BEST Keto Chocolate Cake

This rich and moist keto chocolate cake recipe is made with a combination of almond flour and coconut flour and is very easy to make. Our double-layer chocolate cake is so delicious that no one would believe it’s low carb.

Who wants a rich and decadent chocolate cake?? I don’t understand people who don’t like chocolate or chocolate cake…I can’t seem to wrap my mind around it since I’m a big chocolate lover. 

What’s so great about eating low carb is you can still enjoy your favorites including a big slice of chocolate cake without feeling all the guilt. It took us a while to perfect, but we’ve finally mastered the best keto chocolate cake. We had a few failed attempts but after some time I nailed it. 

I hope you guys enjoy our keto chocolate cake recipe as much as my family and friends do. You’ll love it just as much as our other keto desserts: Keto Chocolate Mug Cake, Keto Chocolate Fudge, and Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding.

What is a Keto Chocolate Cake?

Keto chocolate cake is just like regular chocolate cake except that it is made with almond flour and a low carb sweetener instead of white flour and regular sugar. 

It’s just as delicious and decadent as any other chocolate cake that you would find anywhere else, but it has way fewer carbs.

Is Chocolate Cake Healthy?

Our sugar-free chocolate cake is a much healthier option than most other chocolate cakes because of its ingredients. 

We use a combination of both almond and coconut flour in our keto cake recipe, which is way healthier than using a processed white flour, and we use a low carb sweetener which is a great healthier alternative to cane sugar. 

While the calorie content may not be much of a difference, because ultimately almond flour isn’t low in calories, at least it’s a very healthy flour.

How Many Carbs are in Low Carb Chocolate Cake?

Let’s quickly talk about how many carbs are in our almond flour chocolate cake. This is a pretty big chocolate cake and can be served into as many as 12-14 slices. 

I chose to cut mine into 12 slices so my carb count is based on that. 

• 1 Slice of Keto Chocolate Cake = 4.1 NET CARBS
• 1 Slice of Regular Chocolate Cake = As many as 27-30 NET CARBS. 

I don’t know about you, but that’s way too high for me. I’m going keto chocolate cake all the time.

What Ingredients are in Keto Chocolate Cake?

Cake Mix

• Almond Milk – Unsweetened almond milk is my favorite. It’s low in carbs and is a healthy milk alternative. 
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Mix in ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar with the almond milk and it gives a buttermilk taste. 
• Flours  – Combination of almond flour and coconut flour. Be sure you are using superfine almond flour and not almond meal.
• Cocoa Powder – Any brand of cocoa powder will work, just make sure it is unsweetened.
• Low Carb Sweetener – Again whatever your favorite low carb sweetener is, go ahead and use it. I like using powdered swerve because it blended in really nicely in the batter.
• Baking Powder – 2 tsp baking powder, this is what’s going to help it rise properly.
• Baking Soda – ½ tsp baking soda.
• Salt – ½ tsp salt.
• Eggs – We used 4 eggs and we slightly beat them ahead of time. It helps to mix the batter quickly without overmixing it.
• Butter – ½ cup melted butter, but if you are dairy-free then go ahead and use vegan butter or you could try using coconut oil.
• Vanilla – 2 tsp vanilla, we love using a lot of vanilla.

Frosting Ingredients

• Softened Butter – The butter needs to be softened otherwise it will never whip into a good buttercream frosting. 
• Cocoa Powder – ⅓ cup of your favorite unsweetened cocoa powder. 
• Almond Milk – 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk…unsweetened being the keyword here. 
• Low Carb Sweetener – We chose to use powdered monk fruit sweetener this time. Lakanto makes a really good one. 
• Vanilla – 2 tsp vanilla.

TIP: Vanilla helps to hide the cooling taste of erythritol.

Chocolate Options

People have very different viewpoints on what the best chocolate is to use in sugar-free chocolate cake. Here are your options: 

Cocoa Powder – Be sure whatever brand of cocoa powder you use, make sure it is unsweetened. You can use either regular cocoa powder or dutch processed cocoa powder. 

Melted Chocolate –  You can melt a bar of chocolate down and use that instead. A great brand I recommend using is Ghirardelli 100% Cacao. 

Try not to use unsweetened Baker’s chocolate, only because it has the tendency to seize when melted and it doesn’t give you the same creaminess as higher quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli.

