Though simple in nature, pound cake is anything but boring. Master the art of this classic cake with the best keto pound cake recipe – ever! Made with butter, cream cheese, and low-carb almond flour.
Why you'll love it
There's a gentle art to making pound cake.
Traditionally made with a pound of just four easy ingredients (flour, butter, eggs, and sugar), it's easy to overlook just how special pound cake can be.
But today, I'm celebrating this classic pound cake with a keto twist. With just a few low-carb additions (and clever substitutions), you can happily enjoy pound cake on a ketogenic diet.
In this post, I'm sharing how to make the perfect keto pound cake with helpful baking tips, problem-solving, and tasty serving suggestions.
Ingredients needed
These are the simple ingredients that make up this keto cream cheese pound cake:
Almond flour
I use almond flour for the base of this keto cake recipe.
Almond flour is made only from ground almonds, making it low-carb and perfect for keto baking.
It's even more perfect for pound cake, a traditionally dense dessert because it has a chewy, slightly dense texture when used in baking.
Though possible to use in substitution, coconut flour is just a bit too fine for pound cake and is better suited for muffins, cookies, and lighter cakes.
Baking with almond flour is definitely different than using your traditional flour. You can find more tips and tricks in this post: The Ultimate Guide to Baking with Almond Flour.
Baking powder
For leavening, a couple of teaspoons of baking powder does the trick.
And yes, this common baking ingredient is both low in carbohydrates and keto-friendly.
Sugar substitute
Added sugar is a no-go on keto diets. So to sweeten this keto vanilla pound cake, I use a confectioners sugar substitute.
The Swerve confectioners sugar has zero calories and is made with erythritol, making it totally sugar-free.
Cream cheese
The cream cheese in this pound cake makes it super unique, extra creamy and keto-approved.
Beyond amazing taste, cream cheese is a wonderful addition to low-carb diets because of its high-fat content and versatility.
Butter
A keto dieter's best friend – butter! The secret to this super buttery cake is a whole lot of, you guessed it, butter.
This also ups the recipe's fat content, making it favorable for your daily macros.
Vanilla extract
A little bit of vanilla extract can do some serious heavy lifting in a cake recipe.
This addition adds delicious flavor and helps your low-carb recipe taste like traditional pound cake!
Eggs
For a binding agent, I use eggs in this recipe. While mostly utilitarian in this case, eggs also provide some extra protein to this dessert.
Tips
Here are a few baking tips to make sure your keto pound cake comes out perfectly:
- Don't overmix your batter; this will result in a super dense cake.
- Check your pound cake at the 45-minute mark (or earlier) to avoid over-baking your cake.
- Let your cake cool completely before slicing for even, intact slices. Almond flour desserts tend to be especially crumbly before cooling.
Instructions
Ready to get baking? Follow these simple steps for a tasty keto pound cake:
Prep elements
Start this recipe off right by prepping your elements for ease of baking.
First, preheat your oven to 350°F.
Then, grease your loaf pan (or bundt pan) with a little bit of butter or cooking spray.
Sweeten cream cheese
Next, add your cream cheese and confectioners sugar substitutive to a mixing bowl. Beat your ingredients together until they are smooth and fully combined.
You can use a hand mixer for this step or a whisk if it's what you have on hand.
This step is extra important because it ensures your batter gets enough air; this will keep your pound cake from becoming too hard.
Mix ingredients
Then, it's as easy as adding the remainder of your ingredients to your mixing bowl and beating to combine.
You'll know your batter is ready when it is smooth and fluffy.
Bake and serve
Finally, spread your batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes.
The first time you make this easy keto pound cake, make sure to check it regularly; everyone's oven bakes slightly different.
You'll know it's done when browned and cooked all the way through. Insert a toothpick in the middle of your cake to check its progress!
Serve it up
Once fully baked, remove your cake and allow it to cool completely. Slice, serve, and enjoy.
Serving suggestions
This low-carb pound cake is best served with another sweet pairing. If you want to amp up the flavor, top it with some sugar-free raspberry jam, keto whipped cream, or a dollop of fresh raspberry mousse.
