Keto Almond Cake Recipe (Easy 1-bowl Butter Cake) (2024)

This keto French almond cake is a moist, buttery almond cake made of almond flour. Bonus, this easy French-style almond cake is also gluten-free, sugar-free with a dairy-free option, and only 3.6 grams of net carbs per slice.

Keto Almond Cake Recipe (Easy 1-bowl Butter Cake) (1)

As a French person on a keto diet, sharing a version of the popular French almond cake is a must! A buttery, moist cake with a delicious almond flavor.

What’s A French Almond Cake?

A French almond cake is a typically French butter cake served as a tea cake and perfect to pair with a cup of my bulletproof coffee. It has a moist, buttery crumb with a delicious almond flavor.

But a typical French almond cake would contain more than 30 grams of net carbs per slice! Far from keto-friendly.

How To Make Keto Almond Cake

This keto cake with almond flour is a very easy 1-bowl keto cake recipe using only almond flour. No need for coconut flour or other keto flours in this keto cake recipe.

This keto recipe is the easiest cake recipe to start your keto baking journey. All you need is one bowl and the ingredients below.

Keto Almond Cake Recipe (Easy 1-bowl Butter Cake) (2)

Ingredients

To make the most delicious, moist, and soft almond flour cake without sugar or gluten, you need:

  • Almond flour – this refers to ultra-fine almond flour. It’s different from an almond meal. In fact, almond meal is coarse and dark in color, and adds a gritty texture to cakes. That’s why you must use golden, thin almond flour to make a delicious, moist, soft almond flour keto cake recipe. For more on Keto flour, read my guide on keto-friendly flours!
  • Erythritol – that’s my favorite keto-friendly sweetener in keto cake recipes. You can use it as a 1:1 ratio replacement to sugar, and it has no carbs or calories. Other options are xylitol or allulose if you don’t like the cooling effect of erythritol.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Almond extract – a must-add to boost the almond flavor of your cake.
  • Melted unsalted butter – if you are dairy-free, use melted coconut oil. The color of the cake won’t be as gold, but the texture will stay unchanged.
  • Large eggs – at room temperature
  • Unsweetened almond milk
  • Baking powder
  • Sea salt

Measuring the almond flour precisely

The key to success when baking an almond flour cake is first to measure your flour with precision. You can use a kitchen scale or measuring cups.

But, if you choose to use measuring cups, always use the scoop-and-level method.

It means you scoop the almond flour from the bag, then level the top of the measuring cup with a knife to remove excess.

Keto Almond Cake Recipe (Easy 1-bowl Butter Cake) (3)

Combining wet to dry ingredients

First, in a large mixing bowl, combine the beaten eggs with melted butter, almond milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, baking powder, and salt.

In fact, beating the baking powder into the liquid ingredients activates the powder and makes the cake texture softer.

Then, gradually stir in the almond flour using a wooden spoon to incorporate the flour into the bowl without forming lumps.

Don’t use an electric beater to make this low-carb almond cake recipe. It will add too much air to the batter, and it won’t form a buttery, packed crumb, as you see in my pictures.

Greasing the pan

I won’t repeat this enough. Almond flour is different from wheat flour. It forms a thicker cake batter that sticks easily to your pan.

So always double-grease your pan to prevent the cake from sticking to the bottom or side of the pan.

First, grease a 9-inch springform pan with coconut oil or butter on the sides and bottom.

Then, add a circle piece of parchment paper to the bottom of the pan and grease the paper again generously.

Finally, pour the almond cake batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Smoothen the top of the cake with the back of the spatula.

Finally, sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the cake and slightly press them into the batter with your hands.

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Bake the cake

Place the cake pan on the oven’s center rack and bake at 325°F (160°C) for 30-45 minutes.

You know the cake is ready when the top of the cake is slightly golden brown, and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a little to no crumb on it.

Cool down on a rack for at least 3 hours or overnight. The longer you wait before slicing an almond cake, the better the texture will be.

