Keto Birthday Cake

By
Ariane Resnick
headshot for ariane resnick
Ariane Resnick
Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef, certified nutritionist, and bestselling author who takes great joy in shattering the image of what, and how, nutritionists eat.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/12/23
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Chocolate Keto Birthday Cake

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 12 to 16 servings
Yield: 1 cake

Chocolate cake is cause for celebration and this sugar-, gluten-, and grain-free treat is no exception. Rich and moist as a chocolate cake should be, this cake relies on ingredients such as cocoa powder and vanilla extract to achieve the warming flavors of the decadent classic. Almond and coconut flours are our choices instead of wheat: while the almond flour helps give the cake a delicate crumb, the coconut offers structure and binding to compensate for the absence of gluten. A two-part sweetener including a non-caloric powder and flavored stevia ensures a sweet treat without a bitter aftertaste—if you can't find the flavored stevia we use, substitute powdered stevia plus half a teaspoon of almond extract.

If you're making this cake for a friend and don't know much about the keto lifestyle, a keto approach to eating cuts back on carbohydrate intake and replaces it with fats to bring the body to a state of ketosis, so your body will start using its fat storages for energy. Many people choose this diet to lose weight, and many others stick to it because they consider it fits their needs, plus it's delicious. Our cake shows that there is no need to feel deprived on a keto diet. You won't be able to tell this luscious cake has no sugar or gluten.

While the cake is beautiful as is, if you're looking for a festive frosting that feels comforting and familiar, a keto chocolate mousse also makes an excellent chocolate frosting and pairs nicely with our chocolate cake. Sugar-free sprinkles or chopped nuts can also add a beautiful touch.

"This cake was moist and delicious. I used erythritol (powdered Swerve), and it was perfectly sweet. There are other sweetener options suggested, too. The keto frosting recipe suggested after the tips section was good as well." —Diana Rattray

Keto Birthday Cake Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond flour

  • 2/3 cup coconut flour

  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sweetener (such as Swerve, monk fruit, Lakanto, allulose, or erythritol)

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2/3 cup grapeseed oil, or avocado oil

  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

  • 6 eggs

  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk

  • 1 teaspoon hazelnut liquid stevia

  • 1 teaspoon coffee extract

  • 2 cups keto frosting, optional

  • 1/4 cup keto chocolate shavings, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Chocolate Keto Birthday Cake ingredients

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Grease and line two 8 inche round cake pans with parchment paper.

    Grease and line two round cake pans with parchment paper

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, powdered sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl with a whisk or fork.

    Combine the almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, powdered sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Add all of the remaining ingredients and whisk together until a thick batter is formed. It's normal for coconut and almond flours to have lumps, especially when stored in the fridge. Whisk as much as needed to remove them, and don't worry about over-mixing, as there's no gluten in the recipe.

    batter in a bowl

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. Divide batter between the prepared pans.

    divide batter between two cake pans

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. Bake for 35 minutes.

    baked cakes in cake pans

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from the pan and cover with the chosen frosting, if using. Decorate with shaves of sugar-free chocolate, if using.

    Chocolate Keto Birthday Cake

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Tips

To ensure a smooth batter, sift the cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder through a sieve.

For an Egg-Free Cake

If needed, this cake can be egg-free. Many tricks for egg-free baking use apple sauce or bananas to act as binders in cake and cupcake batters. But there are other natural keto egg replacers you can experiment with. To replace one egg in this recipe you could:

  • Add one tablespoon of nut butter.
  • Add one flax or chia "egg;" mix one tablespoon of flax or chia with 3 tablespoons of water. Because using this method will increase the amount of liquid in the recipe, you need to cut back on the amount of milk. Mix the batter using no milk and just the flax eggs. Check for texture, adding 1 tablespoon of milk at a time, if needed, until you have a smooth consistency.

Although full-fat Greek yogurt, carbonated water, and a mixture of apple cider vinegar and baking soda are also used to replace eggs, these might add too much moisture to the cake and make a very runny batter.

How to Store

  • Refrigerate covered leftover cake and eat within 1 week.
  • To freeze leftover cake, transfer it to an airtight freezer container; freeze for up to 3 months.

How Do You Make Keto Frosting?

Keto frostings are easy to make and delicious. Here is a basic frosting that you can cater to your taste:

  • Place 8 ounces of full-fat cream cheese in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment. Start beating the cream cheese on low speed and add 4 ounces of softened unsalted butter, 1 cup of powdered erythritol (or any other powdered non-sugar sweetener), and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract (or 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon). If using vanilla, add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, but skip that if using cinnamon.
  • For chocolate frosting add 2 to 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the above recipe, skipping the lemon zest. If using chocolate frosting, you could add cacao nibs to top the cake, as they're keto-friendly and add an irresistible crunch.

Helpful Links

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
232 Calories
19g Fat
11g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 232
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 70mg 23%
Sodium 361mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 174mg 13%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 181mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)