Though typically a dessert food, pound cake can make a tasty breakfast, especially when it's sugar-free! Transform this recipe into low-carb french toast with fresh berries, keto maple syrup, and a side of bacon.
Lastly, dip this pound cake into the warm drink of your choice, including sugar-free hot chocolate, bulletproof coffee, or a salted caramel mocha.
Variations
Though this pound cake recipe is pretty perfect as is, feel free to get creative with any of these possible variations:
- Swap butter for unsalted butter for a slightly different flavor.
- Try extracts other than vanilla, like almond or orange, for different pairing potentials.
- Add lemon zest and juice for a citrusy lemon pound cake.
- Swap almond flour for coconut flour for a finer, less dense cake.
FAQs
These are a few common questions I get about my keto pound cake recipe. If you don't see your question answered, please leave it for me in the comments down below.
There are several mistakes that can result in a hard pound cake. Most often, the batter is either over-mixed or over-baked, resulting in a cake that is firm and dry.
It's also possible that not enough attention was given to the "creaming process." This is typically when the butter and sugar are creamed together, incorporating air into the mix.
In this recipe, we use cream cheese and sugar substitutes for the process. When creaming these ingredients together, ensure you're getting a light, fluffy texture before adding in the rest of your ingredients.
I recommend using a hand-mixer over manual methods to make this process easier.
Almond flour is wonderful for baking because of its fat content; this can add additional moisture and a satisfying chew to the recipe. In cakes, it tends to bake slightly denser than traditional wheat flour or the other popular keto substitute, coconut flour. This dense quality makes almond flour perfect for pound cake!
The secret to a good pound cake is to pay attention to the details! Though the steps to this almond flour pound cake recipe are simple, there is nuance behind them.
For example, make sure your eggs and cream cheese are at the same temperature – room temperature. Additionally, don't soften your cream cheese in the microwave. Leave it to soften on the counter. Other secrets to a good pound cake include quality ingredients, avoiding over-mixing, and baking to a perfect golden brown.
Cream cheese is an excellent ingredient for a keto diet because it has a high-fat content and a very low carb count per serving.
It's also an incredibly versatile ingredient that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It adds a creamy texture and subtle tartness to your favorite dishes!
If you're interested in incorporating more cream cheese into your meal plan, try out my prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, chicken broccoli casserole, or cream cheese-filled pumpkin bread.
Keto cake ingredients will differ based on the recipe, though it is mostly made from a variety of common baking ingredients. The biggest differences are often in the choice of flour, sweetener, and fat content.
Keto cakes will most often be made with coconut flour or almond flour
instead of wheat flour. For sweeteners, brown and white sugar are replaced by keto-friendly substitutes like monk fruit, erythritol, or stevia.
Finally, fat content may be increased from traditional recipes in order to better fit the daily macronutrients of a keto dieter. This can look like an increase in butter, heavy cream, oils, cream cheese, and more.
Related recipes
Are you interested in more low-carb desserts? I have tons of keto cake recipes for you to try out. Start with any of these sugar-free confections:
- Keto Coffee Cake is light and classic with a sweet crumb topping. Serve it for brunch, or enjoy it casually with your morning coffee.
- Cheesecake Cream Cheese Brownies are absolutely decadent, with just 3g net carbs per serving. Try this low-carb dessert for a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
- Keto Coconut Cake with Cream Cheese Icing is super moist, easy to make, and perfect for serving to your guests.
- Cloud Cake with Coffee Buttercream is light and fluffy, made with keto-friendly ingredients like eggs and cheese.
- Sugar-Free Keto Strawberry Shortcake is almost too pretty to eat – with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries.
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Recipe
Keto Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cup Almond flour
- 2 tsp. Baking powder
- ½ cup Swerve confectioners sugar substitute
- 4 oz. Cream cheese softened
- 4 oz. Butter melted
- 2 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 4 Large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a loaf pan well.
- Beat together the Swerve sugar substitute and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl, and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Spread the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.
- Let cool before slicing to serve.
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.
Nuray
I've been trying keto recipes last two years and this one by far gets a golden five stars. I shared the recipe with friends and tried with added orange extract and walnuts. It also makes a great tres leche cake.
Can you tell me how much coconut flour to substitute???