This is the best low carb keto chocolate cake recipe ever! Shredded zucchini makes it moist and nutritious. The kids will never know you are sneaking in a vegetable.
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If you’re looking for a keto chocolate cake recipe, this is for you. There are lots of recipes for low-carb and keto desserts out there, but this one is a hidden gem.
It doesn’t need a ton of ingredients, you can prep it and bake it in less than an hour, and everyone will love it (even those who aren’t low-carb fans).
If you’ve tried this german chocolate zucchini cake, you know what I’m talking about! But if the idea of zucchini and chocolate is new to you, you’re in for a treat.
With this updated adaptation of that reader favorite, you can bake a decadent chocolate layer cake using two 9-inch round cake pans, make a 9×13-inch sheet cake, or even serve up 24 cupcakes.
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe is a healthy, low-carb treat that tastes better than any boxed cake mix you’ve tried (and even many of the recipes from scratch!). You could even make the cupcakes without frosting and call them a keto breakfast muffin.
Do you know the best way to get a moist cake when you’re following a keto diet and need to keep gluten at bay? Add zucchini!
If you’ve never baked with it before, just wait and see. It adds the moistness that all good cakes have...plus it tastes ah-mazing! This keto chocolate cake is about to become your new favorite dessert.
Recipe Ingredients
This keto chocolate cake recipe is really the best option for a gluten-free, sugar-free birthday cake because the texture is so traditional none of your guests will realize it’s a “diet” cake.
And if you’ve been eating low carb for a while, you probably have everything you need on hand. So what ingredients do you need to make this chocolate keto cake recipe?
Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is a thirsty gluten-free flour, so the added moisture from the zucchini is important. While many low-carb cakes use blends of coconut and almond flour, this one uses only coconut flour. It’s so easy!
Coconut flour is perfect for gluten-free and keto baking recipes that use very wet ingredients, as it’s quite dry.
And, since there’s no milk or whipping cream, or butter in this recipe, it can also be a dairy-free cake if you need one (just make sure to use dairy-free frosting, too).
I would not substitute with almond flour or almond meal. If you try to use only almond flour in this sugar-free chocolate cake, the entire balance of dry and wet ingredients will be altered, and the cake will be almost soggy.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder is what gives the deep chocolate flavor to this keto chocolate cake. Always make sure you are using unsweetened cocoa powder!
Low Carb Sugar Substitute
In order to make keto chocolate cake, you need to sweeten it with a sugar substitute - any type will work.
Then, add some stevia concentrated powder to it too. Monk fruit sweetener is my favorite.
Misc. Baking Ingredients
You'll also need the common ingredients that you might use in other keto cake recipes. Namely - cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and vanilla extract!
Fats
I used a combination of coconut oil and eggs as emulsifiers and healthy fats for this easy keto chocolate cake.
Zucchini
It takes about one large or two small zucchini to get 4 cups shredded. There’s no need to be exact, so just get as close as you can.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
You can use homemade chocolate like my stevia chocolate, cut up a low-carb chocolate bar, or use sugar-free chips like Lily’s or Good Chocolate! The chips are optional but will give the cake a richer chocolate flavor than without.
Please note: Check out the recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients used to make this low-carb recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Shred the zucchini finely. This is key for this recipe. Use a box grater or food processor to shred - whichever you prefer.
- Don't drain the zucchini. Unlike other zucchini recipes, you shouldn't drain the shredded zucchini for this ake very much, if at all. You want the cake to be moist.
- Add chocolate chips. Now, this next part is completely optional, but if you’re looking for an extra chocolatey cake with just the right amount of decadent fudgy goodness, you’re going to want to include those optional chocolate chips!
- Make muffins. Bake in muffins tins and enjoy as chocolate breakfast muffins.
Recipe Instructions
Making a keto birthday cake is so easy! Here's a bit more information about each step so you can make your own keto chocolate cake.
1. Mix The Chocolate Batter
First, combine coconut flour, cocoa, granular low carb sweetener, stevia, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt.
Then, mix in the eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla until well combined.
2. Shred The Zucchini
The shredded zucchini is going to add a lot of moisture and that light texture that’s often missing in low-carb cakes. But, there are also a few other factors that will make a big difference.
3. Add Zucchini to the Chocolate Batter
After the zucchini is prepped, add it to the chocolate batter that you prepped.
4. Bake The Cake Until Done
Finally, spread the batter out in the 9x13 pan. Alternatively, you can bake it in two round 9-inch pans too. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350°F.
Make It Ahead Of Time!
Did you know that making your low-carb baked goods a day early helps with the taste? It’s true! When you let them sit, any cooling flavor from the low-carb sweeteners disappears.
While this cake’s combo of sweeteners and other ingredients will make that barely noticeable, if you’ve got sensitive taste buds, just make this cake one day early.
This is a general rule that will apply to nearly all your low-carb baked goods. If this has been something you’ve noticed in the past, this simple tip will be game-changing for you!
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve other low-carb desserts with the easy keto birthday cake. Add a scoop of your favorite keto vanilla ice cream on the side.
Since this is such a decadent dessert, I also like to enjoy it with a cup of coffee. Or, for the best of both worlds, make some coffee ice cream. It's delicious!
Common Recipe FAQs
Before we get to the printable recipe card, here are some questions people often ask about how to make it.
This low-carb chocolate cake actually freezes well, and you can make up the layers ahead of time and have them ready to thaw and frost before use.
This is actually a great way to do it if you’ll be focusing on the decorating, too, since it will keep the cake from crumbling if you frost it when it’s only about ¾ thawed.
You can also make the batter up as cupcakes ahead of time, flash freeze them, and then store them until it’s time to bring them to room temperature and spread or pipe some frosting on top.
If you’re looking to store already frosted leftovers, you can use the freezer or simply store them in the fridge in an airtight container for several days.
Topping your cake with the best keto chocolate frosting is also important. You'll want one that is creamy with just the right amount of sweetness. But you also don’t want that notorious cooling sensation.
You really can’t go wrong with buttercream frosting. Chocolate goes well if you want a super-rich experience.
For a celebration cake that you are going to decorate, a traditional vanilla sugar-free buttercream like this one is a great option.
If you want to make a dairy-free chocolate frosting, I suggest using dairy-free cream cheese and powdered sugar substitute.
You can also make your own frosting with either almond milk or coconut milk.
To make a delicious frosted keto chocolate cake, let it cool completely.
Then, add frosting in between the cake layers. You can decorate this dessert cuisine however you want.
I like to use a cake stand and cover the entire cake with sugar-free frosting.
Add some parchment paper to the baking dish before adding the cake batter. This will not only help the cake not stick but will make clean-up easier too.
I especially like to use this trick when I am making a cake with multiple layers.
This is the most requested cake from those in my family who avoid sugar and gluten, and I’m sure your family will enjoy it, too!
Other Related Recipes
Looking for other sugar-free treats to make for special occasions? Be sure to check out these gluten-free keto desserts. They are some of my favorite cake recipes.
- Keto Carrot Cake is also made with grated zucchini to give it a moist and authentic texture.
- Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake is delightfully refreshing and the perfect thing to serve at parties.
- Keto Birthday Cake In A Mug is easy to bake in just a few minutes.
- Keto Chocolate Molten Lava Cake is rich and fudgy with the best filling.
- Keto Oreo Cookies and Cream Cheesecake has 5g net carbs in each slice and is worth every carb.
Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!
Recipe
Best Low Carb Chocolate Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cup low carb sugar substitute 1:1 sugar replacement
- ¼ teaspoon stevia concentrated powder see note for alternative
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- 8 large eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups zucchini shredded
Optional:
Instructions
- In large mixing bowl, combine coconut flour, cocoa, granular low carb sweetener, stevia, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt.
- Mix in eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla until well combined.
- Stir in zucchini (and optional chocolate chips if using).
- Spread out into greased 9x13-inch pan (or two round 9-inch pans).
- Bake at 350°F for about 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. NOTE: smaller pans, such as 9-inch round pans should be checked around the 15 minute mark.
- Cool on wire rack. Once cool, frost with chocolate buttercream frosting if desired.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
Bonnie
I have made this recipe into cupcake multiple times and it is delicious!
Laurie
I will for sure try to make this cake, sounds delicious, but I’d like to make it with a vanilla flavor as we’d rather not eat chocolate at night time, when we typically eat our dessert. Do you think I could switch out the cocoa with a vanilla whey protein powder?
The Low Carb Cook
Hi Laurie! I'm honestly not sure as protein powder does have a different texture than cocoa powder. I'm currently perfecting a keto vanilla cake and should be out soon! If you do try it with the protein powder, let me know hoe it turns out. I might have to try it out myself 🙂
Chloe
Does it taste coconuty? Haven’t liked the taste of some recipes with coconut oil, so considering switching it to a different fat.
April
Do you have a cook time if I make this into cupcakes?
I love this recipe! I have surprised many people when I have served it. By far this is the best keto dessert cake recipe I've ever tried. I think the cocoa powder does something like wheat flour and along with coconut flour the consistency is perfectly cake like and moist!
Aubrey Smith
I was really skeptical of this recipe, didn’t seem to be enough fat in it. But it is fluffy and tastes great! The icing takes it yo the level of AMAZING.
Noel
I’ve made this recipe 3 times now and I love it! Instead of cake I make cupcakes and reduced recipe by half to make 12 medium sized cupcakes. Instead of coconut oil i used olive oil because it makes cake so soft and light. It took 20 minutes of bake time at 350. Literally the best cupcakes I’ve ever made.
Frank
Is this cake dense enough to slice into layers?
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes! I have used a wire cake cutter to make layers of this cake.
Cake Maker
I’m a cake decorator, and the easiest way to cut cake into layers is to freeze it first. This is what I was taught in school… This will keep the moist cake from tearing or falling apart…
Lisa MarcAurele
Great tip!
Yvette
Omg! Like really OMG! I’ve made several Keto/low carb chocolate cakes. This one by far is the best ever. It’s the closest in flavor and texture to a regular cake. This is a keeper.
Jenniffer LaCroix
I made this recently and the cake itself turned out great. The taste was a little different for me, but I'm not going to waste the ingredients. I see up above how to freeze it, but not storage I the fridge. I do plan on freezing it cause there's so much, but can I keep some in the fridge as well. Thanks.
Lisa MarcAurele
It should be fine for a couple weeks in the refrigerator. You can also use the leftover cake to make keto cake pops.
Andrea
Want best keto chocolate cake recipe please! Thank you Andrea
Lisa MarcAurele
It's right above this comment area and has the green colored background.
Julie
Hi, Lisa. This case is so outstanding! I’ve made it regularly for a few years. But I find myself with a sudden need to cut down on salt, and a bit to cut down on fat. Thoughts on how to modify? Any help gratefully appreciated.
Lisa MarcAurele
You could try leaving out the added salt and using an alternative to the coconut oil. You might also be able to reduce the eggs or use some egg whites instead of whole eggs.
Cheryl
That looks like quite a lot of sugar plus the stevie powder or equivalent amount. Zucchini are expensive where I come from so I'd like know the weight of Zucchini to make 4 cups. Thank you.
Lisa MarcAurele
If you click on the "Metric" conversion the weight of zucchini is about 500g.
Marnie Knox
This is one of my favorite chocolate cake recipes and I am so glad that it is finally that time of year when my zucchini plants are bursting!! So easy and delish!
Caroline
What's the purpose of a sweetener AND stevia?
Lisa MarcAurele
I try to cut back on erythritol but you can use a sweetener that is twice as sweet as sugar and leave the stevia out. I also find sweetener blends have the best taste.
Jkim
This cake is amazing—so light and moist with a tender crumb, and not overcooked on the sides. I love it! I did half the recipe and baked it in an 8” square metal pan. It took ~30 minutes, mainly at 350 but 10-15 minutes at 325. It was perfect! Thanks!
Lu Purcell
I had high hopes...Before I move forward, let me say that this is the best keto-type recipe I've made so far, so there is that. However, still not what I would have hoped for. After all the hype about zucchini making it moist it was still pretty dry. I've yet to have artificial sweeteners actually taste sweet with baking. Maybe I just suck at this though. I am a good cook otherwise. I will attempt her carrot cake and hope for the best. Also, cooking low-carb and keto is so expensive. My math says this cake costs between $12-$15. Going to eat this with some Rebel mint chip ice cream and will see if that helps. Thanks for the recipe Lisa.
