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Keto Chocolate Cake

Published Dec 20, 2018 By Julia 31 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.

Summary:
This decadent 9-inch keto chocolate cake is made with coconut flour, topped with a dark ganache frosting. For more sugar-free and gluten-free sweets, visit Low Carb Dessert Recipes.

Keto Chocolate Cake

4.7 from 9 votes
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Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Cool: 30 mins
Yield: 12 slices
Calories: 250
Net Carbs: 3g

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.7 cup confectioners swerve sweetener (8 oz wt.)
  • 1 cup warm coffee or water
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped unsweetened baking chocolate (4 oz wt.)
  • 8 tbsp salted butter (4 oz wt.), plus more for greasing the pan
  • 2/3 cup coconut flour (2 1/2 oz wt.)
  • 2.5 tbsp dutched unsweetened cocoa powder (1/2 oz wt.)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Ganache:

  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped unsweetened baking chocolate (2 1/2 oz wt.)
  • 1/4 cup confectioners swerve sweetener (1 oz wt.)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Grease the sides of a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
  • Sift together coconut flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder over a bowl. Stir until well-mixed. Set aside.
  • In a large microwave-safe bowl, add baking chocolate and butter. Microwave until just melted in 30-second intervals, stirring in between.
  • Add sweetener, warm coffee, and vanilla to the chocolate mixture, whisking them in until dissolved.
  • Add eggs, vigorously whisking for a few minutes until smooth. Add coconut flour mixture, gradually whisking in until incorporated. Small lumps are ok.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it out to the sides and smoothing the top. Let it rest for about 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 300 F.
  • Bake at 300 F for 55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes. While waiting, prepare the ganache in the next step.
  • In a bowl, add all ganache ingredients. Microwave until the chocolate is just melted in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. The texture should be very smooth. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until the mixture has a spreadable consistency.
  • Slide a butter knife all around between the cake and the pan, and release the springform pan. Spread a thin layer of ganache on the top and down the sides of the cake. Cut into slices and serve.

NUTRITION

Makes 12 Servings
Amount Per Serving (1 slice):
Calories 250 (76% from fat)  
Total Fat 21g 32%
   Saturated Fat 13g 64%
Cholesterol 93mg 31%
Sodium 90mg 4%
Net Carb 3g  
Total Carb 8.5g 3%
   Dietary Fiber 5.5g 21%
   Sugars 1.5g  
Protein 6g  
Vitamin A 10% · Vitamin C 0% · Calcium 2% · Iron 15%

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slice of frosted keto cake on a white plate
This cake has an intense chocolate flavor. The use of both baking chocolate and cocoa powder contributes to the rich taste, and the addition of a small amount of coffee enhances the chocolate flavor without overwhelming it.

The interior is very moist and soft, almost fudgey in texture, reminding me a bit of lava cakes. The frosting coating the top and sides of the cake is a dark ganache. This coconut flour cake tastes just like a regular cake made with wheat flour, and you won’t be able to tell any difference.

This can serve as a birthday cake, although it’s not as light and fluffy as a standard white cake, or any celebratory cake for a special occasion like Valentine’s Day or an anniversary. The recipe is easy and straightforward enough that you might find yourself adding it to your regular dessert rotation.

whisking chocolate cake batter with coconut flour
I use unsweetened cocoa powder by Hershey’s called Special Dark, which is their dutch-process cocoa. For unsweetened baking chocolate, I use Bakers brand that is packaged in bars. I chop them up into small pieces, which makes them easy to melt.

For coconut flour, I use Bob’s Red Mill because it’s readily available at many U.S. supermarkets, but you can also find other brands on Amazon. Note that this can’t be replaced by almond flour, which is considerably less absorbent and not a 1:1 substitution.

The confectioners version of swerve is used to sweeten the cake, and it measures the same as sugar. You can replace it with any other powdered sweetener that also measures like sugar, or calculate a weight-based conversion to ensure that you add the correct amount.

For all of these ingredients, I highly recommend that you measure them out by weight, not volume. In the recipe, I’ve provided the weight measurements in ounces along with rough volume estimates in cups and tablespoons. Weight measurements are more precise than volume, which can vary greatly depending on how you pack the ingredient in a measuring cup.

The addition of coffee enhances the chocolate taste. I use Starbucks Via Decaf Italian Roast, which is an instant coffee mix that I dissolve in hot water. Coffee is optional, and you can substitute with warm water if you prefer.

spreading out coconut flour cake batter in a springform pan
For equipment, you’ll need a 9-inch springform pan with its bottom lined in parchment paper to avoid sticking. I also find it useful to use a wire whisk, especially when mixing in the eggs, as well as a sifter for the dry ingredients like coconut flour and cocoa powder. Toothpicks are helpful to determine when the cake is done baking. You might also want to use an icing spatula to apply the ganache.

adding ganache to a low carb and keto chocolate cake
This chocolate cake is best when served warm. Leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, you can serve them cold, or preferably reheated. To reheat, place a slice of chocolate cake in a cold oven and preheat to 350 F. Once it comes to temperature, turn off the oven and take out the heated slice to serve. Leftovers are best when eaten within a few days.

a keto birthday cake with a bite taken out of it

More Keto Dessert Recipes


Mini Keto Cheesecake

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fat Bombs

Keto Ice Cream
Tall stack of best low carb chocolate chip cookies, one with a bite taken out
Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies

Filed Under: Desserts, Per Serving: Under 5g Net Carbs Tagged With: 6-10ingredients, baking powder, chocolate, cocoa powder, coconut flour, eggs, erythritol, gluten free, heavy cream, more60min, oven, vanilla extract, vegetarian

About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth. She shares simple recipes and guides for keto and low carb diets. Learn more.

