A Keto Sugar-Free Birthday Cake Everyone Can Enjoy!
Ever struggled to find a genuinely delicious sugar-free birthday cake that doesn’t taste, well, “diet”? If you are following a low-carb, keto, or gluten-free diet, you know that a good birthday cake can be hard to come by—especially one that’s so good that even the non-keto folks will be begging for seconds! This sugar-free cake recipe is a gem. Its crumb is light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet, making it the ultimate sugar-free birthday cake for any celebration.
This recipe isn’t just for those with dietary restrictions; it’s perfect for anyone wanting to cut down on sugar without giving up the joy of a classic birthday cake. With simple ingredients, easy substitutions, and over 250 five-star reviews, this cake is tried-and-true! Ready to bring joy to your next sugar-free celebration? Let’s get baking!
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Why We Love This Recipe
Sugar-Free Birthday Cake Recipe Highlights:
- Perfect for All: This recipe is great for keto, low-carb, gluten-free diets—or anyone aiming to reduce sugar. It is loved even by those without dietary restrictions!
- Blood-Sugar Friendly: Made with low-carb ingredients, this product is ideal for maintaining balanced blood-sugar and diabetic-friendly diets.
- Energizing, No Sugar Crash: Enjoy without the post-cake fatigue. Light, fluffy, and satisfying without weighing you down.
- Weight-Conscious Choice: Indulge guilt-free while supporting balanced weight management. Decadent yet health-conscious.
- Convenient & Freezer-Friendly: Bake layers in advance, freeze, and assemble when ready for stress-free birthday prep.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Almond Flour
- What It Does: Gives the cake a moist, tender crumb while keeping it low-carb.
- Substitute: We have no substitutes for almond flour in this recipe. The recipe was built around almond flour, and the wet and dry ingredients are perfectly balanced. Swapping out the flour will change the results.
Coconut Flour
- Purpose: Adds structure and helps balance the moisture in the almond flour.
- Tip: Coconut flour is very absorbent, so a little goes a long way!
Powdered Sweetener
- Best Choices: Use your favorite 1:1 sugar substitute. Originally, this recipe had erythritol as the sweetener, but we’ve since tested it with allulose, and the results were stellar. We highly recommend granular allulose in the cake batter recipe and powered allulose for the frosting.
- Tip: For the frosting, use a powdered sweetener to avoid graininess. Our recommendation is allulose for that sticky, almost sugary taste.
Heavy Whipping Cream
- Function: Adds richness to the batter and helps the cake bake up moist and tender.
- Substitute: You can use unsweetened almond milk for a lighter texture if desired.
Step-by-Step Instructions with Tips
Step 1:
Preheat & Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans.
Step 2:
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
Step 3:
Beat the Wet Ingredient: In another bowl, cream butter, and powdered sweetener until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
Step 4:
Combine & Bake: Gradually add the dry ingredients and heavy whipping cream to the wet ingredients, mixing until combined. Pour the cake batter into greased pans and smooth the tops with a spatula.
- Baking Tip: If the batter seems thick, don’t worry! This is normal for keto batters and will still bake up moist.
Step 5:
Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
Pro Tips for a Perfect Keto Cake
Don’t let keto baking intimidate you! These simple tricks will make sure your cake comes out perfectly every time.
- Wrap the Pan: If using lighter baking pans, wrap the bottom in tin foil. This extra layer helps prevent over-browning, so your cake stays tender and golden.
- Sift Your Flours: Keto flours like almond and coconut can be dense. Sifting them removes lumps and adds a bit of air to lighten the texture.
- The Magic of Acid: A splash of lemon juice isn’t just for flavor—it helps the leavening agents work better, giving your cake extra lift and a fluffier crumb.
- Don’t Skip the Xanthan Gum: Keto cakes can lack structure without gluten. Adding xanthan gum provides essential binding to help the cake rise beautifully.
For more keto baking secrets, check out our Essential Keto Baking Tips!
The Perfect Sugar-Free Icing
This creamy cream cheese buttercream is the ideal balance of smoothness and sweetness without being cloyingly sweet. It’s stable, spreadable, and great for piping, too!
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, cubed and chilled
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered allulose (erythritol or monk fruit blend also work)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (36% fat works best!)
Instructions
- In a cold bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add butter.
- Slowly incorporate the powdered sweetener and heavy whipping cream. Beat until fluffy, but don’t overmix.
Frosting Tips
- Chilled Ingredients: Keep cream cheese and heavy cream cold to help the frosting maintain its structure.
- Don’t Overbeat: Be easy on the mixing! Overbeating can turn your frosting into a puddle. The goal is smooth and fluffy.
Serving and Customization Ideas
- Dress Up: Top with fresh berries, a sprinkle of coconut flakes, or keto chocolate shavings for a bit of flair.
- Make It Zesty: Add a teaspoon of zippy lemon, orange, grapefruit,t or lime zest to the batter for a fresh twist.
- Cupcake Conversion: This recipe makes perfect cupcakes, too! Adjust the baking time to 15–20 minutes and test with a toothpick.
Experimenting with flavors makes every cake feel like a new creation!
Troubleshooting: Common Keto Cake Questions
- Why is my cake dense? Keto cakes are heavier. Be careful not to overbeat the cake batter, making it denser and less likely to rise. Adding a little extra baking soda and sifting or whisking the flour helps, too!
- Why Did My Cake Sink? Keto cakes lack gluten, so they’re more delicate. Be sure not to open the oven door too early, and let it cool gradually to avoid deflating. Also, don’t skip the xanthan gum, as it helps with leavening.
All About the Sprinkles
What’s a birthday cake without sprinkles? Here’s how to make them sugar-free: DIY Low-Carb Sprinkles
- Make-Ahead Tip: Make your sprinkles in advance—they take a day or two to dry, but you can customize the colors!
- Quick Tip: Store-bought sugar-free sprinkles work, too, but homemade is a great option for control over colors and ingredients.