Lisa MarcAurele
$12-$15 is still MUCH cheaper than it would cost to buy a keto-friendly cake from a bakery. My daughter pays $70 for a smaller cake that is gluten-free and dairy-free from a local bakery.
Krista
How long would I bake this as cupcakes?
I've made this cake many times, always with great success and everyone loves it, whether or not they know it is sugar free, low carb, and full of zucchini. It's amazing, and I really want cupcake size servings for my son's birthday, but I don't want to over cook them and dry it out.
Lisa MarcAurele
My keto chocolate cupcakes recipe is just this recipe modified for cupcakes so take a look there.
Mare
I liked the recipe very much but it does need tweaking. The shredded zucchini needed to be further shredded or run through the food processor so that you don't get shreds running through the cake. It was hard to mix it in because the batter was so dry but it did come out fairly moist after baking. The texture would have been better if I had run the zucchini through the food processor. The frosting was really good but then again I used heavy cream instead of coconut milk. It was delicious. Still low carb. I'll have to experiment with more recipes!
Beth
This cake is wonderful. It is so chocolatey and moist. I could eat it without frosting, but frosted it with a frosting made with sugar free chocolate pudding.
My family did not realize it was low carb and make with monk fruit sweetener.
aylin urgun
I made half batch of recipe. I added 2tbsp sunflower seed flour, I added half cup hot coffee, I used only white part of egg, this zucchini keto chocolate cake best ever. Life time recipe for me.Thank you so much.
aylin urgun
I used stevia, Zucchini cake is so much better than avacado keto cake.
Monica
Amazing!
I cream the eggs first, 6-7 minutes, then add sugar and oil and beat until creamy and smooth.
I don't peel the zucchini.
And if you add some grated coconut it's even better.
Ana Loredana Iordache
Hi,
Do you think I could substitute zuchinni for apple? I want to make this for my brother's birthday and he doesn't like zuchini at all and I am not sure how much he would be able to taste it. Would shredded apple maybe work?
Lisa MarcAurele
I haven't tried apple because of the carb content, but it should work similar to zucchini.
Ed
I want to make this for my father, but both he and I hate the taste of monkfruit sweeteners. It has a horrible aftertaste. I was just wondering why you would use 2 different sweeteners instead of just more of one kind.
Can we just use more stevia? since he will definitely not like it if we have to use lakanto... Is it a one to one swapout for stevia? I just wanted to know the reasoning behind that was, and if it's possible to not use monkfruit sweetener.
Thanks!
Lisa MarcAurele
I find blending three or more sweeteners gets rid of any aftertaste.
Zigrid
Use Allulose as your sub for sugar. It bakes like sugar w no aftertastes.
Ray A. Lucero
Great keto cake recipe!
Renee Smith
I have tried many low carb chocolate cake recipies and was disappointed but I took your word for it and this one IS the best! I cut the recipe in half because only I will eat it but I will definitely make this again. I keep it in the fridge, cut a small piece, warm it in the microwave and add a dollop of whipped cream. Delicious! No need for frosting.
Claire
Awful website. Shame as recipe looks interesting. Conversion to metric button doesn't work, which is the most annoying thing.
Will try a recipe elsewhere.
Lisa MarcAurele
The conversion link works for me. It's an issue on your end not mine. Perhaps your browser is restricting the code used.
Venessa
This really is the BEST cake!!! My picky son and hubby said they don’t care to have any other cake!
Nonya
Will this cake freeze?
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes. The cake freezes well for at least 3 months.
Carrie
Made this cake 2 times
The taste is great but it is really moist on bottom
It does not come out of pan easy and crumbles
What am I doing wrong
I did use a mixer instead of by hand
Lisa MarcAurele
It sounds like you may have had too much moisture in the zucchini. I'd try putting the grated zucchini in a kitchen towel and pressing it gently to remove some of the liquid before using. The cup measurement of zucchini can also be off. I don't pack it when measuring. So you may have just used too much zucchini.
Kerry
Made the cake yesterday. Great flavor, added the chocolate chips which enhances the rich chocolate flavor. Very moist. Will make again.
Kerry
Can you suggest a replacement for the 1/4 tsp concentrated Stevia powder? Just wonder if I can omit completely. For the low carb sugar replacement I use Swerve granular sugar. Thanks in advance for your help.
Lisa MarcAurele
The replacement is provided in the recipe notes --> "2-4 tablespoons of any 1:1 sugar equivalent low carb sweetener can be used in place of the concentrated stevia powder."
Kerry
Sorry I'm new to this way of baking. Will use Lakanto classic and for the sweetener will use monkfruit powder rather than Stevia. looking forward to trying.
Maureen
My cake batter came out runny and i followed the ingredients exactly. Only thing i did different was use my kitchen aid to blend it up and included the finely shredded zucchini with the juice from shredding it. I Hope it comes out and bakes ok. Ingredients were expensive. Any suggestions?
Lisa MarcAurele
The coconut flour should have absorbed a lot of the liquid. If not, you could have added a little more coconut flour. The absorbency of coconut flour can vary.
camille
Tried this, and It is really delicious. not to sweet 🙂 I replaced the sugar with erythrithol 🙂 and melt the dark chocolate bar (60% cacao) as an icing for the cake. it worked very fine <3 i am still amaze that it has zucchini but does not look like it ahhah! 🙂
Thank you for sharing this <3
Pierrette
How long did you bake the half recipe?
Lisa MarcAurele
This is the same cake that's used in the low-carb German Chocolate Cake recipe. So you can refer to that post for the half size.
Pierrette
I made the cake today and after 40 minutes of baking, the center of the cake was wobly. It took almost 1 hour to get the cake so that a toothpick came out dry. So the cake is not soft but dry and crumbly. I made this recipe exactly as described with good ingredients. I am very disappointed.
Lisa MarcAurele
Ingredients can vary some, especially the absorbency of coconut flour. But if your cake was dry and crumbly, it was overcooked.
Pierrette
Is it preferable to use 9 inches square pan for half the recipe instead of 9 by 13 inches pan for a full recipe ? When you say 40 minutes cooking, is it for a 9 inches round pan or a 9 by 13 inches pan? I used a 9 by 13 inches glass pan. I would like to be able to make this cake because the taste is good and I suppose is very good if it is soft. Thank you
Lisa MarcAurele
The baking time is based on using a 9x13-inch stoneware pan.
Nessa
There are no words to truly describe how delicious this is. I have made it several times and it is perfect every time. I also serve it with the buttercream frosting. The closest word that comes to mind is DIVINE!
Venessa
Can I substitute zucchini for any other vegetable? I was wondering how it would turn out using avocado?
Lisa MarcAurele
I'm not sure if avocado will provide the right moisture but you can try it. It may not be a one for one sub.
Shaz
Tried this out tonight and they are so good! Definitely would recommend making! Rather than make one big cake I made cupcakes in the hope they’ll last longer! Set the same temp and cooked for 20/25 minutes. I’ve not ever made a cake with courgette before so not sure how they should taste but it taste pretty good to me!
Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Elaine
Pretty easy and straightforward. However, I’m not sure I’d use the cinnamon again. I thought it was odd tasting in the batter before cooking and I could still taste it after it cooked very slightly. I subbed avocado oil because it was all I had. It makes A LOT of cake and gave most away to happy neighbors
Stephanie
When measuring the coconut oil do you measure it before melting it or a full half cup of melted oil?
Lisa MarcAurele
It's measured melted.
Gina D
Can you almond flour instead of coconut flour?
Lisa MarcAurele
Not without making other changes.
Nicole
I am new to this type of baking but should the coconut oil be refined or unrefined?
Lisa MarcAurele
It doesn't matter in this recipe, but I typically use unrefined.
Linda hughes
Just made it today was a little skeptical every keto cake i have made calls for Almond flour
this is difently a keeper so moist and good. thank you for wonderfil recipe
Linda hughes
I am going to make this today for the swerve for cake do i use powder or Granular
Lisa MarcAurele
Either type of sweetener should be fine to use.
mjs
Just made this and I was AMAZED at how delicious it came out! After becoming diabetic, I was craving a chocolate cupcake and didn’t think I could ever have one again. I think the zucchini definitely helped make this taste like a real cake... so moist.
Yun
This recipe is so awesome!!
Anita
This is an amazing cake and I will be making it again... thank you...
Lana
I made this cake and it was a big flop. I followed the recipe exactly, the texture was like eating oatmeal. The frosting was ok. Don’t think I will try again, ingredients are too expensive.
Lisa MarcAurele
There was definitely something off in your ingredients or method. The texture is like cake, not oatmeal.
Susan
This cake turned out delicious , even without icing ???? Why does it have to be frozen or refrigerated?
Lisa MarcAurele
Sugar is a preservative and since there's no sugar in it, the potential is there for it to spoil after a day or two at room temperature. But it's fine to leave out if it will be eaten in a few days.
Jeanette
My mom has recently started eating LCHF and for her 81st birthday I wanted a cake that wouldn’t derail her efforts. I made this recipe today and it was absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it even without icing (we used whipped cream instead for those who wanted some). My sister and daughter both asked for the recipe.
I made sure to squeeze as much moisture as possible from the grated zucchini and I baked two cakes in slightly smaller pans as I did have a 9 X 13. They took slightly longer to cook than the recipe suggested, but came out light, moist and evenly cooked. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you????
Katherine Cirasuolo
Hello, looks delicious! I cant wait to try . Question, how much monk fruit powder did you use for this recipe?
Lisa MarcAurele
The monk fruit amount needed varies by brand and sweetness preference. I've been low carb for over a decade so I don't use as much sweetener as someone just getting started. I used 1/8 teaspoon of NuNaturals Monk Fruit Extract Powder.
Tricia L.
I plan on making this cake next week for Thanksgiving. I have dutch-process sugar free Ghirardelli cocoa. Is it okay if I use that or do you recommend me buying regular sugar free Ghirardellli cocoa? I also plan on using 2 circular pans and layering it with my own keto chocolate mousse recipe rather than frosting. Thank you for your response, in advanced
Lisa MarcAurele
I use the regular unsweetened cocoa powder in the recipe.
James
Followed the recipe to the tee but my cake has a bitter after taste. Any idea why? Really want to perfect this cake as i would like to make this a perm treat for my family.
Lisa MarcAurele
It's either the cocoa used or the sweetener. You may want to try adjusting the sweetener. I also find that adding the chocolate chips improves the taste.
Penny
I honestly don't know what happened, as there were so many positive reviews on this recipe. I followed it to a tee as I didn't want to mess it up. It was completley flavourless except for a burnt aftertaste So disappointing.
Lisa MarcAurele
The flavor is much better if you add the optional chocolate chips (I always add those). However, some cocoa is better than others and people tend to have varying degrees of preference for sweetness. I'm not sure what cocoa powder you used, I used Ghirardelli.
MJ
I love this recipe! Thank you! This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe for quite some time now. My hubby loves it and he isn't even keto, as I am. I usually make a chocolate cream cheese frosting and it is really yummy!.
Crystal
I hate to be this person but have you ever tried almond flour instead of coconut flour I really dislike coconut and I hear the coconut flour has a similar taste to coconut .I wouldLove to try this recipe
Lisa MarcAurele
I've made almond flour cakes and the texture wasn't as good. The chocolate really covers up any coconut taste. I've served it to people who don't care for coconut and no one noticed.
Dorothy
Hi, just want to thank you for the recipe, l made it this week and the whole family loved it. Thank you .
Anita
This is simply Amazing!!! OMG! It tastes just like regular chocolate cake— maybe even better! I had been skeptical about using zucchini in baked foods, but not anymore! I also love how you don’t need to squeeze out the water from zucchini. I added some dark chocolate chips to make it more fudge in the center.
This is absolutely delicious! I used a 9x13 pan and freezes half of the cake. This will for sure be a staple low carb dessert in our house!
Holly
I'm using a 12x18 sheet cake pan...would I do a full recipe and a1/2......or double the recipe.?