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newest oldest most voted
Siri Hustad

I wish I could show you the picture of this cake that I made today for my daughter’s 26th birthday, it was perfect!!! And she absolutely loved it♥️ followed the recipe to a T everything was simple and delicious. Thank you

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

You’re welcome, Siri. Your daughter is lucky to have you 🙂

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Donna

This cake is delicious! I topped mine with caramel salted pecan halves. Very popular even with the nay say ketoers!

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
11 months ago
Grace

I have been on keto diet for the last 3 months and have been craving for some cakes, but sadly, most cakes out there are high in sugar and carb. Wanted to order some keto-friendly cakes but they are too pricy. So I decided to make my own keto cake and stumbled upon your post. And boy, was I in for a surprise! I never expected the cake to be so moist and delicious! I used a different sweetener and the taste turned out well. Love love love the recipe! I didn’t make the ganache though because before I could make it, my hubs and my boy started digging in. Hubby said he wasn’t quite used to the texture but said the taste was great. My boy, a picky eater and cake lover, gobbled up a few slices. Thank you so much for the recipe, Julia! I really love the cake so much! Gonna be checking out the rest of your recipes soon!

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Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Izzie

I’ve made this cake about 5 times now and it’s amazing! Half my family are keto too and they love it so much I keep getting requests for more!

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Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Vanessa

🙁 Not the recipe’s fault, but for anyone thinking about doing the same thing as I did, be warned: do not try to grind regular swerve to make confectioners swerve. 8 oz will be a bomb of artificial sweetener. I couldn’t even swallow the first bite of it. I am so sad all those ingredients will be wasted. At least I tasted some crumbs before preparing the ganache.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
5 months ago
Crystal

Instead of eggs can I use unsweetened applesauce?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
7 months ago
Paige

No you can’t as the eggs have the protein that you would need for a cake.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
7 months ago
Ruth

Delicious!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
9 months ago
Cass

Hi, I’m just wondering why it says 3 grams per serving but also says in the nutritional facts that it is 8.5 grams? I must be missing something?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
10 months ago
Julia

I believe you’re confusing “Net Carbs” with “Total Carbs” — net carbs is 3 grams and total carbs is 8.5 grams. Net carbs is calculated by taking total carbs and subtracting out fiber since it’s not digested by the body.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
10 months ago
Jeanne

Can this batter be baked as cupcakes with the paper cupcake liners?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
10 months ago
Julia

That sounds like a great idea! I haven’t tried that variation myself, but it should work well. I would bake for about 15 or 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean or with some fudge-y crumbs. When it comes to baked chocolate desserts, I prefer to err on the side of under-baking than over-baking.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
10 months ago
Susan

Can you use almond flour instead of coconut?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
10 months ago
Julia

Not directly as a 1:1 substitution. Almond flour and coconut flour behave very differently, with the latter being much more absorbent. If you were to use almond flour in this recipe, you’d likely need to tweak and adjust the proportions of the other ingredients.

If you’re looking for a chocolate dessert that uses almond flour, I suggest taking a look at my Keto Brownies.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
10 months ago
Mary

Can monk fruit sweetener be substituted for the swerve sweetener?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

Yes. If your monk fruit sweetener measures the same as sugar (check labels on your package), then it can be replaced as a 1:1 substitution for Swerve. If not, then you’ll have to calculate the conversion to determine the appropriate amount to use.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Barbara

I forgot to pick up the unsweetened chocolate:/ Can I double the cocoa?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

Unfortunately, not in this case.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Sara

Can I just skip the sweetener? Would that mess up the texture?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

It would affect the texture, and also it would likely taste way too bitter. Chocolate desserts usually use a fair amount of sweetener to balance the bitterness of unsweetened chocolate.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Debbie Milne

Can the keto chocolate cake be frozen?

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Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

I haven’t tried freezing this, Debbie. If you do, wrap it tightly in foil or plastic wrap, and store in a freezer bag.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Tasi

Made this cake on a rainy Saturday afternoon. It was a hit with me and my kids!

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1 year ago
Debra Christine Davis

Great cake but like other sugar substitutes has an aftertaste.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

If you detected an aftertaste similar to erythritol’s cooling effect, that usually means you added too much of it related to other ingredients. If you have a food scale, I recommend weighing out the sweetener for best results (recipe provides weight in oz). Depending on how you pack an ingredient, using a measuring cup can vary quite a bit in how much you use.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Mikey

Looks great! Does it have a strong coconut flavour?

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

Hi Mikey. There isn’t any discernible coconut flavor since the chocolate dominates.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Nora

This was delicious 😋Best keto cake so far.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Cody

Would using wheat flower make this cake taste better than using coconut flower? Im just going for sugar free I don’t care so much about gluten free.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago
Julia

It’s not a 1:1 substitution so you would also need to make tweaks to the other ingredients.

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
1 year ago

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