- Pro Tip: These sprinkles are more delicate than regular ones. Apply a first coat, let it set, then add a second layer for extra crunch and color.
FAQs: All Your Keto Cake Questions Answered
A: Absolutely! Just wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw before frosting.
A: Definitely! Just make sure it’s powdered—no one wants grainy frosting!
A: Use coconut cream instead of heavy whipping cream and a dairy-free butter substitute.
A: Absolutely! Adding lemon zest or unsweetened cocoa powder can enhance the flavor without affecting the keto-friendly profile. Any more than 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and add 1/4 cup of extra liquid.
Love Keto Cakes? Try These Too!
Wrapping It Up
Ready to bake the ultimate sugar-free birthday cake? This recipe proves that delicious doesn’t have to mean loaded with sugar—and your friends and family won’t even know it’s keto! From its light, tender crumb to the creamy, dreamy frosting, this cake is perfect for celebrating life’s sweetest moments. So grab your mixing bowl, set the oven, and get ready to make some magic. Here’s to creating a cake that everyone can enjoy guilt-free!
Happy baking, and don’t forget to share your creations with us. We can’t wait to see your beautiful sugar-free cakes!
Laura Kennedy
Writer, Recipe Developer, and Blog Owner
With decades of experience in low-carb baking, Sugar-Free Sprinkles has been whipping up guilt-free treats long before keto became a trend. Her recipes have been featured in Prevention Magazine, Women’s Health, Woman’s Day, Taste of Home, and The Pioneer Woman — to name a few!
Make A Sugar-Free Birthday Cake Everyone Will Love
A moist and delicious low carb birthday cake complete with creamy icing and sprinkles! This cake is sugar-free, gluten-free and keto-friendly.
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 3/4 cup allulose (or powdered erythritol)
- 3/4 cup butter
- 6 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup almond milk
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp Xanthan gum powder
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla
- 1/2 tsp salt
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered allulose (or erythritol)
- 1 cup (8 ounces) cream cheese
Instructions
Cake Batter
- Preheat oven to 350 and prepare cake pans by well greasing.
- Add eggs to a mixing bowl and mix on high for 2 minutes.
- Melt the butter in the microwave, but do not overheat. We want the butter soft, but not too hot.
- Add 1 Tbsp vanilla, almond milk, melted butter, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar to egg mixture and blend until well incorporated.
- Sift almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, Xanthan gum, salt, and 3/4 cup powdered sweetener in a large bowl.
- Gently add the egg mixture to the dry ingredient mixture. Do not over mix.
- Divide batter between two 9 inch cake rounds ( or three 6 inch cake round).
- Bake in a 350F oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool on a cooling rack for about an hour before adding frosting
Whipped Cream Frosting
- Cube one cup of cold full fat cream cheese and add it to the bowl of a stand mixer and blend for 1 minute, until the cream cheese has no lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary.
- Add 1 tsp vanilla and powdered sweetener.
- Add 1/2 cup of full-fat whipping cream to the bowl and mix on low for 30 seconds, until blended with cream cheese. Turn up to medium and then high until the whipped cream and cream cheese fluff up and resemble buttercream frosting.
- Do not overbeat. Over beating will cause the mixture to liquefy.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 386Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 281mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 11g
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 11, 2019, and was updated on January 16, 2025.
this is amazing!! is there any way you could make this vegan? thanks xx
Hi Indy, I don’t specialize in vegan desserts. There are a lot of eggs in this recipe, and it’s the ingredient that helps bind it all together, give adequate moisture, bounce, and lift. Changing up the eggs to a substitute would require a lot of testing. Since the frosting is all pretty much dairy, making this vegan and keeping it remotely the same as the original would be quite unlikely. Sorry!
Hi if I dont have xantham gum, for what other think I can substitute that?
Hi Natalia, you can use 1/4 protein powder (any kind will do), or 1/4 cup ground flax. Both will slightly change the flavor of the cake, but the texture will be better. I hope that helps!
Hi Mayra, the cake can be baked in two 8-inch round pans, one 13-inch slab pan, or three six-inch cake pans. Hope that helps!
Just wondering if the flavour of the coconut flour comes through?
Hi Charissa, I can’t taste the coconut, but if someone really doesn’t like coconut, they might pick up on it. I asked a few people who have actually tested the cake and they all said they didn’t even know there was coconut flour in it, so I am going to say that it doesn’t come through heavily.
I wanted to do a cake in a giant cupcake mold, would this cake recipe work in one of those?
Hi Jenn, yes, it should work. Without trying it myself I can’t say for sure, but I have used this recipe to make a bundt cake, and it is similar. You may need to make two batches if the molds are bigger. I would wrap the bottom of the pans with double tinfoil to prevent over-browning. Almond flour and coconut flour will brown quicker, and since these cakes tend to have a bit more batter in them you will need to bake them longer. The tin foil will prevent over cooked edges. let us know how it turns out!
The almond milk that gets used… is it the full blown almond milk or would unsweetened work? TIA
Hi Sarah, unsweetened, or homemade without any additional sweeteners. I also sometimes use the unsweetened vanilla almond milk if that’s all you can find. Cheers!
Would normal cows milk work?
Hi Lana, yup you can use cows milk, the carb counts are a bit higher, but it won’t make a huge difference in the entire recipe. Cheers!
I’m a little worried about the Apple cider vinegar, can you taste it? What’s the purpose in adding?
Thanks!
Beth
Hi Beth, you never actually taste the apple cider vinegar. Almond flour and coconut flours are heavy, and the levening agent ( baking powder) needs a bit of a boost to get going, so we need to add an acid. I like apple cider vinegar because I find I don’t taste it at all in the final product. You can replace the apple cider vinegar with lemon juice. The only thing about lemon juice, is you CAN taste it. At least I can, I find the lemon comes through and for this cake I wanted the vanilla to pop without a hint of lemon. Think of the vinegar as making a buttermilk cake. It’s sort of like adding vinegar to cream to create buttermilk, it works the same way in this recipe. I’ve had loads of people make this recipe and the reviews have been very positive. I haven’t had anyone comment at all about the apple cider vinegar. So your choice, if you want to use lemon, that will totally work. I wouldn’t advise to skip it, I’ve tested this cake I dunno, 20 times by this point, and I find the recipes made without the acid tend to be denser (and it’s already a dense cake), that acid really does help the baking powder do its job. I hope that helps!