Lisa MarcAurele
Either that or just have a shorter cake.
Stephanie
This is hands down THE best low carb keto cake recipie I have made yet! Super moist. My husband couldn't tell it was a keto cake. Thank you thank you thank you! I will serve with pride for my sons birthday party next month.
ruby
love love love this cake. I was put on a low carb diet for health reasons and I was so worried how I was going to satisfy that sweet tooth! this is THE BEST chocolate cake - low carb or high carb I have ever eaten!. I did use only xylitol sugar and stevia sweetened cocoa powder as I did not have unsweetened and the cake was fab. It freezers beautifully and was perfect for that late night choc craving. even better with a wee bit of low carb vanilla ice-cream. Thank you
Jaclyn
I don't normally comment on blog recipes, but this cake was hands down fabulous!! I halved the recipe and made 12 cupcakes instead of one cake. I topped the cupcakes with a lower sugar vanilla buttercream frosting. The batter was so good, I probably ate an entire cupcake worth before I even got the pan into the oven! They were a bit on the sweet side for me, so next time I am going to cut about a third of the sweetener out. I appreciated not having to squeeze and drain the zucchini as well. Thank you
Mendy P
I’ve been eating low carb for a couple of months now and made this cake last night for my birthday. While I’m an experienced baker, this is the first time I’ve ever tried sugar free/low carb baking. I used Swerve granular for the cake and Swerve powdered for the buttercream icing that you linked in the cake recipe. I didn’t add stevia to the cake or the glycerite to the icing simply because I didn’t have either. Both the cake and icing turned out amazing! Both my sugar substitutes hating husband and picky kid loved it too!
I’m so happy to have a “go to” cake now for birthdays and celebrations. Thank you !
Cheryl
I haven't tried the recipe, yet, but it looks awesome. If I wanted to use one of those 24-count mini-cupcake/muffin pans, what would be the bake time? I don't want to overcook them.
Lisa MarcAurele
I'd start checking/testing them at 10-15 minutes.
CARMEN
I'm a DIABETIC. CARBOHYDRATE AND ANS SUGAR RAISES THE GLUCOSE READING.
Lisa MarcAurele
That is true which is why this cake is made with low carb ingredients and no added sugar.
Marie
Can I substitute Liquid Stevia extract for the Stevia extract powder? From your chart, it looks like it would take about 1/3 tsp (however I measure THAT but I'll figure it out 🙂 Since it's only a small amount, I hate to buy another product.
Lisa MarcAurele
They sell measuring spoon sets with 1/3 teaspoon measure. That's how I do it.
Alanna
I followed the instructions to a T, the cake has no flavour and it gave everyone indigestion.. I actually really liked the icing but I only had granulated erythritol so it was like chewing on sand.. I wasted so much time baking this and had to throw it all out 🙁 it’s a no from me, sorry
Lisa MarcAurele
Granulated sweeteners are not recommended for frosting. Either liquid or finely powdered sweeteners need to be used. I have made this cake many times and having a proper frosting makes it a hit even with those not on low carb. And if others got indigestion, it was likely the sweetener you used. That's why I try to limit the amount of erythritol as it can cause digestive issues in larger amounts.
Kim
You can easily make powdered erythritol by putting the granular kind into a blender on high. Just let it settle before opening the lid. However, erythritol does tend to crystallize in the frig.
Barb C
Made these yesterday as cupcakes and they turned out fantastic!! I also used your sf chocolate frosting to top them and they were a huge hit. I have a teenager who doesn't like most of my low carb desserts using erythritol, but she gobbled these up! thanks for another great recipe!
Debbie P
We don't eat a lot of desserts, but we were having guests for dinner and I wanted to have something. I also didn't want to bust my low-carb diet. I had always been intrigued by this recipe, so I decided to give it a go. I did make a couple of swaps. First, I only made a half batch. Second, I used 1/3 cup of Coconut Flour & 1/3 cup of Peanut Flour (I find too much coconut flour makes things too sweet). Third, I used just a little less than 1/2 cup of Splenda (I don't care for Stevia), and Fourth, I didn't have coconut oil so I used Vegetable oil. I am happy to report that it was a huge hit. In fact one of my guests that doesn't cook asked if she could take some home. I will definitely make this again.
Joan T Shields
This cake is delicious! This will be my new go to for zucchini cake.
Tom
I made this as instructed, but The taste of coconut is not my favorite thing. Can I substitute almond flour instead and if so how much?
Lisa MarcAurele
The recipe would need more tweaking as it's not a one-for-one substitute.
Tom
Replace every 1/4 cup (1 ounce) of coconut flour with at least 1 cup of almond flour.
Decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe by using one less egg for every 1/4 cup of coconut flour that the recipe initially called for.
Ana
Quizás la traducción del inglés al español no sea a veces lo que queremos entender de cada una de tus recetas, sobre todo de tus prólogos que no dejo de leer ninguno, son muy amenos, pero específicamente en esta receta me salta la duda de ¿por qué utilizar bicarbonato de sodio y además levadura? he pensado siempre que uno sustituye al otro. O ¿no es así?
Gracias Lisa
Lisa MarcAurele
It is true that usually either baking powder or baking soda is used. However, I decided to try a little of both in this recipe. I don't think there is a rule that you much use one or the other. If using just baking soda, I may need to make sure there's enough acid in the recipe to activate the soda.
Kasara
Does it freeze well?
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes! I always freeze this cake and it still tastes amazing after thawing in the refrigerator.
Denise
Excellent. This cake was/is delicious. This was my first time making the cake. It's so moist and the addition of the chocolate buttercream frosting is sheer perfection. It certainly satisfied my craving for chocolate cake. I will definitely be making it again.
LouiseT
It was good but we all thought we should cut back on sweetener next time in both cake and frosting:)
Sladana Redner
This cake is incredible!!! I put the buttercream frosting, but wondering do I store this in the fridge?
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes. It's best to put any leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh.
Laurie Ropp
Would like to try this, would I use 1 1/2 cups of monk fruit,sounds like alot, thank you
Lisa MarcAurele
It depends on the monk fruit product you are using. If it's a one-for-one sugar alternative like Lakanto Classic, that is the correct amount. But feel free to reduce it to half if you don't have much of a taste for sweetness (I usually cut sweetener in half in this recipe and add in sweetened chocolate chips)
Ali
Absolutely delicious! I actually didn’t have baking soda and doubled up on the baking powder and it turned out nicely.
Debra
Is the mock fruit sweetener the same as the mock fruit powder
Lisa MarcAurele
There's different types of monk fruit sweetener. There's the granular one-for-one sugar replacement and the pure monk fruit powder which can be concentrated at different levels. I'd need to know what you are referring to. But generally "sweetener" refers to a granular sweetener usually blended with erythritol and the "powder" is the concentrated form.
Marnie
My entire 7 member family loves this cake! We've gradually cut the sweetener down to half (so 3/4C) and still enjoy it. I forgot this time about the zucchini due to the fact that I haven't made this cake since my zucchini bump crop last summer. But when I saw the picture I remembered it was well received and after having added all my other ingredients to the bowl I saw the zucchini and thought , damn, what now? I added 3 more big farm fresh eggs and it turned out no problem. I was also a tad short, maybe two TBSP of coconut flour, so topped up with almond flour again with no change to the taste. Lisa, you have created a wonderful, adaptable recipe here for all to enjoy. Thanks so much for taking the time.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for sharing that! Coconut flour just needs a lot of liquid ingredients or it will turn out too dry. Glad the extra eggs worked out.
Alisa
Hi there ! Love this recipe ! Is a 45g serving equivalent to one cupcake ? Thanks Alisa
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes. It's one slice or a cupcake assuming the recipe is dividing into 24 equal portions.
Kathryn
Hi! I have two questions:
Can almond flour be used in the place of coconut flour?
For the 1.5 cups of low carb sweetener, I'm going to use monk fruit sweetener (the link you provided). Since that's a 1:1 sugar replacement, can I just add 1/4 teaspoon more in lieu of the stevia concentrated powder? The two ingredients seem redundant. Thanks!
Lisa MarcAurele
You can use all monk fruit sweetener and omit the stevia. Almond flour isn't a one for one sub but it can work with some other minor changes. Typically, you'll need more almond flour and less liquid/eggs.
Georgie
THIS IS AMAZING!! I have cooked gluten free as well as many vegan recipes and I must say this is so easy and with a lovely flavor. Simply wonderful and has a great texture. Thanks so much!!!!i I love the zucchini added and the moisture especially with using coconut flour, I also went half and half with cocoa and cacao powder to add some superfood to it. Loved it!!!!!! ???
Marjorie Schneider
I’m about to make the cake and realized that I have Erythritol, instead of the sweeteners mentioned. Can you tell me how much to use and do I need to add the stevia to it? Thanks
Lisa MarcAurele
There's a handy sweetener conversion calculator under the linked sweetener conversion chart. But for this recipe, I'd use about 2 cups erythritol and adjust if needed.
Janie S
I loved this recipe, best one I've found! The zucchini keeps the cake moist, the chocolate flavor is scrumptious, & the texture is light & fluffy! I will definitely be making this again!! I've searched for a good low carb chocolate cake recipe that is tasty, this nails it!! Thank you
Janet
Just made this cake. Exactly to recipe. Extremely disappointed. It is actually inedible it tastes so awful. REALLY can’t see how it could be labeled ‘the best keto chocolate cake recipe ever’. Not trying to be offensive...I’m just very disappointed at the utter waste of time and ingredients. Seriously inedible.
Lisa MarcAurele
It could be a number of things. You do need to use a good quality cocoa and be sure to adjust sweetener to taste. Adding in the optional chocolate chips also gives it the best taste.
olivia
That looks incredible!! I can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂 My friends and family are going to love it. lovely pictures too 😉 thank you for sharing with us! I hope you will have a great day!
Lisa MarcAurele
Enjoy the low carb cake! It's always a hit when I bring it to parties.
Kim
Does the nutrition information include the frosting?
Lisa MarcAurele
It's unfrosted, but you can find the nutritional info for the sugar free frosting at https://lowcarbyum.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting-sugar-free/
Nancy
How did you make the buttercream frosting?
Lisa MarcAurele
That recipe is at https://lowcarbyum.com/chocolate-buttercream-frosting-sugar-free/
Tim
We didn't like it at all. Only deviants were short a half cup of zucchini and I used monk fruit for the teaspoon additive and the 1:1 sugar substitute. The consistency and moistness was good, just something about the flavor. Not being a hater, just honest. Loved the chocolate buttercream though.
Thank you, Lisa!
Lisa MarcAurele
It could have been the cocoa and or sweetener. I've found some have better flavor than others.
Donna
Excellent. I halved the recipe for the cake and the buttercream frosting and baked it in a 7.6 X 7.6 inch pan. Wonderful moist delicious chocolate cake!!! Tastes like cake vs. some almost cake-like confection. This recipe is a keeper!
The magic of low carb eating is that after a time everything tastes sweeter, so it doesn't take much sweet flavor to feel like a treat. The second bit of magic is that with today's sweetener choices (I use Swerve mostly and stevia some) and coconut flour and almond flour, one can still have some sweet (albeit, not as sweet as before) treats. Just knowing that things are available makes eating low carb easier.
Mary B Farina
I just made this cake after trying another Keto recipe using almond flour that turned out grainy.
I halved the recipe because I only had 2 cups of zucchini and used Splenda and Hershey's Special Dark cocoa. I also threw in some dark chocolate candy bar chunks.
First the appearance was very dark (ok for dark chocolate lovers) and the cake was appropriately spongy.
It was incredibly moist and you would never know it was loaded with zucchini. I used too much cocoa and not enough Splenda, but with a few tweaks this will be an incredibly good chocolate cake!
Vidhya
All I 've is erythritol. Can i just use that
Lisa MarcAurele
You could try. But for the sweetness you'd need at least 2 cups which may cause crystallization (a common problem if using too much erythritol).
Lena
I tried it tonight and it salad perfect. I replaced the sweeteners with agave and it was fine.
JoAnn
Does the zucchini have to be wrung out with a towel, to get out the excess water?
Lisa MarcAurele
No. You want the moisture from the zucchini in the cake.