Finally, slightly run a knife around the cake and release the cake by opening the sides of the springform pan.

Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 30 minutes or overnight before slicing.

Keto Almond Cake Recipe (Easy 1-bowl Butter Cake) (5)

Serving Almond Cake

A French almond cake is typically served with a dash of powdered sweetener on top.

First, wait for the cake to reach room temperature.

Then, use a small sieve to sprinkle powdered erythritol on top of the cake. Never add the powder sweetener on top of a warm cake, or it gets reabsorbed by the cake crumb.

Finally, cut the cake into 12 slices and serve each cake slice plain or with a dollop of keto vanilla ice cream on top.

Storage Instructions

This keto almond flour cake can be stored for up to 4 days in a sealed cake box in the fridge.

I recommend storing the cake unsliced to preserve all the moisture in the crumb. Then, slice the cake just before serving.

Freezing keto cakes

Of course, this is a large keto cake, and you can also freeze slices of cake for later.

It’s very convenient to thaw on a plate at room temperature when your cake craving hits you. Thaw the cake slice on the kitchen counter overnight.

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7 tips for baking cakes with almond flour

It’s very different to bake with almond flour than other regular flours like wheat flours or other keto flours.

In fact, almond flour is very low in carbohydrates because it’s a non-starchy flour made of ground almonds.

As a result, almond flour is less liquid absorbent than wheat and creates thick, slightly gritty cake batter. Below I listed 7 tips to help you make a cake with almond flour if it’s your first time baking with almond flour:

  1. Choose ultra-fine almond flour – never use ground almonds or almond meal in an almond flour cake recipe. These other terms refer to a coarse ground of almonds with their skin on it. It results in a grainy, heavy cake texture with a dark crumb color.
  2. Weigh your flour with precision – almond flour cakes are very sensitive to quantities. If you add a little too much, the cake ends up very dry and dense. Scroll down to read my tips to measure flours with measuring cups or a kitchen scale.
  3. Don’t thin out the batter – almond flour cake batter is thicker, and that’s how it should be. Don’t try to adjust the batter, adding more liquid to mimic a wheat flour cake batter.
  4. Use large eggs at room temperature – many almond flour cake recipes use eggs as a binder, and there is a reason for that. Since almond flour has almost no starch, it requires a binder. Eggs are the key to binding almond flour and creating fluffy, moist cakes. That’s why you can’t use egg replacer in almond flour cake recipes.
  5. Don’t overmix the batter – always add your almond flour into the liquid ingredients gradually and stir gently with a spoon. This technique prevents lumps in the batter and avoids adding too much air to the batter which can make the cake super dry.
  6. Double-grease the can pan – almond flour cake batter stick to the cake pan easily. That’s why you must you a non-stick can pan, preferably springform, for an easy release. Then, generously grease the pan with butter on the sides and bottom. Finally, add an extra piece of parchment paper at the bottom of the pan and grease the paper as well. This prevents cakes with almond flour from sticking to your pan.
  7. Bake at low temperature – almond flour burns very fast. Always bake your cake around 160C (325F) to prevent the cake’s top from browning too fast. Also, you can tent the cake pan with a piece of foil to diffuse the heat properly and avoid burning the flour. Be patient, bake the recommended time and keep the cake in the oven until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake come out almost dry.

So, to sum up, baking cake with almond flour is easy. But like everything new, baking with almond flour requires practice, patience, and precision.

Give yourself time to learn to bake almond flour cakes. And if something doesn’t work at first, try other almond flour brands and stick to the 7 rules above.

With time, practice, and precision, you will make the most delicious almond flour cake keto-friendly!

Frequently Asked Questions

How does it taste?


This almond flour keto cake has a buttery, moist and sweet crumb with a strong almond flavor. The crumb is as buttery as my keto lemon pound cake recipe, but the texture is way more light and fluffy.
The moist, buttery crumb balanced very well the crunch of the toasted sliced almonds on top.