Just wandered when you say add egg mixture are talking about the yolks too?
Hi Lisa, yup the egg mixture is the whole egg yolks and all. Cheers!
Hi Lisa, I’m a rookie to low carb baking.😔 I’m not keto but have been low carb & sugar free for a year now. My problem is trying to get these almond flour cakes to rise and not crash & burn. Just baked a chocolate birthday cake yesterday for a friend and it rose beautifully. After 30 minutes of cooling it shrunk 3 inches! 😭 I “used” to be an excellent baker w/ regular flour until I became healthier. Now all my cakes are too dense or fall apart. I use fine almond flour, cream cheese, extra eggs, butter, etc. but nothing is working because I don’t have the gluten of regular flour. How do I get these doggone almond flour cakes to rise and hold their consistency? Heeelp! 😫😫😫
Hi Kellie, I totally understand what you’re saying. I was the same way, I struggled and struggled. After testing a billion different things here is what I finally landed on that helps create a cake that actually rises and holds together.
I find the blend of coconut flour and almond flour helps with the heaviness. I also add Xanthan gum which replaces gluten and binds everything together. The difference even a little bit of Xanthan gum is surprising. I made this particular cake recipe not that long ago and forgot the Xanthan gum (bad me, I was rushing) and the cakes were very soft and crumbly. That lone tsp of Xanthan gum just pulls everything together. When you cut these cakes (with the xanthan gum added) they hold together exceptionally well. You can also test replacing gluten with protein powder, it does help with the binding, but I do not like the taste of protein powder in my baking, but lots of low carb bakers swear by it.
I also add a touch more leavening in my baking with extra baking powder (or soda, depending on the recipe). The extra oomph comes in the form of acid, I either add a bit of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, to give the leavening agents a bit of a head start.
A few more tips: I blend my eggs for a good 2 minutes until they are light and fluffy. I sift my flours, and my sweeteners very well, to make sure they have a bit of air in them, and prevent lumps. The other trick I use is only gently folding the wet ingredients into the dry. If you over blend, I find you get a heavier cake without a lot of oomph. I treat the cake batter like I would muffin batter, only mix until everything is wet. You get a better rise and a better crumb.
I do find when I remove my cakes from the oven, especially this particular recipe, I do press down my tops to flatten them out so they are level when I stack them. They do rise and I don’t find them as heavy as say a pound cake, but they are not light and airy either. The texture is somewhere in the middle.
You mention burning but I don’t know if you meant that literally or not. Almond flour and coconut flour do have a tendency to over brown, wrapping the pans in tinfoil helps to prevent that over-browning. It also helps to prevent the outside edges from drying out before the center is baked.
The only other tip I can offer is testing your baking powder (or soda) to make sure that it is still active. I hope this helps! If you have any other questions feel free to leave another comment or drop me an email anytime. Cheers!
My local store doesn’t have Xanthan Gum. ): Can I use cornstarch to replace?
Hey Katie you can replace Xanthan gum with the same amount of cornstarch. If you are baking this cake to be gluten-free be sure your cornstarch doesn’t contain gluten. most brands have some form of gluten present. Hope that helps!
Hi, your recipe directions for cake batter says add 1 tablespoon vanilla, almond milk, melted butter and vanilla to egg… is it 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of vanilla?
Hi Stacey, it’s 1 TBS of Vanilla. Cheers!
Hello, could you tell me how much salt? I don’t see it listed. Thank you.
Hi Brooke, it’s 1/2 tsp of salt. Cheers!
How do you make the roses on top
Hi Julie, those roses are just fake cake flowers you can pick up them up any cake decorating shop, or even on Amazon. They come in all kinds of different flowers, they are not edible, but they do add a bit of color to the top of a cake.
Hi
Does this cake need to be refrigerated?
Hi Caroline, yes it should be refrigerated. You can leave it out on the counter for the first day, but after that, I would keep in the fridge. If your house is really warm the icing will soften a bit too much. That frosting is a bit like cheesecake, and it just tastes better to me if it’s slightly cold. I’d slice it and let it warm up for a few minutes at room temperature before serving from the fridge. Thanks for asking the question. I will add that information to the blog post. Cheers!
Can you use cashew flour in place of the almond flour?
Hi Julia, you can. You can replace almond flour with the same amount of cashew flour. Cheers!
Hi Laura! I’m so glad I came across your recipe for sugar-free cakes and seeing your photos gives me a bit of hope that I can be able to do the same at home! I understand cakes inevitably need sugar in all recipes (because, science), but I wanted to bake something for my dad who is diabetic and I found your recipe! I saw your recipe uses erythritol and xanthan gum. Where I live, (luckily) I can find Stevia as an alternative to erythritol here but it’s a bit difficult to find xanthan gum. I wanted to know if it’s necessary to use it and if there are any alternatives for it specifically; You mentioned protein powders in another comment, can this be any kind of protein powder to replace the gluten? I’m a bit skeptical about using protein powders in baking.
Also, I’ve seen a few recipes using Stevia or other natural sweeteners but I’m not sure what it was that I was doing wrong; it either doesn’t rise or it’s dense (probably my mixing). After reading your pointers in the beginning, I’ll try again to make sure I don’t overmix it then, so thank you for the advice!
Hi Maryam, you can replace Xanthan gum with cornstarch or arrowroot powder. The corn starch will add carbohydrates, but in a large cake it shouldn’t be a huge impact, you will just want to calculate the change in the nutritional value for your dad. Although cornstarch and arrowroot powder are replacements, they do not give the same structure or hold things together quite as well as Xanthan gum would. I have not tested either of these in this recipe, so I can’t say definitively that it will work. But I would replace it at a 1:1 ratio if I was testing.
