Keto Vanilla Cake
Imagine a low carb cake that’s moist, flavorful, perfectly sweet, and is drizzled in a vanilla glaze. That’s precisely what you get when you make this Keto Vanilla Cake! Perfect as a keto birthday cake, for dinners, or any other occasion you can think of. This easy keto cake has only 3.2 net carbs per slice and is low carb, sugar-free, and gluten-free.
If you’re anything like me, part of the fun of going to events like weddings, dinner parties, and birthday celebrations is for the CAKE! Nowadays, many people eat low carb or gluten-free diets, so it’s becoming more frequent that there are desserts and other foods readily available. But, even if there isn’t, I know that I can make my own dessert when I get home and will be just as satisfied.
Cake has always been a weakness because it’s so delicious! Thankfully, now that I make this keto vanilla cake, I can enjoy it without all the guilt. It’s made of much healthier ingredients, and the texture and flavor are delightful and are sure to cure your sweet tooth. And if you are in the mood for some chocolate, try this classic yellow birthday cake with chocolate icing. YUM!
In this free 5-day email series learn all my tips for incorporating a low-carb lifestyle into the life of your family.
Switching to Low Carb Baking
Making the switch to using alternative flours and sweeteners can be challenging. I know if you are just starting out eating low carb, there is a learning curve. But this keto cake recipe is very good. I promise! After you get the hang of low carb baking, you will find that the desserts are just as good if not better than the original traditional recipes. Is this keto cake identical to something that isn’t low carb? No, it’s not, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious! Try it for yourself, and you will see how great it is.
Ingredients For Keto Vanilla Cake
All you need is 11 super simple ingredients to make this tasty keto cake recipe. Don’t you just love recipes that aren’t a lot of fuss to make?
Almond Flour & Coconut Flour – I use this combination in most of my baked goods. It gives a tender crumb and keeps the product moist.
Refined Coconut Oil – I choose refined so this doesn’t have a coconut flavor.
Sweetener – My sweetener of choice is a blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia. The recipe for my sweetener is here. It tastes great and is twice as sweet as white sugar. I do offer alternatives in the recipe card if you prefer to use another sweetener such as a monk fruit blend.
Egg Whites – I chose to use just egg whites in this recipe so it was white in color. I wanted a white cake, not a yellow cake. If you don’t care about that you can use 3 whole eggs instead of the 6 egg whites.
Clear Vanilla – Using clear will keep the vanilla from changing the color of the cake or icing. You can use regular vanilla if you prefer!
Sour Cream – The sour cream will give it a rich and moist flavor.
Powdered Erythritol – Using powdered erythritol is how the icing gets its sweetness without refined sugar.
Heavy Cream – Add some healthy fat and texture to the icing with the heavy cream.
Baking Powder – Always make sure your baking powder is within the date and fresh.
What Is Clear Vanilla?
If you don’t do a lot of baking, you may not have ever heard of clear vanilla. Clear vanilla is actually just like regular vanilla extract, except that it doesn’t have that traditional dark brown color anymore.
When baking a dark-colored cake, regular vanilla is perfect because you can’t even tell what color it is. When you make something with white or even yellow color, often, the regular vanilla will change the color. So, the solution is clear vanilla. It’s perfect if you are baking, and it’s especially great for the icing that is drizzled on this keto vanilla cake.
How To Make Keto Vanilla Cake
Just a few simple steps and you will be indulging in a piece of keto vanilla cake in no time! Here are the easy directions:
First Step: Warm the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a loaf pan by adding parchment paper and giving it a spray or non-stick cooking spray.
Second Step: Cream together the butter and sweetener until it becomes light and fluffy, then add in the sour cream and vanilla. Once combined, add in the egg whites one at a time. Mix after adding each one.
Third Step: Slowly add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix together. Pour the cake batter into the pan.
Fourth Step: Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes or until set and cool completely.
Fifth Step: Mix together the powdered erythritol, heavy cream, and clear vanilla until they are smooth. Drizzle onto the top of the cake and serve.
More Flavor Ideas
Frosting: Swap out the glaze for icing. This is delicious with cream cheese frosting, chocolate frosting, raspberry frosting, or even a caramel frosting.
Strawberry Shortcake: This vanilla cake makes a lovely base for a strawberry shortcake. To make this classic into a keto dessert just skip the glaze, top with some sugar free whipped cream, and serve with berries.
Lemon: For a lovely lemon flavor swap out the heavy whipping cream in the glaze for lemon juice and then top with some lemon zest.
Can I make this into cupcakes? Or a layer cake?
Yes, to make this keto cake into cupcakes you can simply put the batter into a paper-lined (and sprayed with cooking spray) muffin tin. It will make 8-12 cupcakes. They need to bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.
As is, this will only make one layer of a layer cake. To make two layers just double the recipe. I recommend lining your cake pans with parchment paper just like I lined my loaf pan.
This makes a delightful low carb keto birthday cake when the batter is doubled and baked in two 9-inch round cake pans. Then just frost with your icing of choice and decorate with some sugar free sprinkles!
Like what you see? Follow me on Facebook! Love this recipe? Leave a comment & 5-star rating right here! Make sure you don’t miss new recipes by getting email updates!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it to your inbox. Plus get great new recipes from us every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Joy Filled Eats
Keto Vanilla Cake
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil melted
- 1 tsp clear vanilla
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 6 egg whites
- 1/2 cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Glaze
- 3 tbsp powdered sweetener
- 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp clear vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- In a bowl with an electric mixer mix the coconut oil and clear vanilla. Add the sour cream and beat until combined. Add the sweetener. Add the egg whites one at a time mixing after each.