June
How many total servings are you considering when looking at the nutritional information? Also - do you freeze the cake with the frosting already layered on the cake. Currently in my oven and for whatever it’s worth, it SMELLS great so far!
Lisa MarcAurele
The number of servings is at the top of the recipe card. For this recipe, it's 24 so I keep the servings pretty small. And I do freeze the cake with the frosting.
N Jones
This cake was awful. Attempted a layer cake, would not come out of pans, way too dry, crumbly. Don't waste your time or eggs on this one.
Lisa MarcAurele
It sounds like you over baked the cake and didn't grease or use parchment lined bottom pans (or silicone) for easy release which is what's recommended when baking low carb cakes.
Terrie
Truly the best! I made it without adding any more sweetener (omitted Stevia) and it was perfectly sweet enough. Texture was like a light brownie. Used Cool Whip and fresh raspberries that were frozen from the season's pickings last year. What a great, low carb dessert!
Lisa MarcAurele
Great way to top it off with whipped cream and strawberries!
Carla
Must be the only one, but I don’t get the “1/4 teaspoon Monk fruit” did you mean 1/4 teaspoon Stevia powder? Or perhaps you meant 1/4 cup Monk fruit? I don’t see how one quarter teaspoon Monk fruit sweetener can make a difference in the recipe. Thanks so much. I’m in the kitchen right now making it
Lisa MarcAurele
I used to use a monk fruit extract (concentrated liquid form) but I now use a monk fruit blend bulk sweetener. So I did change that to stevia as there's already monk fruit in the sweetener I use.
Don
This is one of the best Keto desserts I have made. I cut the recipe in half, yet made the full amount of frosting. It made 12 wonderful cupcake.
E in cle
I just made this. They rose like a cupcake, looked like a cupcake, were moist like a cupcake and were VERY coconutty. I made cupcakes, will freeze and eat till gone. But remake IDK - they have texture of fine coconut and taste a lot like coconut. Not for everyone.
Cheryl
You can use olive oil instead. It is low carb too
Lisa MarcAurele
It's worth a try but I haven't tested it. But it should work out okay.
Kristy
Lisa, I don't like cooling effect of sweeteners. Can you tell me exactly which sugar subs you used for cake and frosting and if you had cooling? Thank you
Lisa MarcAurele
Erythritol based sweeteners do have a cooling taste to them. However, I've found adding a little cream cheese seems to lesson that. You can use a fiber based sweetener instead if you want, but I've found those to cause digestive gas.
Stacy
Could you use gluten free flower to replace the coconut flour , if you don’t like the taste of coconut?
Lisa MarcAurele
You'd have to make other changes in the recipe as it's not a one for one sub.
Valeria
I haven't made this recipe yet, so my comment is not about the cake itself, but about coconut flavors. I spent 35 years LOATHING the taste, smell and texture of coconut. I barely tolerate the taste and smell of it ( still hate the texture) now that I know coconut oil is good for me ( my body told me so) Still, I use refined coconut because I don't want my savory dishes to taste like coconut or my BF will refuse to eat it. That said. The brand of coconut flour I have is Coconut Secret Raw Coconut Flour and boy was I afraid when I smelled it right out of the can. But I will swear up and down Broad Street that my baked goods, both sweet and savory do NOT taste or smell like coconut when done. So the coconut flour doesn't carry the smell, so use a deodorized coconut oil, or some other neutral oil like Avocado oil to reduce unwanted scents in your cooking. Now I'm bookmarking this recipe cause it looks good, but I've got to bake my Buttoni's Blue-Glu Muffins first (which also use coconut flour but doesn't smell like it). Happy Baking All.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for sharing that! I've served coconut flour baked goods to people and they never knew it had coconut in it.
Cheryl
Almond flour would be a good substitute as well.
Stephanie
I could still taste the zucchini some. Can I do half the zucchini and half cream cheese for moisture? Thanks
Lisa
It's worth a try. Or you could try to grate the zucchini in smaller shreds.
Janet
I made this cake for my daughter's birthday yesterday. The cake is expensive to make, way too moist for our liking and had a horrible aftertaste. Needless to say, the cake went in the trashcan today as the aftertaste wasn't any less noticeable.
Lisa MarcAurele
I'm sorry the cake didn't work out for you. The moisture in zucchini can vary and so can the absorbency of coconut flour. I typically make small adjustments to the coconut flour if the batter consistency is too thin. The aftertaste was most likely from the sweetener used. I find that blending sweeteners results in the best taste. Some also find that they like a little more sweetener in the cake.
Traci
Wow. This is the most real dessert I’ve had on keto. I used Swerve granular in the cake and Swerve powdered in the icing and the little amounts of monk fruit and stevia in the recipe. It tastes wonderful and has a great texture. My non keto family liked it too although maybe not as much as I do.
Lisa
I'm glad you and your family enjoyed the cake!
Neola
What texture does this have? Can you use almond flour instead?
Lisa
It's got a spongey texture and you'd have to change other ingredients to use almond flour.
Margaret BASSIL
Could i use almond flour instead of the coconut flour?
Lisa
This is a coconut flour recipe so other changes are needed. To use only almond flour, you'd need more of it along with less liquid and or eggs.
Lisa
This is the ultimate low darb chocolate cake!!! I used erythritol and extra stevia glycerite for the sweetness of a box cake and this is amazing. Even after a week in the fridge this is still moist. My brother who refuses to even taste anything “diet” liked this. Am making it again today. YUM!
Lisa
Thanks for the tip on the stevia glycerite. I find it does tend to give a nice boost of sweetness.
Veronica Ribeiro
I am not a big chocolate person, but I loved this cake. It is very moist. I used swerve and monkfruit sugar.
How do we go about doing it as a yellow cake?
Lisa
I actually tried something similar, but added coconut and used yellow squash instead of zucchini. You can find that recipe at https://lowcarbyum.com/coconut-cake-cream-cheese-frosting/
Jackie
I've just returned to make this again and wanted to leave a note to say how much we liked it. First time I made 1/3 recipe for a 4x8 casserole and this time I'm taking it camping and will half it for an 8x8 metal cake pan. Thanks for this recipe - it truly is the "best"!
Lisa
Great idea to bring along camping for a little treat. Hope you had fun during the trip!
DS
So our cake turned out terrible (it looked great), but we think it was because we couldn't find any of the other sweeteners (monk fruit for the cake, stevia glycerite and Swerve for the frosting) and instead used the equivalent amount of Stevia per the recipe notes. The flavor for us was honestly 0-1 star but I feel like it's mostly because of the Stevia, I haven't tried the other sweeteners mentioned so I'm not sure if they have the same bitter aftertaste but I would assume not based on other comments. The cake itself was very moist and we actually couldn't see the zucchini at all, which surprised us! I ate a bite of the cake with no frosting, and we didn't like it but the taste wasn't awful, it didn't really have much flavor (but it did have the Stevia aftertaste), but the frosting just did not taste good to us.
Lisa
It's definitely the sweetener. I find it best to combine sweeteners for the best overall taste. And some like the cake a little sweetener than others. I've made the cake with a low carb buttercream for a birthday cake and even those not following low carb enjoyed it.
Diane
To any one who never tried it.......You have to try SWERVE. use equal amounts as substitute for sugar. No aftertast, no gas problems etc. amazon sells the powdered and granulated versions. I haven’t yet made this cake but will soon.
April
If you think it was your sweetener, why give a low star rating?
Sara K
I use Stevia and have found I need to use about half the amount of it compared to other sweeteners. This cake is loved by our young twin daughters and myself; even my hubby who is not a "low-carber" or a chocolate cake lover has enjoyed this cake many times.
Lisa
I'm so glad it's a low carb cake your whole family enjoys!
Gracie
I made this cake today, since our zucchini went wild while we were away for a week. I was worried about the odd "cool" sensation I seem to get from the Swerve, so at first I just added 1 cup of the sweetener, but I changed my mind and put in the full amount after all. I used 1/8 tsp of a liquid Stevia as well, so maybe this is what helped it to work out. I filled an 8" x 8" cake pan, and had enough batter left for six heart-shaped donuts (came out like miniature bundt cakes) and another six "muffin tops." This is now my all-time favorite healthy cake! I can't even imagine eating a store-bought cake or something that came from a cake mix now. This surpasses any cake I've ever had. My husband liked it and said he would never have known it used no wheat flour, used a sweetener other than sugar, and had zucchini in it. He declared this a recipe worthy of taking on our sailboat when we entertain guests for dinner. And yes, for anyone wondering, this is absolutely Birthday Cake-worthy!
Lisa
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with the cake recipe Gracie! I love that you made a few mini cakes too.
Farmwife
I just made this in the 9" pans. I don't know what I did wrong, but I had a terrible time getting out of the pans, so it is pretty much crumbled and it will be hard to frost.., but it is still DELICIOUS! So I highly recommend the rectangular 9 x 13 long pan.
Thank you for this delicious treat!
Lisa
You can line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper to make them easier to release.
Steven S Hewett
My family and I eat a low processed carbohydrate and sugar diet and this recipe sounded great. The trouble with that is finding alternative's for my sweet tooth. Although my cake turned out different from what your pictures display I'm quite happy. My result was closer to a sponge cake. I use Pyure as a sweetener and I processed the zucchini into a mush. I was afraid my kids would catch a glimpse of zucchini and be done with it. I plan to perfect future attempts.
Lisa
You could peel the zucchini so the kids don't see any green if you want to leave it grated.
Lisa Duncan
I found this recipe through Virta Health’s blog. So glad I did. It is absolutely fabulous. I made cupcakes - because that helps with portion control - though I have to admit I ate two warm out of the oven, unfrosted. I am freezing half a dozen to take on an upcoming camping trip.
Lisa
Have a great trip!
Sue
Do you have to store the cake with frosting in the fridge?
Lisa
I always do, but it should be fine left out for a couple days.
Brandie
This cake looks amazing ! I wanted to make this for my son's birthday but he's allergic to eggs. I know some people use bananas would that work with this recipe?
Lisa
I've had good results using gelatin and water whipped up with the granular sweetener to a white fluffy consistency as an egg replacer in baked goods.
Amanda
Hello. I am trying to make this cake for my little brother as he is a diabetic. I couldn’t find monk fruit powder anywhere. They were all sold out at the places that I looked. I did find Swerve (confectioners powder not granular) and 100% natural Erythritol granular sugar. Will those work?
Lisa
It's provided in the recipe notes (2-4 tablespoons of sugar equivalent sweetener)
Brenda
My daughter uses flax seed and water as an egg substitute. You can look that up as well in recipes. Hope your son isn't allergic to flax
Jen
HI, this cake looks amazing. I want to make it for my birthday in two weeks. I cannot use any artificial sweeteners as I cannot tolerate them and strictly use monkfruit powder. Should I leave out the 1:1 sweetener entirely? Use more monkfruit? Or do you think this recipe won’t work without the extra sweetener?
Lisa
All monk fruit should work but you may need to up the liquid without the granular.
Amanda
Made the cake yesterday and I am quite surprised at how good it was! I used 100% Erythritol and Swerve confectioners in-replace of the monk fruit. I only put 3 cups of zucchini instead of 4 as the zucchini I had shredded was really watery and I was nervous that the 4th cup would’ve over did it. I grated the zucchini on the smallest part of the grater. I did add Hershey’s sugar free chocolate chips, couldn’t find Lilys. The only thing that I would leave out or maybe put less, is the cinnamon. The cake had a cinnamon aftertaste, which was meh for me as I don’t like cinnamon. The cake was so moist and everyone loved it! My little brother who’s a diabetic and who has never eaten cake before said “is this what it’s like to be normal”. For the frosting I used sugar free cool whip and sugar free chocolate pudding with a cup of milk. Thank you for this recipe, it was great!!
Lisa
Thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe Amanda! It's great that your brother was able to finally enjoy some cake.
Rhonda
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I am pregnant and have gestational diabetes but I have been craving chocolate cake! This has completely hit the spot! The cake is moist and has just the right flavor without the nasty aftertaste that most of the low carb desserts have. I did use the swerve sweetener (almost the whole bag, 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) and omitted the monk fruit powder. I peeled and blended the zucchini into small pieces and found it did not effect the texture too much. If you didn't know it was there you wouldn't have been able to tell. I also added the Lily chocolate chips which was a good addition. I was worried that it would have a coconut flavor but it did not. I personally topped mine with a little bit of whipped cream which was perfect instead of making the frosting. I highly recommend trying this recipe! Thanks again!!!