Protein powders work about the same as arrowroot powder would, it helps, but it’s not perfect. Personally I find protein powders add an off flavour to my baking and it’s why I don’t use it. It could be the brands I’ve used, but I don’t recommend it, but you could test it. Protein powders (specifically whey protein) substitute at a 1:2 ratio. For every 1 tbsp required in a recipe use 2 tbsp of protein powder.
Ground flaxseed, ground chia seeds and gelatin powder would all help. The ratios and totals would need to be tested, but just like arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), the structure will be better, but still not great.
To get the cakes light and airy and have them actually rise; sift the dry ingredients, beat the eggs a LOT to get them fluffy, don’t skip the acid (I use apple cider vinegar, but lemon juice works too), gently blending of the wet into the dry. This cake recipe bakes up and actually rises, I have to press down my tops to level them out before I decorate them.
I love that you are going through the effort of making a cake for your Dad, it’s incredibly thoughtful. I hope your cake turns out perfectly!
Hi,
This recipe sounds fab! A friend of mine suffering from diabetes asked me to bake her a cake. Would you recommend it? Also, I am in the UK and not really used to cups. How much would you say, 1 cup (3/4 and 1/4 of sweeter) is in grams?
Thank you in advance,
Julie
Hey Julie, I can’t say with any kind of certainty if this is going to work for a diabetic. It is low in carbs and sugars, but depending on the sugar substitute you use, it could impact blood sugar. I know some sweeteners impact blood sugar levels in some diabetics and not others. Before I made this cake for a diabetic, I would check and verify with them what sugar substitutes they know are ok for them. As far as grams go, it entirely depends on what sweetener you use, every single one of them would have a different gram measurement because some are granular, some are powdered, etc. If you let me know what substitute you want to use, I can do the measurement for you. Cheers!
It was okay, it needed to be sweeter and not enough icing
Hi,
Wondered if someone has a nut allergy will they flour in the recipe be a problem?
Hi Sam, this recipe is not suitable for anyone with a nut allergy as it is made with almond flour. Sorry, if you’re looking for a low carb sugar-free nut-free cake, you will need to search for a low carb coconut flour cake. Most people allergic to tree nuts can safely eat coconut, but it is best to double-check with the person with the allergy to be sure. I don’t have a recipe made with entirely coconut flour, but I bet another low carb baker, or nut-free baker will.
I like your guidance. I am not an experienced baker, and have been on a low-carb health plan for the last couple of years. I am a carb lover not a big eater so I sorely miss treats and occasional bread. Unfortunately, all the books and articles I’ve researched always call for all the many sweeteners I cannot ingest especially erythritol, monk fruit, and coconut oil. I strictly use Sweet Leaf Stevia as it has no aftertaste. I use it in my shakes, faux lemonade, etc. I desperately want to make some desserts for myself and grown Sons. I need your help to instruct me on how I can make the proper measurements to accommodate your recipes. Look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Cynthia, you ask a very good question.
So for me, I cannot eat stevia, I find they all have a horrible bitter aftertaste, even when blended with other sweeteners. I am also one of those people who think cilantro tastes like soap, so it could be all in my tastebuds. For this reason, I do not experiment a lot with Stevia so I don’t have lots of info or advice.
I recommend the sweeteners that tend to work best for each recipe, based on their properties. For example, my caramel recipes recommend using allulose. Stevia, erythritol, monk fruit, all do not thicken and carmelize when cooked. Erythritol will thicken, but when it cools, it crystallizes, for this reason, I really like allulose in the caramel recipe because it creates a caramel that tastes just like the real thing. If you tried to make that recipe with stevia, it just wouldn’t work.
For other recipes that use erythritol, monk fruit, allulose (etc) there is a bulking factor to take into consideration. If you replace 1 cup of bulk sweetener with a few drops of stevia, the recipe becomes unbalanced between dry and wet ingredients. This would cause your recipes to come out a bit softer, crumblier, or not hold together. It takes a bit of trial and error.
In recipes like pannacotta, or ice cream, or any liquid type of recipe, stevia would work. I would recommend adding a bit of glycerine, or alcohol to any ice cream or frozen custard-like dessert to make it softer.
Cheers
I just made this cake today, and it turned out super yummy!!! Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you liked it Ella!
Hi there. My daughter is diabetic and I have never baked anything before. But I am going to try this. Except she wants it chocolate. Just the cake part. How do I do that? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, I haven’t made this cake chocolate yet, but if I was going to test it I would add 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, and an additional 1/2 cup sweetener. The bitter chocolate needs to be offset with more sweetener.
This cake recipe isn’t exceptionally sweet, and although the reviews from the adults have been great, I’m not sure about the kids. So I would lean a little heavier on the sweetener.
Good luck! I hope it turns out wonderful for you.
You’ve got some great looking recipes and I can’t wait to try this 🙂 I have two questions please, whenever you have a chance:
1. Can I use regular milk instead of almond milk;
2. Does the nutrition info include the frosting (pleasesayyes pleasesayyes pleasesayyes) 🙂
Hi Mo, you can absolutely use regular milk, it’s higher in carbs, so you will need to factor those counts in. I sometimes use heavy cream (lower in carbs vs regular 2% or whole milk), and it’s a very nice addition. The nutritional information does indeed include the frosting! Cheers!
Can I use all purpose flour instead?
Hi Sim, unfortunately no. These recipes are developed in order to make them both low carb and gluten-free. The flours used in low carb baking absorb liquids differently so replacing the almond and coconut flours with regular all-purpose will not work for this particular recipe. If I were you, I would take a normal cake recipe and replace the sugar with a granulated replacement like allulose, erythritol , or monk fruit. Allulose is the one that has the most similar properties to sugar, and you would likely get the best result with it, but honestly, I have straight up replaced sugar in cake recipes with monk fruit sweetener quite successfully, but I can’t say for absolute certain that it will work for you in the recipe that you choose. You may also be able to find a non-gluten free sugar free cake recipe out there in the blog land. Good luck!
hi can i make cupcakes with this recipe? thanks
Hello,
I was wondering about the eggs? The recipe calls for 6 eggs and 2 egg yolks? Is this what you mix up in the beginning? Thanks for posting this wonderful cake recipe I am excited to try it out.
