan gum next time which can help with structure in gluten-free baking.
Martha
Can this cake be left out? No refrigeration?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Martha, I would recommend this being kept in the fridge. It should last a few days in there.
Tammia
One of the things I miss most about being Keto is a rich, moist cake. I have tried several different Keto cake recipes and this one is, by far, the best! So delicious!!! Now I’m wondering if you have a chocolate version of this one???!!! Thanks!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Tammia! I don’t have a full chocolate cake recipe yet, but if you’re craving some you might like this keto chocolate mug cake!
Lisa
How long will the cake keep for?
Also, can the layers be frozen and iced later?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Lisa, At least a few days in the fridge. You should be able to freeze the layers.
Denise Hart
I am interested in trying this recipe for my brother’s birthday, but I’m confused about how you do the layers. Did you remove the first layer with its parchment before doing the second the same way? Please explain.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Denise, yes, you would remove the cake from the pan to cool while the second layer is cooking and then repeat the process again for the third layer.
Jen Brouwer
The cake turned out amazing! Thank you! Has anyone tried freezing the extras or how long does it last in the fridge?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Jen! Yes, you can freeze it. It lasts at least a few days in the fridge, possibly a week.
Becaa
Dumb question but I’m a cook and not a baker. If I halve it do I halve the cooking time or just check after a bit with a toothpick? And 9” Pan will still be fine?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Becaa, The cooking time depends on the thickness more than the amount, so depends on the pan you use. I wouldn’t recommend halving it and still using the 9″ pan, because the cake would be very short (very thin layers). You could try a square 8×8 pan, and cook all the batter in there at once instead of splitting it into two. Then, when assembling the cake, you’d just cut it in half and stack the two parts. Or you can use the 9″ pan but do the same thing –
cook all at once, cut in half and stack; you’d end up with a half-circle-shaped cake in that case. Otherwise if you want a round cake, you’d need a very small round cake pan… not sure about the exact size, though. Go ahead and use a toothpick for checking, since the cook time will likely vary.
Andrea
I made this cake yesterday for my birthday and it was SO good. Not that weird “eggy” taste that a lot of low carb baked goods get. Dense, like a cornbread almost. Super yummy flavor. And the frosting was delicious. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Andrea! So glad you liked it!
JoAna Dwyer
Hola Maya,
I live in rural Guatemala and can’t find almond flour. How can I substitute for it? (I can get oat, sorghum, buckwheat, millet, chickpea, ujuste (Maya nut), amaranth.)
Thanks for any suggestions. Your cake looks luscious!
JoAna
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi JoAna, I love hearing about people reading from all around the world! I haven’t tried it with those other flours, since my recipes are both low carb and gluten-free, but the flours you mentioned are not low carb. If you’re just going for gluten-free, I have heard that buckwheat, amaranth, and millet can work similarly to almond flour, but haven’t tried with this recipe. Let me know how it goes if you try!
Anita
Do you think I can use Splenda instead of erythritol?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Anita, Yes, you can. Just use slightly scant measurements since Splenda is a little sweeter than erythritol. For the frosting, you may want to run it through a food processor to powder it more.
Amy
Does this need to be kept refrigerated?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amy, Yes, it’s best to refrigerate it, especially due to the frosting. It’s fine at room temperature for a few hours but beyond that, put it in the fridge.
Melinda
I have made this cake twice and it turns out great. I do not make 3 layers, instead I pour the whole mixture into my 9-in springform pan and cook for 50 minutes. It’s easy to add extra flavor to like pumpkin spice or chai.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Melinda! Adding pumpkin or chai spice to this would be amazing!
Brittany
Do you still cook it on the same temp, but just for 50 min?
Dolly
How much pumpkin spice do you add?
Debbie L
Thank you so much,this cake was so delicious. I took it to my grandsons birthday party yesterday and both my daughter-in-law and son were amazed at the flavor. This is my go to cake from now on.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Debbie! That’s awesome that everyone enjoyed it!
Denisse
This looks yummy. Thank you for sharing. I’m going to a party on Saturday and I’m bringing my own cake! Lol
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Denisse! I hope everyone likes it!
Amy Berryman
I would like to try this in a sheet cake pan – like a sheet cake . Would I need to adjust the recipe at all? And if so how much? Thanks. It looks delicious.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Amy, I haven’t tried this as a sheet cake but the recipe would be the same. You may need to adjust the baking time, though, depending on the size of your pan / thickness of the batter. If your pan is large, it’s a good idea to reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and increase the baking time.
Roxi
Nadine, any update on this? I’m not a baker at all so couldn’t begin to “guestimate” ratio of wet vs dry to add, but did you try this? Thanks!
Cyndi Bryant
I have to weigh my food out. Can you tell me how many oz or grams 1 serving is?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Cyndi, Unfortunately I don’t have the serving size by weight. If you wanted to weigh the whole cake, a serving would be 1/24 of that.