- Stir in the flours, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly combined. Spread in the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 for 35-40 min. The center should be set and not jiggly. Cool completely.
Glaze
- Stir together the glaze ingredients until smooth.
- Transfer cake to a serving platter and drizzle with the glaze.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
excited to try this…im beginner at baking with these new to us ingredients. (recently found out some food intolerances) im not sure on the sugar substitute though, use 1.5 more or less? I would be using stevia or monkfruit cuz thats what i have on hand.
A monk fruit erythritol blend like lakanto would work best. Use 1.5 times the amount listed.
How long should I cook it for if I i double it into 2 8 inch pans!?
I’d start checking it at about 25 minutes. You want it to feel slightly firm to the touch in the center and not jiggle.
Hi! I’m excited to try this. The nutrition values say 6g carbs and 3g fiber. So really it’s 3 net carbs slice right?
Yes, that’s correct. Enjoy!
I just tried this recipe, it was good.
I’m curious about the macros… Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g – How many slices are you slicing the 9×5 loaf into to get that serving size?
It says it at the top of the recipe card. There are 8 slices. These are pretty big slices. If you want to slice it thinner to reduce the carbs you can definitely do that.
If I only have almond flour and no coconut flour can I still make this cake?
Yes, you will need to add extra. The coconut flour is much drier.
What size loaf pan did you use? I have different sizes so I’m not sure .
A standard 9×5 loaf pan. Any pan will work but the baking time might vary a bit.
Really, really loved this cake. It’s best refrigerated. Reminds me of a delicious pound cake, but without the guilt! Used regular vanilla and three whole eggs. I made extra glaze with milk, powdered erithritol, and vanilla. I think I’m going to try this recipe twice more and experiment: once with coconut oil and shredded coconut, and second with butter and lemon extract. So excited! Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
This was really
Good ! I let the cake cool all the way and the glaze ended up soaking right into the cake . It was kind of like a pound cake with a hint of coconut , if you had to describe the taste .
I used whole eggs and doubled the complete recipe. I used half vanilla extract and half orange extract. This is a fantastic recipe!! So delish. Thank you so much
Omg this was delicious! Making it again! Best keto vanilla cake I’ve made!
I’ve recently well 2 1/2 Months been doing Keto and stay pretty consistent, faithful and today’s my Birthday! I Love White Cake, with White Frosting, knew I couldn’t have that, so my daughter that days she’s not a baker made this for me, I have to say I’m extremely pleased and she sure is a Special Baker to me because for her first time this was really good, not too sweet, or too much! I’m having baby pieces as I saved my Carbs for tonight and this cake with the icing only has 6 and so I’m very happy about that, that this tastes as well as it does too!
Could you make this in an 8 x 8 pan? Looks wonderful!
Yes, but it would be pretty thin unless you double it.
How would you increase the ingredients for a spring form circ 20cm?
I think you would need 1.5 times the amount listed for that size.
Can i use sunflower oil? And maybe add a ts gelatin powder so it holds together since the oil doesn’t get solid when cooled. Don’t like the saturated fats
I’ve never baked with sunflower oil before so I’m not sure. Sorry!
Followed the recipe but used butter in place of the coconut oil & 4 whole eggs in place of the egg whites-as suggested. I baked for 45 minutes & the edges were getting really dark but it wasn’t fully “set” in the center. I took it out for fear of burning hoping that as it cooled it would continue to cook in the middle. Long story short, when I went to remove it from the loaf pan, it fell apart & oozed out a liquid center. The edges that baked properly, albeit very dark brown, tasted good but it was a total waste of very expensive ingredients.
I’m sorry you had trouble with this recipe. Next time, just cover the cake and bake until it is set.
The recipe states to replace 6 egg whites with 3 whole eggs, not 4. Perhaps that is where you went wrong?
How do people say “I followed the recipe but…” and then complain it didn’t turn out right? LOL
Total waste of a comment, frankly. I actually followed the directions and it came out perfectly.
I’ll definitely play with the ingredients at my next go- adding things that I like and seeing if it works. But I’ll do that entirely at my own risk with no blame or fault at the original author of the recipe because their format works!
Exactly. It happens all the time and drives bloggers crazy. I’m glad it came out perfect for you!
Hi Taryn,
Just curious about what difference it would make in texture to use three whioe eggs. I know the color would change, but other than that, how do you think it would differ? Thanks.
The texture doesn’t change much. This cake is based on my sour cream cupcakes which use whole eggs.
Great, thanks.
Looks great buy you don’t say what size loaf pan to use – 8×4″, 9×5″, etc?
thanks
Either will work. Mine is 9×5.
Can I replace the coconut oil and use butter instead will it work.
Yes, butter works.
For the almond and coconut flours, what would be the equivalent measure with THM baking blend?
I have not tested this with baking blend but I’d suggest using a little bit less than the amounts listed. It is drier.
Its REALLY good! The printed recipe mentions butter but I did not see it in the ingredient list! I made it with the coconut oil! Thanks!
Can I replace sour cream with greek yughort?
And is this egg-y?
Thank you for the recipe
Yes, Greek yogurt will work. And no, it’s not eggy at all.
I made this as my birthday cake. Accidentally used the whole eggs instead of just the whites but it was still amazing. My entire family loved it. Even my son who won’t even think about eating sugar free anything!