Hi Cristal, you got it right, all the eggs and egg yolks get mixed up together at the start. I hope you enjoy!
HI. All I have is the granules of erythritol. I wonder if that will work just as well??
thanks.
Hi Lorena, for the cake yes, that will work perfectly fine. For the frosting you will find the granular does not quite get smooth, it will have a grainy consistency. If you have a high-speed blender or even a food processor you could run your erythritol through for a minute, which will help break up the granules. I hope that helps. Cheers!
Hi,
When I added the softened butter to the beaten eggs, the butter congealed and I wasn’t able to get it fully incorporated and smooth. This isn’t the first recipe I’ve had this issue with. Any suggestions?
I just put the cake in the oven. I don’t expect it to rise like you describe since I used the mixer to try to better incorporate the butter into the flour blend, but I’m sure it will still taste lovely. Thanks!
Hi Heather, if your eggs were cold from the fridge this can happen especially if your fridge is very cold (like mine is). Room temperature eggs should remove the issue and I will add a note to the recipe in case anyone else has that problem. If my eggs are cold from the fridge, I usually put them in a bowl with some hot tap water for a few minutes to get them warmed up a bit. I hope this helps!
Hi! Can I sub the almond flour for coconut only?
Hi Valeria, unfortunately, no, that won’t work. Coconut flour absorbs far more liquid, and changing out the almond flour for all coconut flour would make the recipe super dry. The liquid ingredients would need to be changed, and maybe even the leavening for this recipe to get it to rise properly. Sorry!
Hi, what size pan did you use. I have a 7 inch round cake pan and I need to make two layers. Do I use the exact recipe or double it?
Hi North, the recipe will do two 9 inch cake pans or three 6 inch cake pans. With a 7 inch, you will get 2 layers and a bit leftover. But the recipe will definitely make 2 layers with your 7-inch pans.
Warning: do not make substitutions. Used some yogurt instead of eggs (internet said it would be ok) and coconut oil instead of butter. Turned out like an oily custard. 🙁
OH my, hi Lisa. Thanks for leaving that note, good for readers who may want to try to replace the eggs. The eggs in this recipe provide structure and lift and are very integral to this particular recipe. Out of curiosity was it at edible? I have experiments like that in the kitchen where I was making one thing and ended up with completely different desserts.
So I tried making this cake, but I didn’t have the Erythritol, Xanthan gum, or coconut flour. I substituted sachets of sweetener for the Erythritol, and kept adding them until the almond mixture tasted sweet. I replaced the Xanthan gum with a scoop of protein powder, and replaced the coconut flour with bulgur wheat. Despite all this it turned out BEAUTIFULLY. I’ve tried making a lot sugarfree cakes and this is the first one that came out right. HIGHLY recommend, especially because the recipe is so forgiving
I have to fully admit, Riaz, when I read your comment I was worried about where it was going, but I am super happy that your cake turned out. Cheers!
Hi I like this recipe! but I was wondering If I could sub to all purpose flour in the same quantity as stated for the other flours and leave out the xanthan gum, as the gum is used as a thickener in gluten free baking. Thanks!~
Hi Claudia, unfortunately, you can’t sub all-purpose flour in this recipe for the almond and coconut flours. This recipe was developed to remove sugar + carbs – but it sounds like carbs are not an issue for you so my recommendation is to use a standard vanilla cake recipe and replace the sugar with the right amount of sweetener instead. Cheers!
Hiya could you add a strawberry jam/jelly to the frosting to flavour it? It would it ruin the texture/consistency. Thanks!
Hey Hannah, A tablespoon or two should be ok, but anything more could make the frosting a bit too soupy. You could add the jam between the layers, that would work, or use a strawberry bakery emulsion to flavor the frosting. I use emulsions all the time and they pack a big punch when it comes to flavor and would add the strawberry to the frosting without jeopardizing the stability. You can also add it to the cake too. Cheers!
Hi, I tried this cake for a friend who wanted a sugar free cake. I loved it and so did she. It’s become one of my favorites. I wish to do it again for a special occasion, but would prefer to use granulated sugar instead of the erythritol, as it is not necessary to have it sugar free for this time round. What alterations do I need to do to this recipe to replace the erythritol with sugar, if possible.
Thanks.
Hi Amy, so glad you enjoyed the cake. If you want to make this gluten-free, but not sugar-free you can swap the sweetener for the sugar 1:1 without any issue. I tested this a few months back for a friend who wanted a gluten-free cake but didn’t want the sweetener and it turned out the same. Cheers!
Can I make a peanut butter chocolate cake with this recipe??? I have a friend’s birthday that coming up and he doesn’t know that I’m making him a cake and I would like to make him his favorite which would be peanut butter chocolate. I was also thinking about maybe getting the sugar-free peanut butter chocolate candies and mix into the cake. What do you think because I’d really like to have that flavor in the cake if possible
Hey Dawn, I would use a different recipe. I have a chocolate bundt cake recipe you could use as a birthday cake – just skip the cheesecake filling. You can divide the batter into cake pans instead of a bundt pan, but you will need to adjust the bake time (which I don’t know off the top of my head without testing it) but I would keep an eye out on the cakes around the 25-minute mark, the cakes will be done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. I would then make a peanut butter frosting – you can adapt the cream cheese frosting recipe by replacing half of the cream cheese frosting with sugar-free peanut butter. I would add a touch more sweetener to the frosting recipe to sweeten it up. As for the chocolate peanut butter candy addition, I say add them to the top of the cake as decoration instead of baking them inside ( I mean you could, there would no issue baking them inside the cake) but they would add more texture and taste to the frosting and make the cake look amazing! All of this is off the top of my head, it’s how I would start a cake like this. A few notes, if you are making the cake for your friend and he is diabetic, be sure the chocolate candies you use have a sweetener he tolerates. Some of the chocolate candies out there are full of sugar alcohols like maltitol and for many diabetics it impacts blood sugar. Hope that helps!!