Lisa
Adding the chocolate chips definitely provides the best taste.
Mira
What is the net carbs for a piece of this cake, 9x13, and 9x9?
Many people who made this cake complained of flavor once baked ... bitter, etc.
Will liquid Stevia counteract the cooling effect of Erythritol?
How much coffee/espresso powder should you add?
If you make this in cupcakes, how long should you bake them?
Lisa
Net carbs is roughly 2.5g per square (9x13 cut into 24 small squares). To offset the taste of erythritol, I like to use a stevia/erythritol blend along with monk fruit. You don't need much espresso powder. Maybe a teaspoon or so. For cupcakes, I'd say about 15 minutes or so, but would check around the 10 minute mark.
JetWan
Made this cake tonight with the german chocolate cake icing. Moist and good. Definitely the best low carb chocolate cake recipe I've tried. Thank you!
Awiti
BEST Low Carb Cake i ever had! Thanks for this Killer Recipe.
Lisa
You're welcome!
Veronica
Wow! Cake came out delicious. I used Erythritol sweetener for the whole recipe. Made half a cake to make sure it wasn’t a disaster, should have made the whole cake. Thank you.
Lisa
Awesome! I'm so glad it worked out for you.
Jenni M
I made this with high hopes, for my mom's birthday. I followed the recipe to a T. It turned out disgusting as a dessert. It tasted more like zucchini bread with an icky artificial sweetener and baking cocoa after taste. I do not recommend this recipe at all. I spent so much on it and was so disappointed.
Lisa
It could have been the ingredients you used as they do vary widely.
James nall
I make this cake all the time my children eat this cake and don't even know its sugar free. Either you didnt have proper ingredients or u forgot to add something possible i use butter,instead of coconut oil regular salt not sea salt. Taste batter with a spoon before baking if not.to.your liking add more sweetener its just like tasting a regular cake batter
Lisa MarcAurele
Great tips James!
Amanda
I made this cake for my mom (who follows a keto diet), and she LOVED it! My sister, her boyfriend, his family, and my mom's coworkers (some who are not dieting) all loved it as well. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Lisa
Thanks for letting us know how well this cake worked out for you Amanda!
Jennifer Curry
I made this today for first time.. I grated instead of shredding .. That may be why.i have the results i have. My cake was slightly bitter, like you need to really like dark Chocolate to eat this, and was very crumbly.. But I'm very much looking forward to trying it again. As I'm struggling with not eating cake and staying low carb
Linda billingsley
Made the cake the other day! I used two small zucchini and the cake was dense and a bit on the dry side! The icing was great though!
Tiffany
Made this cake this weekend and the texture is very grainy, what causes this?
Lisa
This cake should not be grainy at all. None of the ingredients listed should make the texture that way unless too much is used.
Sandra Hubel
Hi Lisa I have a Stevia blend zero calorie sweetner and that's it . It says 3/4 teaspoon is like 2 teaspoon of sugar. It's the Kroger Brand I also have the Kroger Brand of coconut flour do you think these will work in this recipe? I'm very new to trying to cook and bake low carb and I'm very unsure of what I'm doing. Thank you
Lisa
They should both work. Just make sure to convert the sweetener as needed.
Yvonne Ramos
So I've made this cake twice now and both times they were Amazing! The 1st time I made it I did use the zucchini but I thought it was a little weird so the 2nd time I replaced the zucchini with 3 cups of heavy cream and it was spectacular! If anybody else finds the zucchini flavor a bit off putting I would definitely recommend this substitute.
Lisa
Interesting! I wouldn't have thought to use heavy cream. I'll give it a try.
Jessica S
Quick question for you, Lisa - in the recipe (and the link), the sugar looks granulated, but the video shows powdered/confectioner's style for the larger quantity amount. Can you confirm for me? I've got granulated and powdered Swerve on hand at the moment. Out of my granulated monk fruit.
Lisa
I use granulated in the cake, but powdered will work too. However, only powdered should be used in the frosting.
Laura
Great recipe. A real cake with real cake texture for keto wow. Really happy with the quantity this makes and it was easy to follow. Thank you for giving us a satisfactory solution to our cake cravings.
Alyn
Hi just made your cake today. I so loved it. Changes on sugar because I can't fins monk fruit here on the Philippines. My son loves it also. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Alexis
This was amazing. I made it as cupcakes as a Friday treat for my 6 kids, ages 1-9 (who have not been huge fans of every recipe I have tried since starting LCHF/Keto) The oldest two thanked me for making a "normal" treat and requested it for upcoming birthdays! AMAZING! I did half coconut flour and half oat fiber but everything else was the same. I will shred the zucchini finer next time, but honestly it was SO GOOD! 100!
Ana Hall
Thank you so much for this recipe! I Made it yesterday and didn't have any problems with the cake sticking .My problem is that there is something that has an after taste but a lot I'm not sure if it is the coco power or the stevia, but it's very strong. I don't know exactly what it is.
Lisa
It could be either the cocoa or stevia. Sometimes I add a little instant coffee to enhance the flavor.
Aimee
I find baking with any stevia always gets bitter. I avoid it and only use Swerve.
Judy C.
Do you peel the zucchini before you grate it?
Lisa
I don't peel the zucchini before grating. But, if you want to hide it, you may want to peel it so the green pieces don't show.
Andra Harris
yay!!!! finally a "sweet" recipe that actually tastes good and is not grainy like almond flour. This was a huge success. We are fairly new to keto but I'm getting the hang of the "new" way of baking. My go to sweetener is Sola. I used it in this recipe - a little less than what was called for in the recipe. My cake was moist and did not stick in the pan. Previous experience with adding zucchini - such as in zucchini bread- is you have to seriously grease the pan. I took this to a pot luck and no one new it was a "healthy" cake. Thank you for this awesome recipe!!!
Mckenzie
Hi could I sub in almond flour for coconut? And if so how much?
Lisa
It won't work one-for-one in this recipe.
Clarissa
WAH! I don't know what went wrong. I had such high hopes! The batter tasted good but it turned out ew. I can't explain what is wrong with the flavor. My husband doesn't like it either. He also liked the batter. The consistency is perfect though.
Lisa P
We aren't a fan either.
Esther Bergling
Seriously, probably the best chocolate low-carb cake I’ve ever made. Had the kids and grandkids over and they loved it (even the grands!) I will be making for my high school so nice to kids tomorrow they’ll never know the difference.
Kathy
I used to make this cake with a regular recipe and loved it. I now tried this recipe and frankly, it was awful. First, the frosting tasted great but needed four times the liquid listed. I followed the cake recipe exactly and it never blended correctly. It was like a bunch of pebbles with zucchini when it went in the pan. The zucchini never baked in, it was apparent it was there. Also, the cake was bitter, grainy and awful tasting. My husband was so excited to try it but after one bite pushd it away. I do not know what was wrong as I followed everything to the letter.
Lisa
I have no idea what you did, but I've made this cake over a dozen times now without issue. Maybe your measurements or ingredients were off? What kind of cocoa were you using? Was it by chance the raw kind? And, finely grated zucchini should not be seen. What kind of grater did you use?
Ashley Smith
i would love to try this, this weekend. i have unsweetened raw coco (cacao?) powder. 1 cup seems like a bit much and would be more bitter. if its unsweetened do i half the amount? my hubby does not like super dark chocolate taste he finds it to bitter.
Lisa
I do believe that the raw cacao needs less, but I used regular unsweetened cocoa in the tested version.
Melissa
I made this last night and I had Hershey’s Special Dark 100% cocoa powder (100% cacao) on hand. I used that to the suggested measurement and it had a very strong bite in the aftertaste I thought it was a lot of powder too). Almost to the point of a burning sensation. I also used Swerve granular in the cake and confectionary for the frosting.
The texture of the cake and the flavor was perfect minus that extreme aftertaste. Do you think that was the swerve or the dark cocoa powder? I want to make this again but get it right as I think it has real potential. What cocoa powder do you use?
Sorry I’m new to this whole natural baking and low carb gig, lol.
Lisa
It could be a little of both, but likely more the cocoa. Some people also prefer the cake a little sweeter so for that I like to add in a little more monk fruit sweetener.
Ruth
I have been low carbing since January 1, 2012. I have tried many chocolate cake recipes since then, and I believe that this is the best so far! Thank you so much for sharing!
Lisa
You're welcome Ruth!
Anika Armstrong
Hi, is it possible to substitute almond flour for coconut flour? Thanks!
Lisa
Not in this recipe. Sorry! It’s designed to use only coconut flour.
abigail Yee
tried this cake today and it tastes amazing! the zuchinni makes it soft (although i should prob grate it a bit smaller - my partner said it was a bit weird to see green in his cake, nonetheless he ate a whole slice). the flavor is good, we didnt have monk fruit but replaced with with sweetener.
Michelle
I just made this recipe for the second time this month and WOW! It is amazing! My kids and husband (who are not low-carbers) love it too. I made it to recipe but omitted the monkfruit both times as I don't have it on-hand. I used Sweve as my only sweetener and added one cups of Lily's Baking Chips. Thank you, thank you and I can't wait to try more Low Carb Yum recipes!
Cindy
I have the first sweetener you mention in recipe but not the pure monk fruit. Is there a way to adjust recipe?
Lisa
It's in the recipe notes.
Becky
Question I don't have the fruit powder. All I have is splenda or brown sugar splenda. Can I use either one in place of the monk fruit? Plus would it be 1.5 cups sweetener plus say 3 tablespoons more of splenda?
Lisa
Yes. You'll want to use about 1 2/3 to 1 3/4 cup of sugar equivalent sweetener in the cake.
Sabrina Bogan
I'm going to try this for my son. His birthday is the 17th of January. I'll let you know how it went.
Gayle
Wonderful cake! Very rich and moist, loved it! I tried the buttercream frosting recipe, but just couldn't get it to work, so ended up making a cream cheese frosting. But the cake is AWESOME! Thanks. 🙂
Lisa
Sorry the frosting didn't work out, sometimes it's a slight difference in ingredients. But, so glad the cake worked out well.
Anne
I really like that this cake has so much zucchini in it. It comes out moist and has a light feel to it, so that you can pair it with buttercream frosting without it getting too rich. I have made this cake three times. First two times, I made it into a 9x13 pan. Both came out good and moist, but even though I greased the pan generously, the cake stuck to the bottom and sides pretty badly. Oh well, I just spread frosting across the top and called it done. The third time I made this into a layer cake. I carefully lined round cake pans with parchment paper and they came out without a problem. I spread peanut butter frosting between the layers and chocolate frosting on the outside. It was good, but I think I will try using only peanut butter frosting next time. Because this is definitely good enough to make a fourth, fifth, sixth.... time. Thanks for a great recipe!
Allie
WARNING - this cake will stick to your cake pan like nothing else. I made sure to grease the pans very well, as directed in the recipe, but they still stuck. I broke the first one while trying to remove it and once I had a taste, I ended up scraping all three straight to the bin.
Lisa
It's best to line at least the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. I use a seasoned stoneware pan and it does not stick.
Amy
Terrific recipe. Thank you. Every year, I make my husband a German chocolate birthday cake. But since following a Keto diet, we weren't sure if we could still have a tasty birthday treat. Yes, we can. I made this cake and added a pecan coconut frosting:
Melt 1/2 cup butter over low heat
Add 2 beaten eggs and 2/3 cup evaporated milk. Wisk over medium heat until thickened (whisk constantly or you will have scrambled eggs and not a smooth custard)
Add 2/3 cup swerve and stir well.
Cool slightly and add in 2 cups coconut, 1 cup toasted chopped pecan and 1/2 cup sugar free chips. Chips may melt but that is ok
Spread on cooled cake
Spread on cake
Valerie
Can I use heavy cream uh Ruhr place of the evaporated milk?
Jennifer Curry
Ii love the German chocolate icing recipe! Thank you
Rachel
I had to toss the batter because the salt was overpowering. I'd be willing to try again another day but will not add salt.