Can I use coconut sugar?

No, coconut sugar is not a keto-friendly sweetener, so I don’t recommend using this option in my keto cake recipes.
However, if you are not on a keto low carb diet, simply looking for a paleo almond flour cake or gluten-free cake that uses almond flour, then coconut sugar or any sugar is great to swap erythritol.

Can I Add Cocoa Powder?

I don’t think it would work well. If you want a chocolate cake, make my keto chocolate cake.

More Keto Cake Recipes

I am a keto cake fan, and there is never a week without a cake in my house. Below I listed my favorite keto cake recipes for you to try.

Keto Flourless Chocolate Cake

Keto Vanilla Cake

Keto Chocolate Cake

Keto Red Velvet Cake

Did You Like This Recipe?

Leave a comment below or head to our Facebook page for tips, our Instagram page for inspiration, our Pinterest for saving recipes, and Flipboard to get all the new ones!

Keto Almond Cake Recipe (Easy 1-bowl Butter Cake) (11)

Keto French Almond Cake

3.6gNet Carbs

An easy, moist and buttery almond cake with no sugar, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Author: Carine Claudepierre

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Yield: 12 slices

Serving Size: 1 slice

4.92 from 555 votes

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

To decorate

This recipe may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a non-stick 9-inch springform pan with butter or coconut oil. Add a circle of parchment paper at the bottom of the pan and grease as well. Set aside.

  • In a large mixing bowl, using a manual whisk, beat eggs, erythritol, unsweetened almond milk, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and melted butter. Make sure the melted butter is not too hot, or it can cook eggs and form lumps.

  • Gradually pour the almond flour into the liquid ingredients and stir until it forms a thick, slightly grainy cake batter.

  • Pour the cake batter into the greased pan and sprinkle sliced almonds all over the top of the cake. Slightly press the almonds into the batter to stick to the top.

  • Bake cake for 40-45 minutes in the center rack of your oven. I recommend tenting the cake pan with a large piece of foil after 25 minutes to prevent the cake's top from burning.

  • After 30 minutes, insert a skewer in the center of the cake, and if it comes out with almost no crumb on it, the cake is ready. Remove from the pan.

  • Cool the cake on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours before slicing.

  • When the cake has reached room temperature, sieve powdered erythritol on top of the cake.

  • Slice into 12 even slices.

Storage

  • Store the cake in a sealed cake box in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

  • Freeze cake slices in airtight ziplock bags or a box and thaw at room temperature the day before serving.

Tools

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Tried this recipe?Mention @sweetashoneyrecipes

Serving Size: 1 slice

Yield: 12 slices

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 265.3kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 7g (2%)Fiber: 3.4g (14%)Net Carbs: 3.6gProtein: 8.3g (17%)Fat: 24.3g (37%)Saturated Fat: 6.3g (39%)Trans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 66.8mg (22%)Sodium: 213.5mg (9%)Potassium: 42.3mg (1%)Sugar: 1.3g (1%)Vitamin A: 303.9IU (6%)Calcium: 123.6mg (12%)Iron: 1.5mg (8%)

Keto Almond Cake Recipe (Easy 1-bowl Butter Cake) (2024)

FAQs

Is almond flour the same as ground almonds? ›

As mentioned above, almond flour is made from blanched, peeled almonds that have had their skins removed. It's fairly fine in texture and light in colour, lacking the darker specks from the skins. Ground almonds, on the other hand, are the same thing as almond meal – they're just ground, skin-on, unpeeled almonds.

Is almond flour dirty keto? ›

Almond flour is a 100% keto-approved baking flour. It is also the most widely used keto flour on shelves. However, what it lacks in carbs, it makes up for in calories. Though almond flour is significantly higher in calories than many other flours, it also contains considerable amounts of protein and fiber.