Flour Options

We used a combination of both almond flour and coconut flour to make this sugar-free chocolate cake. I found the combo works really well and leaves you with a moist flavorful cake. 

Almond Flour – Be sure to use superfine almond flour, and not almond meal. My favorite brand is Costco’s Kirkland Almond Flour. If you have a nut allergy you can swap the almond flour for sunflower seed flour instead. 

Coconut Flour – My favorite brand of coconut flour is Bob’s Red Mill. Coconut flour can not be subbed out to almond flour as a 1:1 ratio.

Sweeteners

What about sweetener options in our keto cake? We used Powdered Swerve to make our almond flour chocolate cake, but you can use any kind or brand that you want, you have plenty of options. 

• Allulose 
• Powdered Swerve
• Monkfruit – Lakanto is my favorite brand
• Stevia – Not a 1:1 ratio with other sweeteners
• Xylitol – TOXIC TO PETS. Xylitol takes a bit longer to dry out, so your cake will be extra delicate right after baking, so allow it to cool for a little extra time before removing it from the pans.

Oil vs Butter in Chocolate Cake

We use melted butter in our keto chocolate cake recipe. However, you can also use oil instead of butter, especially if you have an allergy and can’t have butter. Using melted coconut oil instead of butter is a good option in our keto cake recipe. 

A lot of cake recipes have vegetable oil in them, but honestly, I prefer not to use that anymore in my cooking and baking simply because it’s not one of the most healthy oil options.

Eggs

Eggs are what help give your low carb chocolate cake richness. The more whole eggs that are in a cake the richer it will be. Since the egg yolk contains most of the fat in an egg, this leads to a richer and fudgier cake. 

If you have an egg allergy what should you use? Normally most people would use a flax egg or chia egg, but we’ve found they didn’t come out well in a cake. Instead, try using Bob’s Red Mill Vegan Egg Replacer. Just follow the instructions on the package.

Different Variations of Low Carb Chocolate Cake

Surprisingly almond flour chocolate cake has some different ways that you spice it up a bit. Here are just a few ideas for you: 

• A little spice: Add a pinch of chili powder.
• Festive Chocolate Cake: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves. 
• Add chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
• Espresso Powder: Instant espresso powder adds a little extra flavor. 
• Nut-Free Option: Swap the almond flour for sunflower seed flour, as a 1:1 ratio. Note: the texture and flavor of the cake will be a bit different. 
• 9×13 pan for a 1 layer sheet cake. 
• 3 – 6” cake pans for a taller cake.

Frosting Options

This easy keto chocolate cake is so awesome because you can use so many different frostings, it’s super versatile. Everyone has different favorites when it comes to frostings. 

We went with a basic keto chocolate buttercream frosting. But other great options are:

• Keto Vanilla Buttercream 
• Keto Cream Cheese Frosting 
• Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting 
• Maple Buttercream Frosting 
• Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Add-Ins

Add-ins are totally a personal preference! I’m a weirdo since I don’t like fruit or nuts in my cakes, but I know a lot of people do. So some good options are to add some fresh fruit in between the layers of the cake or on top. Strawberries and raspberries go fantastic with chocolate cake. 

Chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans also can be a great add-in. 

If you don’t want to frost the top of your cake, you could pour a delicious keto ganache instead. Melt 1 bar of Ghirardelli 100% Cacao, 4 tbsp powdered swerve or monk fruit, and 2-3 tbsp of heavy cream. 

For a bit of a fudgier keto chocolate cake, add in some chocolate chips to the batter.

Can I Make It Without the Icing?

You can absolutely make this sugar-free chocolate cake without icing. Honestly, some people are just more fans of just plain keto cake and don’t love frosting or icings, and I’m actually one of those people. I prefer the cake itself over frosting.

Can You Use Real Sugar?

If you are not following a low-carb diet then go ahead and use regular sugar. Buying keto-approved sugars can get expensive after a while, so if you don’t need to eat that way then make our almond flour chocolate cake with regular white sugar. 

You could use coconut sugar as a healthier alternative to white sugar.

Keep the Ingredients at Room Temperature

Your eggs really need to be at room temperature, so take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before starting the cake. 

The reason you want room-temperature eggs is that if they are too cold then it can cause the batter to be lumpy when adding in the melted butter and the rest of the ingredients.