Lisa
It's may also be the baking powder so cut that back in addition to omitting/reducing salt.
Ilko
I just made this cake yesterday. I followed the recipe and the one and half cup of Swerve seemed way too much I had to use almost the whole bag of it I bought. Also it says it doesn’t affect blood sugar but this amount of total carbs just in the Swerve 144 grams. My husband needs to count the total carbs of his intake. So I just don’t know if he can really eat this cake. It tastes really sweet.
What if I want to replace Swerve with other no carb sweeteners? Shall I use the same amount?
And of course it’s a great cake, thank you!
Lisa
You could cut the bulk sweetener in half and replace some of the sweetener with concentrated stevia or monk fruit.
Cherish
Swerve’s carbs are sugar alcohols. Meaning they don’t get processed the same as regular carbs do. Since there are only 2 categories for carbs, Sugar and Fiber, and swerve is not fiber, it gets listed under “sugar”. But since it is alcohol, it gets burned off, so to speak, and doesn’t actually count as carbs. You’ll notice some nutritional info will now include the “sugar alcohols” at the bottom of their package. Just so you know, Swerve is carb free. If you go to their website, they explain how it is. But yes, I thought the same thing when I first started using swerve, and couldn’t understand why people were using it as a keto dieters answered prayer.
Kelley
I am really geeked about making this cake, but the ingredients do not include coconut flour or the amount to use. Can you provide this information? I would love to make this next week for my son's birthday.
Lisa
The very first ingredient is 1 cup coconut flour. Do you need weight measurement?
Kimberly
Is there a substitute I can use for the monk fruit powder? I'm wanting to make this cake for my husband next week for his birthday! 🙂
Lisa
It's in the Notes section of the recipe (at the bottom).
Cara
I am SO new to this diet - as in one week in. And my birthday is in 2 weeks. My family is not very accommodating, so I'm going to try to make my own cake and hopefully no one complains. I'm confused on ingredients b/c I've literally never used them before - If I don't want to spend the money on monk powder, can I just use a little more of the All-Purporse Stevia sweetener? or is that different from stevia concentrate? Trying to figure out what I NEED to buy, to make it the least expensive. Thank you!!
Lisa
You'll find the conversion in the recipe notes. You can use the 3/4 Pyure All-Purpose (which is readily available at Walmart) and add an additional tablespoon or two to replace the monk fruit. (note that Pyure is twice as sweet as sugar so you'll need to use half the amount). It is tough to make the frosting without a powdered sweetener and since Pyure is sweeter than sugar you may need to add in another powder to compensate. I have seen others make a butter and cream cheese frosting will very little powdered sweetener.
Karen
That small amount of monk powder isn't going to make a difference. You can leave it out or yes, use your stevia concentrate.
Christie DeWees
I made this as cupcakes for special guest that were diabetics. Also those of us that are LCHF lifestyle. My friend that has been a diabetic for years said she couldn't believe it was "No sugar." She said it was the best she had ever eaten. I agree
Lisa
Thanks for sharing! I agree. I've served the cake to so many people and they always question if it's really low carb.
Robin Finke
Why Two Sugars? I use virtue sugar which is 4 times sweeter than regular sugar and trying to figure out how to switch it up
Lisa
I like the taste of blended sweeteners better than using a single sweetener.
Candice Conway
Awesome cake! It turned out perfect! So yummy, light and moist. I'm thrilled with it!
Lisa
Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it. I'm so happy it worked out for you!
John
My wife made this for me yesterday. It had a very pronounced peppery aftertaste. Any ideas why?
Lisa
Hard to tell. It could be from the sweetener, cinnamon, or cocoa.
Laurie
Tried this recipe tonight. Wow! Best tasting low carb chocolate cake ever! I split the recipe in half and it was perfect! Very moist and the taste was fantastic! I used 2 zucchinis (2 cups) and you can't even tell there was zucchini in the cake!
Lisa
Thanks so much for writing in Laurie! 🙂
Erin
Hi, Lisa, just found your website and made this cake! Everyone loved it! No one could believe it was low carb! I am so excited to try your other recipes!
Thanks so much!
Lisa
Yay! So glad it was a winner.
Rasmus
This looks super yummy! I'll be sure to try your recipe out soon - thanks!
Lisa
Hope you love it!
Zang
Just made this last night and finally...I found a good tasting low carb chocolate cake recipe. I have tried quite a few and have been left disappointed. Most of them were disgustingly gross. I started to accept that I just won't be able to eat cake that often, but not anymore! Finally, this one tastes like real cake without the guilt! Thank you so much! I was a little hesitant since there were mixed reviews on here, and I'm like the world's worst baker too, so I was shocked when this turned out. haha
Lisa
That's awesome! I used to be the worst cook, but always pretty good at baking. I blame the mixed results on variations in ingredients. Unfortunately, coconut flour can vary more than almond flour.
Morgan Myers
I LOVE this recipe. It freezes so well and the consistency is great!!!
Lisa
I have some in the freezer now individually wrapped in slices. To enjoy, I just let it sit at room temp for 30 minutes to an hour or I'll toss it in my lunch bag and it's ready to eat by lunchtime.
Jill
I made this cake and frosting today and it is so full of chocolate goodness!! My husband said, "it taste like chocolate air, it's light and fluffy!" I loved it as well! Thank you so much for giving me back my chocolate cake again! The hardest part is not eating it all at once. It was amazing!
Lisa
Glad it turned out light and airy for you. I typically freeze half or only make half a cake. If I don't hide it out of site, I'll eat the whole thing!
Lorri S
I made this tonight for the second time. Such a good cake!! And the frosting is fabulous!! Thank you!!
Lisa
Thanks so much for letting us know how much you like the cake Lorri!
Rohanne
I made this cake with high hopes having just started low carb and wanting to still have a birthday cake. I followed the recipe exactly. Not sure if the ingredients are different here in Australia but it was truly awful! Tasted like cocoa flavoured sawdust. I had to throw it out. Luckily I tasted it before I wasted the icing!
Lisa
Either ingredients aren't the same, or you didn't use the correct amount of zucchini/courgette. I've made the cake numerous times and it's always moist and delicious. Some ovens can vary too so it's good to check on the cake for doneness early as well.
Corry
I’m in Australia too, and I have also had to thrown mine away.... bitter and nasty!! Maybe we are missing something?????
Lisa
The measurements must be off. I've made this so many times and it's always come out delicious. Maybe the sweetener isn't at the right amount or too much cocoa?
Elizabeth
I find some people use baking Soda instead of baking powder. That can leave a bitter taste. ? I am Aussie as well!
Anne
If you measure the zucchini by weighing it according to the recipe, you will get cocoa flavored sawdust. Shred the zucchini on smallest grater and measure in cups. My 4c came to weigh _significantly_ more than the weight listed in the recipe and with the 4c the cake came out moist and yummy.
Kathy
Hi Lisa! I love all your recipes! I cook for a couple in my neighborhood two nights a week. I search for recipes every week. I made them some chocolate brownies and topped them with your chocolate buttercream icing recipe and then added crushed pecans on top. They were amazing. Now, I want to try this cake! Are the carbs listed for the cake and the icing? Thanks for all you do! Kathy
Lisa
Carbs are for the cake. You can get the information for the frosting on that recipe post which is linked in the cake recipe.
Sara
I have been using this recipe as the basis for my own modifications (because I can't help myself). This is an amazing cake, and it has some flexibility too. I've made 4 or 5 versions now, always using King Arthur coconut flour for consistency. I've varied the sweeteners a bit, preferring Sukrin:1, but also using plain eryrthitol with extra (pure) monk fruit powder (Swanson's).
I didn't have that much zucchini one time, so I added coconut creamer (per volume replacement) and it worked fine. I actually prefer a little less zucchini unless it's really fresh.
Adding 1 tsp of espresso powder to heighten the chocolate flavor helps, and it compliments the cinnamon. I also prefer this cake - which is amazingly moist and tender - with some chocolate chips. I use Lily's to stay low carb (and they don't taste weird).
The cake is good enough to not need frosting, but the last time I made this, I did an almond-buttercream. (I'm still trying to get used to erythritol products in frosting, but almond was a good flavor to pair with the inevitable cool sensation.)
Great job in bringing us a fantastic recipe!
Lisa
Thank you so much for sharing your tips Sara! I always forget about espresso. It really does give a much better chocolate flavor.
Lou
The recipe asks for cocoa but can I use raw unsweetened cacao? If so, would it still be a whole cup of cacao? That seems like a massive amount as it is pretty strong stuff?
Lisa
You could use 1/2-3/4 the amount and taste test to see if you think more is needed. I haven't tried it with the raw cacao.
Sherry
I really wish that I would of loved this cake but I just didn't. I was so excited to make it but it was just so fake tasting. I even made the buttercream frosting but even that was soooooo sweet with an after taste.
Lisa
It may have been the sweeteners you used. They can affect the taste.
Barbara Hust
OMG - I had just about given up making a cake for desert for special occasions (too dry & texture way off)---- that is until I tried this receipe. Nade this for father's day & absolutely loved it. Thank you so very much for the receipe
Lisa
You're welcome Barbara! I'm happy to hear it was a success for you!
Nadine
Thanks for all your work! Wonderful taste.
Found the outside a little dry. Maybe i cooked it a little long?
Could you use an egg substitute, such as flax seed gel in this recipe?
Again, thank you for sharing these your hard work!
Lisa
I'm sensitive to egg whites and use psyllium gel which is very similar to flax seed gel. So, yes, subbing the eggs should work.
Thea
This turned out great! But I crunched the nutrition info based on the weight of zucchini I used, and my total/net carbs are higher than your chart indicates, plus higher calories. Did you not account for the "optional" chocolate chips? And what weight of zucchini do you use? My 4 cups weighed 22.5 oz. Thanks for all you do!!!
Lisa
Anything "optional" is not accounted for.
Kari
Do you squeeze out your zucchini? Do you pack the cups? Is there a weight? This gets me every time in a recipe with zucchini. Thought I would ask before I made this ! Thank you! ???
Lisa
I do not squeeze out the liquid in the zucchini as it helps offset the dry coconut flour. And, I just lightly pack when measuring the cups. I can get a weight measurement added next time I bake the cake which will likely be soon as we are getting a lot of zucchini in our garden right now.
sandy segneri
Mine was really soupy when i put it in oven 40 minutes later it's still liquidy in center- I followed recipe to a T- I don't know what happened. I'm still waiting and checking every ten minutes. Made the frosting- didn't have confectioners sugar substitute so whipped up some pyrure in my food processor- it's ok but a little grainy tasting in frosting- next time I'll buy the confectioners that you mentioned. Can't wait until it sets so we can try it.
Lisa
It sounds like it could be the coconut flour. What brand did you use?
Jolene
Looks so yummy!
Lisa
Thanks Jolene!
Emily
I'm such a skeptic when it comes to most low carb baking, but I made this recipe into cupcakes and they are amazing!! I'm so impressed! I'm hoping to make these for an upcoming party I'm going to and not tell anyone they're low carb. I'm waiting for my non-low carb boyfriend to come home and try them so I can see if they pass the test, but I'm pretty sure they will! And heck, I'm not sure I really care anymore because I love them! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Lisa
It passed the test with my regular eaters. They kept asking if it was really a low carb cake when I served it at a birthday party.
Kelli
How long do you bake this when making regular sized cupcakes?
Katrina
YUMMY!!!!! Everyone Loved it. Unbelievable! Can't get enough! You must try!
Lisa
Thanks for writing in and letting us know Katrina!
txgrandma
I made this last week and I agree that it's the best lc chocolate cake. Maybe the best chocolate cake I've ever tried! It will be my go-to recipe from here on. The frosting added a decadence to it that made it a real treat. Unfortunately we have learned that my husband is sensitive to coconut oil and flour and so although he loved it, he can't have it any more. (Darn!) I did freeze part of it and will serve it to my ladies group when we meet here in a couple of weeks. Many of them are having to watch carbs and so I know they will love it also.
Lisa
Sorry to hear that your husband isn't able to have coconut flour. That is a bummer. I'm not sure what a good sub for it would be. Maybe oat fiber would work, but amount may be different.