Michelle
Hi Maya! I am so thankful for your site! My birthday is tomorrow and I just made your birthday cake – except with a new baking mix called Pamela’s Nut Flour blend. It is Almond flour, Coconut flour, flax, Pecan, and Walnut. For some reason Almond flour recipes make me feel awful after I eat them, so I’m hoping this one doesn’t do that. I had to use a little more almond milk since there is probably more coconut flour and I used 1-1/4 cups Erythritol. For the icing, I used 1 stick of butter, 3 bricks of cream cheese (24 oz), 1 cup of erythritol, and three tablespoons milk. It is perfect! Thanks so much for all your recipes!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Michelle! I’ve been wanting to try that flour blend. Good to know that it worked for this recipe!
Chelsea
Michelle, did you use The Pamela nut flour for both coconut and almond and just use the exact measurements from the recipe?
Debbie
How long did you bake as cupcakes Lindsey Lee?
Lindsey Lee
Thank you so much. Today was my birthday and I made this into cupcakes and made a chocolate buttercream frosting with erythritol. They were so good. Glad I was able to celebrate my birthday and stay low carb!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Lindsey! Happy birthday!! I’m glad you liked the cake and good to know it worked as cupcakes. The chocolate frosting with sounds delicious, too!
Pilan
I tried your strawberry lemon. It’s to die for just plain too.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Pilan! So glad you liked them both!
Pilan
Hi, I’ve decided to make a naked 2 tier cake with strawberry cream filling. I will sent you a picture when I make the cake next week
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Pilan! That sounds awesome – looking forward to seeing the picture! I actually just posted a strawberry lemonade cake recipe that was somewhat based on this one, too.
Laura Guadamuz
I’m just curious if you could make this without the springform pan, I just have two rounds and if so what would be the baking time??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Laura, Yes, you can! The springform pan just makes it easier to get it out, so make sure to grease well if using regular pans. The baking time should be about the same if you have 9″ pans; it will be longer if you have an 8″ pans. (The baking time is mostly affected by the thickness.) Just bake until the top is golden and spring-y.
Nadine
Could you make this chocolate by adding cocoa powder? If so, how much do you think you’d need?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Nadine, I think you could, but I haven’t tested it to determine the amount. Since adding cocoa powder would be adding a dry ingredient, you’d need to compensate by adding more of the wet ingredients as well. It’s on my list to do some testing for a gluten-free chocolate cake like this.
Nicole
I’m confused. The cake ingredients say to use erythritol, but the cake instructions talk about powdered erythritol. Would you please clarify?
Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Nicole, Sorry about the confusion. The cake uses granulated erythritol and the frosting uses powdered. I fixed the discrepancy in the cake instructions. Thanks for asking!
Jami F.
This looks amazing!! Have you ever tried making it in cupcakes?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Jami! I haven’t tried that yet, but I think it should work. You’d probably need to reduce the baking time.
Dora
Is it 1 1/2 tbsp of baking powder in the cake, or is it 1 1/2 tsp?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dora, It’s 1 1/2 tablespoons. The flours in the cake are pretty dense, so I found that quite a bit of baking powder was needed to help it rise.
Dolly
I misread this as well, and used tsp but mine still turned out with decent texture, if a little dense. Was not crazy about the flavor of the cake by itself- definitely not very sweet, but with frosting (I used a LC buttercream) it was fair enough.
Kristen Taylor
Sounds delicious! (And very clever with the pecans!)… How many servings would you say this is to get it down to 2 net carbs each? (I’m thinking quite a few… maybe 16?)
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Kristen! The recipe is 24 servings, 2 net carbs each. These are narrow slices, but the cake tastes very rich and satisfying.
reddingmountain
I made this cake for my husband’s birthday. It is not a very sweet cake but he enjoyed it! I did add unsweetened coconut between each layer sprinkled on the cream cheese frosting and finally topped with coconut. We pressed pecans into the sides of the assembled cake. You can see a picture of mine on my blog at redaredding.com Thanks for sharing a great alternative.
reddingmountain
Just wanted to make sure the 32 oz. of cream cheese is correct. That seems a lot! Cake sounds amazing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes. The frosting is mostly cream cheese and is enough to cover 2 internal layers plus the top and sides on the outside
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Yes. The frosting is mostly cream cheese, and is enough to cover 2 internal layers plus the top and sides. Some frosting recipes that use cream cheese have less because they use more butter instead, which you could also do. You can see from the pictures it actually ends up being a very thin layer of frosting, but you can use as much or as little as you like.
Noline
Happy birthday for yesterday Maya.
With just the three of you, I assume you got to enjoy a piece of your birthday cake.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Noline! I did get to enjoy a piece this time. 🙂
Reina Gallegos
Finally a low carb cake recipe. I love it. I plan to try it soon. Can you substitute other flavors for the vanilla? I thought of cherry, strawberry or lemon. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Reina, Those other flavors sound amazing! You can add any extract you like. A fruit topping swirled in also sounds delicious, but I haven’t experimented with that yet. Let me know how it goes if you try any modifications!
Jennifer
Beautiful cake. Happy Birthday.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Jennifer!
Anoosh A
I just tried this but used more cream cheese and added a little heavy whipping cream. I also split the batch and added cocoa powder to half of it. Hoping it turns out!