Tools to Use

• Mixer – Use either a hand mixer or a stand mixer, both will work just fine. 
• Cake Pans – You are going to want to have a matching set of 2 cake pans if making this keto chocolate cake layer. If you are making a 1-layer cake then you need a 9×13 baking pan. 
• Cake Stand, Round Platter, or Large Wood Cutting Board – If you are making a beautiful almond flour chocolate cake then it needs to be displayed right?? Place the cake on a cake stand, round platter, or even a large flat wood cutting board. 
• Frosting Spatula – When frosting any cake including this keto-friendly cake you need a frosting or icing spatula. It makes a world of difference. Mine is from Pampered Chef, but here is a good one you can buy too.

What is the Best Pan to Use?

Deciding what the best pan to use is dependent on what goal you are trying to achieve with this low carb chocolate cake. Here are your options, then you can decide what is best for you. 

• 2 – 8” Pans: My favorite option. This will give you 2 good size cakes perfect for layering. You can use springform or non-springform. 
• 2 – 9” Pans: Another good option, but will make your 2 layers just a bit flatter but still works. Springform or non-springform. 
• 3 – 6” Pans: Great for a 3 layer keto chocolate cake but keep in mind that it will only be 6” in diameter. 
• 1 – 9×13 Pan: This is going to be your basic cake pan option, no layering but still works great.

Do I Have to Use a Blender for Keto Chocolate Cake?

I have not made this low carb chocolate cake recipe with a blender, I prefer using my hand mixer or my stand mixer. 

You could try it, but if you do make sure you are using a high-powered blender that can hold a lot of volume.

How to Make Homemade Keto Chocolate Cake from Scratch

Learn how to make the best keto chocolate cake, it’s quite easy! 

STEP 1: Mixing the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

In a small bowl combine the almond milk and the apple cider vinegar together, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes.

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Grab a large mixing bowl and a flour sifter. Sift the almond flour, coconut flour, powdered swerve, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

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After all the dry ingredients have been sifted, stir it all together.

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Lightly whisk the 4 eggs separately.

Add the whisked eggs, almond milk, and melted butter to the dry ingredients. Using a hand mixer, mix everything together until fully combined.

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STEP 2: Baking

Line the bottom of 2 round 8” baking pans with parchment paper, then spray with cooking spray.

Pour the batter evenly between the 2 pans.

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Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Poke in the middle of the cake with a toothpick, if it comes out clean then it’s done. 

Pull the cakes out of the oven and let them fully cool before taking them out of the pan.

STEP 3: The Frosting

Bring the butter to room temperature.

In a large bowl cream the butter until smooth.

Add in the powdered monk fruit, vanilla, almond milk. Whip until you have a smooth creamy chocolate buttercream.

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STEP 4: How to Frost a Cake

The first and foremost important step to frost a cake is you need to make sure that the cake is 100% cooled down. Your frosting will melt if you don’t let it cool down enough. 

Take the 2 chocolate cakes out of the pans and place one on a large plate or cutting board that you will want to frost it on. 

Fully Frosted Cake: Using a frosting or icing spatula add about ⅓ of the frosting to the bottom cake, and spread it evenly. Place the next cake on top and add another ⅓ of the frosting to the top of the cake.

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Use the remaining frosting to frost the sides of the cake. Spread evenly over the entire cake.

Piped Cake: This requires the most amount of frosting. I recommend doubling the frosting recipe if you want to pipe the cake and make it look pretty.

Rustic Naked Cake: This style of cake requires the least amount of frosting. Using a frosting or icing spatula spread a portion of the frosting over the top of the cake.

Place the next cake on top and add the remaining frosting, once the top is frosted use a bench scraper or icing spatula to scrape the sides of the cake.

Naked cakes do not need to be completely frosted on the sides, they just need to be lightly covered. 

Best Tips & FAQs

• Do NOT overbake the cake, 20 minutes is plenty of time. It will continue to cook as it cools down on the counter. 
• Double the frosting recipe if you want to decorate the top of the cake. Decorating a cake requires a lot of frosting. 
• Pan Sizes: The ingredients make 2 – 8” round pans, or 1 – 9×13 pan. 
• A cake stand makes it a lot easier to frost and decorate. 
• An icing or frosting spatula is the best and easiest way to apply the frosting. 
• For a nut-free keto chocolate cake, replace the almond flour with sunflower seed flour. 
• Add-ins include: Chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and fresh fruit.