Diana
Have you ever used a combo of regular sugar and sweeteners to improve taste for little ones? What would you think would be a good combo of sugar and sweetener ?
Lisa
I find using a blend of erythritol, stevia, and monk fruit gives a taste most similar to sugar so there's no need to add in any high carb sweetener.
Sara
My mom complains if my baked things have no sugar whatsoever, so before I went totally low carb, I was sun a coupe tablespoon of real sugar in, up to 1:4 C depending on the total volume. For this cake, I might go as high as 1/4 C for a non-diabetic picky eater.
SW
Xylitol tastes exactly like real sugar.. 😉
Fiorella
Hi,
I am preparing this recipe for my Brother's birthday and wondered whether you think this recipe is enough for a 3 layer, 9" round pan cake? Or by how much should I increase and how long do you reccomend each layers to be baked?? Thanks!!!
Lisa
The recipe should make 2 regular size 9-inch rounds. So, you might be able to get 3 thinner rounds. You may want to increase by half the recipe for 3 regular size layers. Baking time should be anywhere from 35-40 minutes so just start to test doneness at about 30 minutes.
Gail
Lisa....OMG....I made this cake with chocolate buttercream icing (that I whipped for an especially long time) and it is FABULOUS!! I LOVE your recipes! My husband had a gaming night with a few friends last night and it was a big hit with them as well. They would never have guessed it was low-carb, sugar-free. Haha, in fact they said it was reminiscent of the McCain frozen chocolate cake with whipped frosting.....much better of course and denser!! No one guessed it had zucchini in it either. It is an incredibly moist delicious cake! I added about 1 1/2 ozs of cream cheese to the frosting....kept butter the same! THANK YOU for your hard work and incredible recipes! Love you for it! Cheers! ???
Lisa
I'm so glad the guys liked the cake. It's my absolute favorite low carb cake. I make it all the time and it never disappoints.
Marijke
I am so sorry to report the cake was disgusting, it only tasted of egg to the point of being repulsive. I followed the recipe as is and this has pretty much killed any desire to lchf any longer. Whats worse is that I made a delicious ganache with lots of expensive 70% chocolate.
Lisa
We did not find the cake eggy at all. I served it at a birthday party last summer with a sugar free buttercream frosting and no one could believe it was a low carb cake. Sorry LCHF didn't work out for you. The longer you are on it, the more you appreciate the recipes. Unfortunately, many people are addicted to sugar and it takes a while to adjust tastes coming off the addiction.
Amanda
Does the cake need to be refrigerated or can I leave it on the counter covered? Yes it has the frosting on it and yes it was delicious. My 3 kids loved it even after they saw me putting zuchinni in it lol
Lisa
It's fine on the counter for a couple days, otherwise, I'd keep it in the refrigerator.
Diana
What kind of coconut oil do you use?
Lisa
I use virgin or extra virgin coconut oil.
Diana
Hi! I would like to make this cake for my diabetic 5 year old. What kind of coconut oil do you suggest?
Lisa
I've used various kinds. I like to use virgin or extra-virgin.
Pat Benne
Could you bake this cake in a Bundt pan? For how long? And do you have a vanilla or marshmallow frosting? This sounds so good! I'm going to make it for Easter.
Lisa
It should fit in a bundt ban. You'll just need to be careful removing. I recommend using a silicone mold.
Joanne
Excellent cake! Super moist! Everyone enjoyed it! Left out of the monk's fruit powder but didn't increase the Swerve as recommended. I thought it was plenty sweet but my grown son said it could have been just a little sweeter. The frosting was really good as well. I did substitute a few tablespoons of the butter with cream cheese. Will definitely make this cake again soon!
Lisa
The sweetener amount in the cake is already reduced a bit from a sugar recipe, but I find I like the cake best less sweet if adding frosting.
Karen
Unfortunately I am allergic to coconut and almonds. Any suggestion on other ingredients I can use?
Lisa
You could try replacing the coconut flour with a suitable flour that doesn't bother you like finely ground sunflower seed. However, you'd need more of it and the eggs and liquid would need to be reduced. It's not an easy substitution.
Cher Anderson
I know this recipe is for a low carb cake, but if I can't use the sweeteners in the recipe, monk fruit powder and Pyure All-Purpose, approximately how much granulated sugar should I use?
Lisa
You'll need about 1-3/4 cup sugar for the cake. Some may like closer to 2 cups.
Kim
Does the nutritional info you have include the frosting?
Lisa
It doesn't include frosting.
Sue
Can you use almond flour instead of coconut flour and butter instead of coconut oil?
Lisa
You'd have to make other changes as coconut flour and almond flour are not one for one subs. Usually, for every cup of almond flour, you'd use 1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut flour plus additional eggs and liquid.
Tiffany R
Do you have an alternate to the coconut flour and oil? I want to make this but my husband is alergic to coconut?
Lisa
Unfortunately, this recipe was developed to use coconut flour. You might be able to sub with almond flour, but you'd need more flour and less eggs and a bit less liquid. It would need some experimenting to get it right.
Stephanie
Can I use stevia in the raw instead of pyure? I already have it in bulk and how much would I use?
Also, is there a difference between monk fruit powder and monk fruit in the raw?
I don't know how to shred zucchini but I have a ninja that can purée it. Would that work?
Lisa
Monk fruit powder is concentrated and in the raw is not. You'll need twice as much stevia in the raw than Pyure. I'm not sure how pureed zucchini would work. I guess that's worth an experiment.
Sandy Race
I made this over this cake and frosting on Saturday, after reading all the comments. It is fabulous!!!!! I used the small grate side on my box shredder, had no problems with the batter being dry and it had a beautiful rise. It does have a minty, cool after taste but my hubby and I didn't mind. The frosting turned out great also, I used the cream cheese advice, no after taste.
One question, can I use ZSweet instead of the Swerve? It is easier for me to find and a bit easier on my budget, just wondering. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Lisa
Any sweetener should be fine in this one. And the bulk sweeteners with added erythritol typically work best in baked goods.
Becky
So there is only 2.5 net carbs per serving? That's amazing ??
Lisa
It is without frosting. But, you can deduct the erythritol in the frosting so it doesn't add much.
Brynn Alexander
Do you have a vanilla cake version of this?
Lisa
I have one planned, but in the meantime, you can try the poundcake which is the my other favorite cake.
Christina
This cake is really good, but the frosting is to die for! How long would you cook if you made this as cupcakes? 20-22 minutes
Lisa
I've baked them into cupcakes in this recipe and it took 25-30 minutes.
Annmarie
I have a question... when measuring out the coconut oil do you measure out 1/2 C then melt or is it 1/2 C melted coconut oil?
Lisa
The amount provided is melted amount, but it should be about the same either way.
Penny
Where and what brand of cocoa powder do you use?
What I'm finding is 2 carbs per tablespoon
Lisa
Usually Ghirardelli which has 1g net per tablespoon.
Delaney
I made this over the weekend for my son's 8th birthday. I had to fudge on a few of the ingredients since I can't quite reconcile spending so much money on Swerve, so I used a combination of what I had on hand. I added about 1/4c of coffee that was left from the morning. And I didn't have zucchini, but had yellow squash to use up. It turned out amazing.
My son claimed it was the best cake he's ever eaten. He had it again for breakfast this morning and I didn't even feel guilty. 🙂
I also hate the word moist, but this case was MOIST, delicious, and absolutely amazing cold! THANK YOU!!!
Lisa
You're welcome Delaney. It's good to know that yellow squash works too!
Carla
My bf birthday is coming up Saturday I want to make him a chocolate cake he was diagnosed with diabeties and also has to majorly cut his carbs or the dr said he would be dead in 5 yrs. if he knew I was putting a vegetable in his cake he wouldn't eat it. So my question is can u see the shredded zucchini??
Lisa
It's very difficult to detect. If you want to eliminate the green, you can peel it first. I brought it to a birthday party and no one knew there was zucchini in it.
Kim
I've made this several times as cupcakes and they are so flipping good. If you've been eating low carb for a while and just need a sweet treat, this is a must! I've shared with all my keto friends. Thanks!
Lisa
I love these as cupcakes too!
Rhiannon
Since this cake was touted the "best" I decided to give it a try. I'm not sure what I did wrong, but it turned out to be probably the worst thing I've ever tasted. I don't think using coconut oil AND flour is a good idea. Neither was adding zucchini. I found another recipe online using almond flour, milk & butter that turned out much better. On a positive not, the chocolate buttercream frosting was amazing.
Lisa
Did it taste too much like coconut or was the texture off? You do want to keep the moisture in the zucchini and not drain it.
Michelle
Why would be so salty?
raeleen
Whats the other receipe?
Ahughes
I just made this. Me & hubby enjoyed it. When yo haven't eaten regular cake this hits the spot! Can't make this but on very special occasions. With a few changes mines came out way more net carbs than yours. I used trivia, added coffee & used cream cheese icing w/ a few teaspoons of cocoa powder. Thanks, this is a keeper
Lisa
Did you subtract the erythritol? It has almost no impact on blood sugar.
vagisha
I was a little concerned when the cake didn't "rise" in the oven. No matter how long I baked it the bottom was still gooey, so I decided to take a chance and cool it and my oh my did that make a difference!It was still better with my low carb chocolate ganache of sorts ( I made this with 4 bars of ghirardelli 100% cacao, about 1/4 cup whole milk, 1-2 tbsp almond butter and some swerve and splenda-micrwaved to melt the chocolate till the milk bubbles and just stirred it all together). Refrigerating the whole thing with the chocolate ganache made a big difference and the cake was a hit with my to be in laws!Thanks so much for the healthy recipe!
Lisa
Most low carb baked goods need to cool completely before you can tell.
Amanda
Love this recipe! Made it for my family for Christmas, and they all loved it. I was wondering, could I use this to make a zucchini bread? I would omit the cocoa powder, and bake in a bread pan. What would you suggest for cooking time? 50 min or so? Also, should there be any other modifications you suggest? Thanks so much!
Lisa
You may need another ingredient in place of the cocoa for bulk. I'm thinking low carb unflavored whey protein powder may work.
Tracey
I am baking this cake right now. Is the batter supposed to be so thick you can barely stir it? I'm nervous it's too thick...had to spread it in pan like it was almost clay. Thanks. I double checked all ingredients over and over.
Lisa
The batter is thick, but not like clay. The moisture comes from the zucchini. Was your shredded zucchini wet?
Tracey
I squeezed out the zucchini. I think next time I will leave it undrained...the cake was a bit dry. Thanks a bunch.
Lisa
I never squeeze out the zucchini for cake recipes 🙂
Charlotte S
Lisa - Thank you for this and all of your awesome recipes. I have never been a cook in my life but with the change to low carb six months ago I discovered your site and have found your recipes so easy to follow I feel like I am now a great cook! Thank you for making this way of eating a breeze to stick to. -50# YAY!!
Lisa
You're welcome Charlotte! I was never much of a cook before going low carb. This way of life forced me to learn!
Marilyn
Low carb and Keto are sisters and both causes us to plan our next move...
Michelle Woodall
Thank you so much for this! I made this a few days ago and it's already nearly gone. I love chocolate and knowing that i can still have amazing cakes like this on a LCHF diet makes life so much better! I know that i am not poisoning my body when eating this, if anything, i'm nourishing it! You can't even tell that there is zucchini in it. I didn't strain the zucchini, so it was lovely and moist. I added the sugar free chocolate bar too, and it was HEAVEN!
I was looking for a cake i can make for Christmas that no one will be able to tell its sugar free, and this is winner.
Thank you so much, it's amazing!!
Lisa
Thanks for writing in Michelle and letting us all know how the recipe worked out for you. This one is my favorite low carb cake of all.
Pam Price
Best cake EVER!!! I have made this many times, and everybody loves it!!!!
Carrie
I have erithritol and powderd stevia but none of the sweetener blends you suggest. Can you let me know if either of those will work or if I need to do some kind of combo (half and half maybe)? I do have the monk fruit for that part.
Thanks!
Lisa
You'll need about 1 3/4 cups to 2 cups sugar equivalent. You could use about 1 cup erythritol and 3/4 teaspoons stevia powder (about 1 1/2 tsp liquid stevia).