Hi Laura, is it possible to make this recipe ahead of time (a few days)? either the batter or the whole cake itself? Excited to give it a try!
Hey Rebecca, you can! You can make the cakes in advance and freeze them. I wouldn’t frost the cake and leave it in the fridge for a few days, but I would for sure (and have) made the cakes in advance, froze them, and defrosted in the fridge overnight when I needed them and frosted them in the morning. If you’re going all in and making the sprinkles too, they can be made far in advance because they do store for a bit without deterioration. Now if you don’t want to freeze, I would say you could pull this cake together the day before with the frosting, but I wouldn’t go much further past that. It does last very well in the fridge for a few days but it’s best fresh. I hope that helps, if not feel free to leave another comment or email me directly sugarfreesprinkles@gmail.com. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Cheers!
The ingredients for the frosting says 1 Tbsp of vanilla, but in the instructions it says add just 1 tsp of vanilla. Probably just a teaspoon is my guess. But wanted to make sure which you meant. Thanks!
Oh, it’s 1 tsp, Amanda! I’ll make the adjustment. Although, to be truthful, sometimes I just give the recipe a glug of vanilla, not exactly sure that’s a measurement, but you know how it is. 🙂 cheers!
Wondering if I could add cocoa powder to this cake to make it chocolate? I’ve done it as written and the cake is really good. If I can add cocoa powder, would a 1/4 c work? Then I would need to up the sweetener some. Any suggestions?
Hi AP, I’ve made this chocolate by adding 1/3 cup of cocoa powder, an extra 1/3 cup of powdered sweetener, and 3 extra tablespoons of heavy cream or almond milk. I use a very dark and rich coca powder (extra brute), If it was a light cocoa powder I may add an extra tablespoon or two. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much for your quick reply. Much appreciated!
anytime!
Hi Laura
What size cake pans did you base this recipe on please?
Thank you
Naima
Hi Namia, I used three 6-inch pans, but the recipe works perfectly fine with two 8-inch pans. Cheers!
Is this a total of 8 eggs?
Hey Lisa, yes you need 8 large eggs total. The recipe calls for 6 whole eggs, and 2 egg yolks. Cheers
Hi Laura
I’m in the UK -could I use double cream or does it have to be whipping cream please?
Thank you
Hi Naima, you can use double cream, as a matter of fact, I think it would be better with double cream. But there are a few cautions since double cream is so easy to over whip. Make sure your cream cheese is whipped to the point where it is spreadable with a knife before adding the double cream. Keep a very close eye out on the cream cheese double cream mixture as it blends together. As soon as those stiff peaks form the frosting is done. Cheers!
can you just use buttermilk with this recipe instead of almond milk and apple cider vinegar
You sure can, the only reason why I don’t use buttermilk in recipes is because of the carb count. 1 cup of buttermilk has 10 net carbs, whereas one cup of unsweetened almond milk only has 1 net carb. Essentially we just need an additional acid, and buttermilk would do the trick. Cheers!
My dad is battling cancer, and it is his birthday this month. He has eaten low carb for years, but he would still indulge in treats. With the cancer diagnosis, we are trying to limit all sugar and refined carbs more than ever. I have never baked low-carb or sugar free anything, but I bought all of the ingredients listed and will give it a go! With that said, if I made and assembled this on a Saturday evening, frosting and all, do you think it would still be ok on Monday at noon? We are going to my parents’ cabin out of town, so I have to make it ahead of time. I am a hobby cake decorator, so I know regular cakes sealed in buttercream stay good for days, but this is new territory for me.
Hi Melanie, your comment got me right in the feels this afternoon. You’re a wonderful daughter. The cakes will hold up until Monday, but it would be better to eat on Sunday. My suggestion is to make the cake, and the frosting, store them in the fridge wrapped, and then assemble on Monday when you get to the cabin if that is at all possible. The challenge with the low carb cakes is they tend to be a bit more absorbent vs a standard cake. After a few days the cakes….um soggy is not the right word, but the texture definitely takes a hit. It won’t be bad at all, the last time we made this cake, we were eating for days out of the fridge, but it definitely is better on the second day. A few things to note if your dad has been eating low carb, this cake will probably hit the sweet spot for him perfectly, but if he likes sweet sweet stuff the cakes may need a bit more sweetener. I have heard both sides of the coin on that one, some say it’s perfect, some say it’s not quite sweet enough. My guess has always been that the longer you low carb the less sweet you need to feel something is actually sweet. Same goes for the frosting, it’s not a super sweet frosting, I’d say maybe 1/3 of the sweetness of actual buttercream, but the frosting will hold up to adding more sweetener to get it to where you want it. I hope that helps if you have any other questions at all feel free to reach out.
Thank you! I had envisioned making a nicely decorated cake for him, which takes time, but I have decided that the flavor and integrity of the cake is more important than looks. I will bring it unassembled and put it together Monday morning as you suggested. I am so excited to surprise him with cake on his birthday! I will let you know how it turns out.
Laura, thank you, the cake turned out so good. I made everything ahead of time (froze the cake), and then put it all together on Monday. Dad are two pieces 🙂. We all thought the flavor gave off a little bit of a cream puff vibe (a good thing). Thanks for all of your help!
Thanks so much, Melanie, I am so glad your dad enjoyed it and thanks again for sending me the photo!
Baked this cake for my birthday and it was an absolute hit! So moist and tasty. Thank you for doing what you do
oh so glad you enjoyed it Ronak and happy belated birthday!