Making the Cake Sweeter

I’ve made this sugar-free chocolate cake several times before and I’ve played around with the amount of sweetener I’ve used. The recipe calls for 1 cup powdered Swerve, which in my opinion is PLENTY sweet. 

However, if you want it sweeter, I’d only increase it by ¼ cup at a time, tasting it along the way. 

Making it EXTRA Fudgy

Add in some chocolate chips to the cake batter, and that will give you a fudgier keto chocolate cake. Honestly, it’s sooooo good! 

Why Do You Add Boiling Water to Chocolate Cake?

Some keto chocolate cake recipes call for boiling water added to the batter. I chose not to add it to mine, but it’s definitely something you can try. 

The reason for adding hot water or even hot coffee is because when the hot liquid is combined with the cocoa powder, it helps to dissolve the cocoa powder and brings out as much flavor as possible while getting rid of lumps. 

Can I Turn this Chocolate Cake into Cupcakes?

I have not tried turning this low carb chocolate cake recipe into cupcakes. I don’t see why you can’t try it. If you do, then please let me know in the comment section below.

Other Diets This Recipe is Good For

Vegan Option

Though we use eggs and butter in our recipe, you can substitute them to make it a vegan chocolate cake.

Do not use a flax egg or chia egg, a lot of people have said that it didn’t come out well on the cake. Instead, try using Bob’s Red Mill Vegan Egg Replacer. Follow the instructions on the package. 

The other way to make it vegan is to replace the melted butter with vegan butter, or you could try using melted coconut oil too.

Dairy-Free

We already use almond milk in the keto chocolate cake recipe, so that’s good. However, we also use melted butter. Replace the melted butter with vegan butter, or try replacing it with coconut oil.

Gluten-Free & Paleo Option

Because of the coconut and almond flours, the cake is already gluten-free, so that’s taken care of. However, to make it paleo, you need to replace the butter with coconut oil and replace the erythritol with either coconut sugar or Medjool dates.

What to Serve with Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake?

You can’t have this decadent keto chocolate cake without a dollop of Keto Whipped Cream. Oh wait, how could I have almost forgotten a scoop (or 2 scoops) of our Homemade Keto Vanilla Ice Cream?!

Adding some fresh strawberries or raspberries to the top of the almond flour cake would not only look super pretty but will taste good too.

Can I Make This Recipe Ahead?

Making this low carb chocolate cake recipe ahead of time is actually the best idea. You need the cake to be completely cooled before frosting it. In fact, you can bake it the night before, that way by the morning you can frost them with no problem.

How to Store Chocolate Cake?

Store your keto chocolate cake in the fridge, preferably covered. It will last for at least 1 week. When you are ready to eat a slice, leave it on the counter for a few minutes to reach room temperature, it tastes better that way.

Can You Freeze Keto Chocolate Cake?

There are a few different options and ways you can freeze this low carb cake recipe. 

Freeze Cake Layers – Wrap each layer in plastic wrap, then wrap in foil or freezer paper. Freeze for 3-4 months. 

Freeze Whole Decorated Chocolate Cake – Assemble the cake and frost the entire cake. The frosting will be too sticky to wrap while at room temperature, so I suggest placing it in the fridge to chill or place it in the freezer for a few hours. Once the frosting has hardened, wrap the cake in plastic wrap, followed by foil. Freeze for 3-4 months. 

Freeze Decorated Slices – If you have leftover slices of keto chocolate cake, wrap each slice individually in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for 3-4 months. 

How to Thaw – Let thaw out in the fridge overnight or on the counter if you need it thawed quicker. 

Freeze the Buttercream Frosting: Make the keto buttercream frosting ahead of time, place it in a Ziploc bag, and store it in the freezer. It will last 1-2 months.

Low Carb Chocolate Dessert Recipes

If you’re in the mood for some other rich and chocolatey, Keto-friendly Desserts, check out our:

• Keto Chocolate Mug Cake 
• Fudgy Low Carb Chocolate Cookies 
• Easy Keto Chocolate Mousse 
• Keto Double Chocolate Chip Muffins 
• Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding 
• Keto Chocolate Fudge
• Creamy Keto Hot Chocolate

They all are Keto-friendly and low carb, and will be a hit with your family and friends!

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