Xochitl
Hi, this sounds amazing and I miss cake so much but I only have stevia, I don´t have Pyure all purpose, I live in Mexico and it is really hard to get it, how much stevia should I use?
Thank you
Lisa
You need about 1 1/2 teaspoons of a concentrated stevia powder.
Lisa
What is your favorite cocoa powder to use? I have Sprouts brand. Thank you! Love your recipe s!
Lisa
I've used various brands with good results. I do like Ghiradelli, but Hershey's Dark has always been a favorite too.
Mishele
Everything low carb uses coconut ?, I know substituting almond flour for at least 1/2 the coconut flour will require less liquid, but can I use butter instead of coconut oil?
Lisa
You should be able to use butter instead of coconut oil. They are similar when used in baked goods.
Siamese guy
I am sorry to say but this wasn't very good. We followed the recipe perfectly but it tasted bad. There was a very artificial after taste. If there is any idea what went wrong reply.
Lisa
What did you use as a sweetener? The brand of cocoa can also have an impact on flavor.
Rabiab
This cake was awful. It looked like someone took a big dump and tastes like it too. Don't do it!!
Lisa
You must have made it incorrectly. I've made the cake more than 10 times without an issue. I even passed it off as a regular cake.
Denise
I made this cake as cupcakes this weekend and put a little whipped cream on them (both reg and chocolate whipped cream) right before serving. Wow, they were awesome! But for next time can I use vegetable oil instead of coconut oil? Too many saturated fats in the coconut oil. Had to give my sister the recipe-she loved it!
Lisa
I don't recommend vegetable oil as coconut is much healthier, but you certainly could use it if you wish.
Marilyn
Coconut oil is used by the body in a different way than other saturated
fats...Lisa,can you explain why?
Lisa
Here are some of the benefits of coconut oil.
Delaney
How many vegetables do you know that have mass amounts of fat? Olive oil is about the only one; but it isn't ideal for baking due to flavor. Despite current food pyramid guidelines, saturated fat (and all fat), when combined with a low-carb diet, is not unhealthy. Saturated fats are, in fact, good for you. Vegetable oils are all unhealthy, as they are chemically produced.
This recipe is best with coconut oil or butter. And it's delicious!! My kids are none the wiser 😉
Metka
Hello, I tried the cake and its very good.
I'm just not sure if I got the right measure. How large is a cup? I find 340 g in internet but this seems a lot, so I used 150 g but I think it was still too dry.
But it is stil very good.
Lisa
What ingredient are you referring to? Coconut flour, zucchini?
Metka
Both of them?
Lisa
The zucchini measurement isn't as important as the coconut flour. One medium size zucchini is about 2 cups shredded.
Metka
I put 150 g of coconut flour and two zucchini. It was a bit dense by my opinion.
But everybody liked it, and no one could ever tell that there's zucchini inside.
Amazing
cher
I had high hopes after reading the comments. Purchased, made exactly as listed and had it tonight for a desert for a dinner party. Everyone agreed it was very bland, awlful tasting cake. Good texture but flavorless, even with the exactly made link of frosting receipe. An epic fail and waste of money.
Lisa
It did not taste like chocolate cake? What kind of cocoa did you use?
Pam Price
The BEST!! Made it one weekend when my girls visited; nobody could tell the difference.
Lisa
I do think it's tough to tell with this cake. My family didn't believe me when I told them it was low carb.
Chantelle
I've tried so many low carb cakes and this is BY FAR the best. Thank you!! Next time I make it I was thinking of substituting the tsp of cinnamon with some coffee (because I assume the cinnamon is only there to enhance the chocolate flavor?? is that true?) and then topping with a mocha frosting. Do you think that might work?
Beth
Hi Lisa. I am making a cake for my son's birthday, and of course he wants a dinosaur cake. I have a low carb/coconut flour recipe I have used before that is great to work with for decorating and carving out shapes (we did a TuTiTu cake last year), but it tends to be a bit dry. Yours sounds like dryness is not a problem, but do you think it will hold up to the carving and decorating required to make a T-Rex? Thanks
Lisa
It's very similar to a regular cake so it shouldn't be a problem with cutting. It cuts in pieces well after frosted.
sue
One cup cocoa powder seems so much. But doesn't seems to be an error,when I look at the other comments. Will try as is. Love your recipes btw
Lisa
It's a big cake. You could try reducing to 3/4 cup, but I wouldn't go lower than that. The original recipe was a 9x9 and used 1/2 cup.
Monica Jasmin
Can we have the measurements in oz or grams, I can't tell how much flour to use.
Lisa
When I make this again, I can weigh. I probably should do that for all recipes. Weights are much more accurate. There are conversions available online if you search for them.
claudia
yes , please do the receipe in grams , thank you.
Lisa
Sorry. It's tough to change old habits.
Chanel Brackett
Can I coconut sugar instead of the Stevia powders? If so, how much?
Lisa
You can, but it adds a lot more carbs.
Shannon Semon
I also wanted to use Coconut Sugar instead of Stevia and Monk Fruit. How much do I use?
Lisa
You'll need about 1 2/3 cups or adjust to taste. I typically keep things on the less sweet side.
Beth
I would love to make this but just can't get myself to spend almost $30 for the monk fruit. Any replacements for monk fruit?
Lisa
Did you miss the recipe note at the bottom? It tells you how to replace the monk fruit extract.
sharon
Can SPLENDA be used in place of Swerve (not sure what that is)
Lisa
Swerve is a one-for-one sugar replacement. You can sub it with any equivalent sweetener like Splenda.
carol
How long can I leave this cake on the counter? I prefer that the icing be creamy since the fridge makes it firm. Great recipe! Thank you
Lisa
I usually take it out and serve room temperature. But, if you don't want to do that, it should keep for a few days at room temp.
Cheryl
A cake that looks that scrumptious wouldn't last a few days in my house.
Lisa
That's exactly why I have to hide it out of sight!
Jo
Why is this cake so high in sodium? Is it necessary......not the best for most folks over 40......great for the young ones!
Lisa
It's not that high. All the sodium comes from the baking powder and soda. Those are needed to give a rise and comes from sodium bicarbonate.
Jo
Can I use sodium-free baking powder and baking soda?
Lisa
I don't see why not.
IPCarr
I just made this cake and it smells so good in the oven! I did have a comment- I put these ingredients in my FitnessPal app and it came out to 17 carbs and 2.4 g of fiber (net carbs 14.6). I checked the ingredients list and the coconut flour and the unsweetened cocoa are the largest carb contributors. Should I have used a specific type of coconut flour and cocoa powder to lower the carb count?
Lisa
I find coconut nutritional info varies a lot. It depends on the product chosen. I calculated with Calorie Count.
Sandy
Made this today and it was awesome!! Absolutely love the frosting also. Thanks for sharing . Is it best to keep in refrigerator ?
Lisa
I find it best to store in the fridge.
Shirley
I want to make this but what is the net carb per serving? D
Lisa
Net carbs are 2.5g (5.7g total - 3.2g fiber)
Juressa
Hi, can I clarify - are there two types of sweeteners in this? Sukrin / Pyure / Swerve and then monk fruit or the monk fruit substitute?
I have stevia which is plenty sweet enough with 1/4 teaspoon - would you recommend any recipe adjustments where I could omit the former altogether? I really don't need additional sweetener. Thank you very much
Lisa
For the whole recipe, it would be better to use at least 1/2 to 1 teaspoon stevia. You could taste the batter and adjust to taste. With the amounts listed, it's not a very sweet cake.
Laura Rose
What type of stevia powder are you referring to? I use Sweetleaf, but buy the type with no filler in it whatsoever. So, for example, 1/16th of a teaspoon makes a sweet cup of coffee...as if you used two splenda packets. Which kind are you referring to? The Sweetleaf in the grocery store has filler. Thanks for the clarification.
Lisa
It's the concentrated stevia with no fillers. I use Now Foods Better Stevia.
Angie
Can an all purpose gluten free flour mix be use in place of the coconut flour? If so, what, if anything, needs to be reduced?
Thank you!
Lisa
You'd likely need more of the flour mix, less eggs, and less zucchini.
Cecilia
Has anyone come up with measurements if almond flour is used instead of coconut? Thanks!
Lisa
There would be other adjustments needed to use all almond flour. I'd think you'd need alot more almond flour as well.
Tanja Arias Quijon
I made this cake last week with buttercream frosting and it was a huge hit. The cake is really fantastic!
The only problem I had, was, that I obviously do not tolerate coconut flour. I was the only one, my kids and my partner didn't have any issues.
So, my questions is, can I substitute almond flour or almond meal,, for the coconut flour and if so, I would have to reduce the eggs, or not? Or how should I otherwise adjust the recipe?
Thanks in advance, Tanja
Lisa
You'll want to reduce the eggs and possibly add more almond flour. Also, the liquid which comes from the zucchini may need to be reduced when using almond flour. It's hard to say without experimenting with the recipe.
Tanja Arias Quijon
I'll play around with the ingredients and let You know, how it turned out!
Heather
Mother of all things Yum! Yes! This does deserve the name you have given it. I have made many low-carb cakes in my day, but I do believe this is the best. Thank you! I loved it. My husband loved it. People who don't do low-carb or sugar substitutes had no idea. Perfect recipe for a moist low-carb chocolate cake.
Lisa
So glad it was a hit for you! I've served this one to those who don't do low carb as well and they could not tell it wasn't the real thing.
Ravfood
Thanks for a great recipe. I made it yesterday and posted it on my blog. With credit to you, of course.
https://ravfood.com/2016/08/14/opskrift-lchf-sukkerfri-squash-chokoladekage/
Lisa
Thanks for sharing. Love that you topped it with Sukrin Melis!
Ravfood
You´re welcome. By the way - is the 4 cups of zucchini before or after it´s drained?
Lisa
It was before draining.
Mikaela
Can I use zucchini puree instead of shredded zucchini or would I have to decrease some of the oil to use this substitution?
Lisa
It may be too watery, but worth a try.
Laurie
This is so delicious, made it today and iced with chocolate cream cheese icing...all low carb. I added a teaspoon of instant coffee into the batter...so moist. Thankyou for a great recipe.
Lisa
A bit of coffee does enhance the chocolate flavor. Will have to try next time! And, the chocolate cream cheese frosting sounds super yummy!
Deb
Where can I find Monk Fruit powder?
Lisa
I buy mine off Amazon. Here's a link.
Kathleen
Hi. What do these ingredients do? And how can I substitute. I don't recognise the names. Are they available in Australia?
3/4 cup Sukrin+ or Pyure All-Purpose (or 1 1/2 cup Swerve).
Ta
Kathleen
Lisa
These are sweeteners. You can replace with 1.5 cups of sugar equivalent sweetener.
Anika
Kathleen i use Natvia baking blend which is the aussie version of swerve 🙂 its used one for one like sugar 🙂
Mindy
I'm totally making this because I' turning 50 this week and dang it, I want cake but I am not willing to get out of ketosis!
Lisa
It is a real cake and will make you feel like you're cheating!
Paula
Can u replace the cocoa with cacoa powder? I am excited to try!
Lisa MarcAurele
Yes! Unsweetened cocoa powder is a one-for-one replacement for cacoa powder.
Lena
Does it make much difference if peeled zucchini is used?
Lisa
I wouldn't think so. It's just easier to leave it on. And, there are nutrients in the peel.
Sharon
Could I use melted butter instead of the coconut oil?
Lisa
Butter or another fat/oil should be fine to use.
Carol Doucette
What does the Monk fruit powder do? is there a substitute?
Lisa
It's a concentrated sweetener. You can add another 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar equivalent of any other low carb sweetener to taste. I like monk fruit because it has zero carbs and no aftertaste.
Jeanette
I want to try this cake, but I'm not sure what you mean by 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar equivalent of any other low carb sweetener. Does this mean a low carb sweetener that = 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar?
So I could use 1 to 2 tablespoons of pyure all purpose sweetener which you use at a 1:2 ratio?
Lisa
That is exactly what it means. Low carb sweetener that is equivalent to sugar. I'm working on my own low carb sweetener blend so that might make it clearer.