Hi,
I have Hypoglycemia, so I have to be careful what to use for sugar replacement because a lot if them are derived from sugar. Currently, I use Equal and Swerve. II was wondering, how do you make the sugar free sprinkles? Thank you.
Hey Terry, you can use powdered swerve to make the sprinkles you can find the full recipe and instructions here https://sugarfreesprinkles.com/sugar-free-sprinkles/. Cheers!
Hey! A friend of mine made this cake for me for my birthday and it blew my mind. As a long time type 1 diabetic, I don’t often eat cake. And on the rare times I bake its usual full sugar as its for other people. This cake was a real treat. I enjoyed it so much I’m making it myself this weekend for (Canadian) Thanksgiving. Thanks so much!
Hey Catherine, thank you SO much for leaving such a wonderful comment it made my entire week! Today was not a good baking day and I just tossed everything in the sink in a huff, and came and read your comment. Totally turned my mood around. Funny enough this recipe is my choice this weekend for Thanksgiving too (fellow Canadian). Happy Thanksgiving!
Hiya I’m a rookie Frist time going to try this for my mother n law & I was just wounding what is 3/4 cup I’m in the uk & is it ok to used stevia leaf instead of erythriotrol please marie
Hey Marie, I need to know what ingredient you are looking to adjust from cups to grams so I can give you an accurate number. 1 cup is 250 grams (usually, almond flour is different, coconut flour is different, etc). You can use stevia leaf in this recipe but I wouldn’t recommend it, I find it has a terrible bitter aftertaste when heated. That’s a personal opinion and if you have used stevia leaf in the past and enjoy it, feel free to swap it for the recommended sweetener. Hope that helps!
Hi There, i want to use this recepie to make cup cakes for my diabetic daughters birthday, im not a very experienced baker! can i make cupcakes with this? thanks x
Hi Lauren, you sure can. Make sure to use cupcake liners and fill them almost to full. You will want to bake for 20-25 minutes (keep an eye out on them). They also freeze really well (unfrosted). Hope that helps!
Are the numbers in the nutrition information for the cake alone, or for both the cake and the icing?
Hi Greg, the nutritional information for this recipe includes the icing. A great question — that information should be clearer in the recipe and I will go make that adjustment. Cheers!
This is a great recipe!! Is there a possibility of substituting erythritol with honey or maple syrup? thank you xxx
Hi Eugenia, I am sure you can, but the ratio will be different because you are replacing a dry ingredient with a liquid ingredient. It will require some testing and trial and error to get that ratio right. Cheers!
What is the baking time if you were making this recipe into cupcakes?
I’d go for 20-25 minutes, but keep a close eye out on them around the 20-minute mark. If you’re going to make them into cupcakes, be sure to almost fill the cupcake tins, or liners almost all the way to the top to get a perfect-sized cupcake. Hope that helps Katie, cheers!
Hi Laura
This will be my first time trying this cake, for a diabetic friend. I understand the process and with fingers crossed I will be able to have done the first time. But quick question, it calls the Monk Fruit Erythritol, of coarse I couldn’t find it, but found Swerve Confectioners sugar. Is that the same or should I get the granulated sugar for this recipe?? Please Help
Hi April, you can use swerve confectioners sugar in this recipe. You can pretty much use any kind of sugar replacement in this recipe with the exception of liquid sweeteners like stevia. I like to blend my sweeteners a bit because it reduces the aftertaste and or cooling sensation of sweeteners like monk fruit, or erythritol, but you can absolutely use straight-up swerve. Don’t hesitate to ask all the questions you want, and I think it’s incredibly thoughtful of you to make a cake for your diabetic friend. Good on you. Cheers!
Hi Lisa…..I was wondering if this cake recipe would work in a 13×9 sheet pan. I would like to use it as a base to make a keto peanut butter Tandy-kake. I love your website and look forward to trying more recipes.
Hi Cathy, thank you so much for your sweet comments, you have no idea how appreciative they are. You sure can use this reco[e in a 13×9 sheet pan, it works perfectly. As for baking time, I’d keep the same timing and just keep an eye out it may need an extra 5-10 minutes. A toothpick test is a good indication of doneness. To prevent over-browning on the edges and top, wrap the outside of the pan in tin foil, and about 20 minutes into baking place a loose piece of tin foil over the top. Hope you enjoy it! Cheers
hello! I cannot find coconut flour anywhere, what should I substitute with? thank you!
Hi Mary, coconut flour is very unique and really changes a recipe – if you were to substitute it with something else you’re likely going to end up with an off texture (too wet). Coconut flour absorbs quite a bit of liquid, so suggesting something to replace it with it is challenging, nothing really quite works like coconut flour. You may need to find another recipe that is entirely made from almond flour. You can find coconut flour on Amazon, or any online low carb market (They should have it, they all do up here in Canada), I also can find coconut flour at Costco (hit and miss), Walmart (they usually carry Bob’s Red Mill brand), and Wholefoods on the shelf. You can also purchase coconut flour online from Wholesum Yum (their coconut flour is the best and what I am currently using). Hope that helps!
Hi Laura,
This will be my first time making sugar-free cakes. I was wondering, you’ve noted “powdered” on the sugar for both the frosting & cake batter. I assumed that meant like confectioners sugar until I saw it was also noted on the batter. So, now I’m a bit confused hehe Did you mean “powdered” as in non-liquid form or confectioner-type?
I was able to acquire “erythritol powder” but I’m not quite sure if it’s considered granular or powdered as it’s not as fine as ordinary confectioners sugar, more like…. fine caster.
Also, the frosting, does one batch make enough for a whole cake, including the in between layers?
Thanks so much! I love that I was able to find your site. My parents are both diabetics and I’ve most likely got it in my genes as well, so…. better learn a better sugar path quick 🙂 Plus plus be able to present parents cakes they can ACTUALLY eat (not just blow candles off of) on their birthdays.