How many carbs are in almond cake? ›

Foods related to almond cake by mayfairfarm

Almond cake by MAYFAIRFARM contains 450 calories per 108 g serving. This serving contains 26 g of fat, 8 g of protein and 49 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 38 g sugar and 3 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate.

What is a keto cake made of? ›

Eggs: Eggs are a staple in keto baking as they add structure and moisture to the cake while providing essential fats and proteins. High-fat ingredients: Keto cakes often contain high-fat ingredients like butter, coconut oil, or heavy cream. These ingredients provide richness and help maintain the desired texture.

Which is the lowest carb flour? ›

The most commonly used flour which is the lowest in carbs is coconut flour. Note: Psyllium has the lowest carbs, however, psyllium is generally not used to bake entire cakes or cookies, it's used in smaller quantities to add bulk, fiber, and elasticity.

What can I substitute for almond flour on keto? ›

People can use a variety of flours to replace almond flour, depending on their dietary requirements. Other nut flours such as walnut or macadamia have similar nutritional profiles and are suitable for people following low-carb or keto diets. People can also use flours made from seeds such as sunflower or flaxseed.

What is the downside of almond flour? ›

Very High In Calories

On this note, almond flour is also very energy-dense. Per 100 grams, it contains 590 calories and more than 50 grams of fat (1). This energy content is very high compared to regular wheat flour, which has 360 calories per 100 grams (3).

What is the best keto flour to bake with? ›

Almond flour is one of the most versatile keto flours on the market. It can be used in savory or sweet recipes, such as breads, cookies, pancakes or cookies but can also be added to meatballs in place of traditional bread crumbs or used to bread chicken.

Why can't baking powder be used with almond flour? ›

Since baking powder contains baking soda, baking powder cannot be used in almond flour baking. Instead, eggs (or applesauce or bananas) can be used as the leavening agent to help baked goods rise and achieve a light and fluffy texture.

Can diabetics eat almond cake? ›

Leaving aside the date paste, these almond cakes have a substantial amount of protein in them as well as healthy fats, making them more "diabetic friendly" than some cakes.

Can I have a slice of birthday cake on keto? ›

You can't have traditional cake on keto, since it's made with white flour and sugar. Fortunately, this low carb cake recipe will satisfy all of your cake cravings without the sugar crash.

Is it OK to eat a keto cake? ›

You can absolutely have a slice of keto birthday cake, even if you're not sticking to a ketogenic diet. Just keep in mind that this type of cake is made with different ingredients to fit the low-carb requirements of the keto diet, so it might not taste exactly like your usual birthday cake.

What is a secret ingredient for cakes? ›

To summarize, applesauce is a secret weapon for creating moist and healthier cakes. Its natural sweetness and moisture make it a great substitute for high-fat ingredients like oil or butter. So go ahead, embrace the power of applesauce and elevate your cakes to new levels of deliciousness!

Will one piece of cake kick you out of ketosis? ›

Especially if your goal is weight loss, having a piece of pizza, a bowl of pasta, or cake, is absolutely something that can be added into your routine once in a while. Introducing carbs can kick you out of ketosis but eating more carbs on a given meal or given day will not ruin any weight loss goals you have.

Can I replace ground almonds with flour? ›

No. Wheat flour does not have the protein content or the same texture. You may be able to substitute another ground nut.

Is almond flour just powdered almonds? ›

Almond flour isn't a type of milled flour, rather it is simply finely ground almonds. It's typically made with blanched almonds and lacks the dark flecks of skin, though this isn't always the case. It's the main ingredient in French macarons, and commonly used for airy cakes, as well as cookies and quick breads.

Can you use ground almonds instead of almond flour in macarons? ›

Ground almonds and almond meal are actually the same thing- so don't be discouraged when you can find one and not the other, they just try to confuse us with the different names.

What is another name for almond flour? ›

Other names for almond flour are powdered almonds, almond meal, and almond powder. (Some say that only blanched almonds are used for what is called almond flour, but I've seen unblanched almond “flour” listed as such, so that's not always the case.)

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