Hi Jen, yes this recipe calls for powdered erythritol (and I use a monk fruit with the erythritol as a blend – it’s also powdered), You can also use powdered allulose (which wasn’t available to me when I first wrote this recipe, but I have tested it with powdered allulose.
To answer your question, for the cake I recommend powdered because it blends better, but for the cake batter, you can use granular erythritol in a pinch ( very similar to fine caster sugar). For the frosting, you really should use the powdered version so the frosting is nice and smooth and not at all crunchy. If you do not have powdered sweeteners you can add your granular version to a high-speed blender or food processor to make it finer in texture.
The cake (and frosting) really does taste best with a blend of sweeteners vs just straight erythritol (especially the frosting). I find folks who are not used to low-carb baking can really taste the sweetener when it is just 100% erythritol. But a blend takes the edge off. If you use allulose there is virtually no aftertaste at all!! ( I have to update the post to write that in)
And yes, this recipe makes enough frosting for the whole cake and the layers in between. I used smaller 6-inch pans so I could have a 3 layer cake, but this recipe will make a 2 layer cake if you use 8 or 9 inch round pans.
And we make this cake often for all kinds of celebrations – the gluten-free, as well as the keto low carb dieters, love this recipe – it’s very very versatile (makes a great strawberry shortcake, great muffins, or just a sheet cake with chocolate frosting).
Hope this helps!
Hi, I’m planning on making this cake but I am a little confused about the butter, should it be softened or melted? The instructions say to melt it but then say that it should be soft. Could you clarify that for me please? Thanks in advance!
Hi Joanne, it should be melted, but not hot or bubbling – but you’re 100% correct it’s not clear and I will adjust that on the recipe. Thanks for pointing it out, greatly appreciated!
I made this for a friend who is diabetic and it was a huge success, he absolutely loved it, and so did everyone else at the table. I used Xylitol because it is the easiest to find in powder/granulated form here in Italy and it worked great. At first I was worried about the batter because it looked so lumpy and thick but it baked up beautifully. I used three 6″ pans. I doubled the icing recipe because I found that it wasn’t giving me quite enough coverage. I’ll be trying the red velvet next!
Hey Joanne, your comment got caught up in my spam filter for some reason so terribly sorry for the late reply. Super happy you enjoyed the birthday cake! Thanks for the feedback about the icing, ill put that in the recipe so folks who want a heavy coating will have enough icing. Cheers!
Hello! I attempted your recipe today in hopes of making an anniversary cake for my parents as my mom is diabetic. I don’t know what I did wrong, is the batter supposed to feel like cookie dough? It didn’t really rise and it was near impossible to spread so I have peaks and what appears to be burnt outer edges. Is that normal? I haven’t worked with any of the special ingredients before, I’m more of a box cake mix sort of gal. So the way it gooped into the pan and stuck to everything has me wondering if something is amiss with the wet ingredients?
Hey Heather, the batter is thick, we mention that in the blog post but it’s not like cookie dough, it’s closer to a brownie batter. There are several reasons why your cake didn’t rise – the eggs were not whipped well enough, the ingredients were not sifted, you possibly skipped the xanthan gum, the acid was skipped or perhaps your baking powder wasn’t fresh. As far as the burnt edges, we do recommend wrapping the cake pans in tin foil (also in the blog post) to prevent over-browning (as almond flour and coconut flour tend to do) and placing a piece of tin foil over the top of the cakes mid-way through baking. We have a whole other post dedicated to low carb & gluten-free baking tips that you might find helpful. Gluten-free, sugar-free low-carb baking is a bit different from your regular flour-type recipes and does require a few steps you can usually get away with skipping in regular baking (like sifting, etc). In this particular recipe, the acid is also required to help the cake lift, but even the acid can’t help if the ingredients do not have enough air in them (by whipping the eggs, sifting the flours) and the xanthan gum is really necessary to help with that rise because it gives structures to the batter bubbles so the cake batter lifts – without the xanthan gum the bubbles will form but pop quickly resulting in a flat dense cake. I hope that all helps!
Hi. I was attempting this cake for a friends diabetic father. I had a little extra and put it in a different pan to see how it taste (curios because I’ve never had sugar free items). It was a bit on the thicker side but not too sweet at all. Is there something more you can add to give it a little more sweeter taste for a diabetic? Also, they didn’t have the sugar substitute you had so I had to settle for swerve sugar replaced wiry erythritol. Any advice?
Hi Mary, the batter is thick, almost like a muffin batter, but it bakes up like a cake. If you sifted your flours, and whipped the eggs, and didn’t skip the acid, leavening, and xanthan gum, it should be very light when baked. As far as the sweetener you can add more to get it to the sweetness level you like. Swerve is a fine sweetener to use in this recipe. I do find that it does leave an aftertaste if used in heavy concentrations so keep that in mind if you do add more sweetener.
I just tried to make it and when I added the apple cider vinegar the whole batter has curdled so had to flash all of it down the toilet. What a waste of products!
Hi Alla, the battery doesn’t curdle, but it is thick and heavy ( I mention that in the blog post). Had you baked the batter it would have turned out perfectly, there was no need to toss the ingredients. Many baking recipes call for vinegar or acid in some form to be added to milk or cream to sour it prior to adding to the batter, it’s a substitute for buttermilk.
Hello,
I’m not sure where I’ve done mistake. My cake is just in oven and I’m not sure if the structure mixture was not supposed to be runny? As my wasn’t.
I’ve read the recipe so many times and even now after doing it I’m just reading it again if I didn’t miss anything. I am very good cook and baker and this happened to my for the first time.. I never bake healthier recipe but the cake is for kid I’m looking after and she can’t have normal cake with sugar so I wanted to try this one but I think it’s going to be disaster. Any tips of yours of what you think it could be? Why my final mixture was like hard and sticky texture instead of runny? Thanks
Hi Karla, yes, the structure should be thick. I mention in the blog post that the batter will be thick, almost like a muffin mixture. It’s just the nature of the flours used in low-carb baking, as the flours are usually very fatty; it requires much less moisture. I hope that helps!