An easy to make gluten free and sugar free red velvet cake that’s made from scratch. It’s made with low carb flours and topped with a keto friendly cream cheese frosting.
The holidays are a time when I like to bring out my special low carb desserts. Some of my favorite treats to enjoy include keto cheesecake, white chocolate truffles, and gluten-free peanut butter blossoms.
I like to celebrate special days like holidays and birthdays with a slice of cake. And I love cream cheese frosted cakes like carrot cake. But I still haven’t posted a low sugar recipe for that one yet.
However, I’ve had a recipe for my other favorite cake included on this site since 2012. It’s my sugar free red velvet cake. And this week, I reworked the recipe to make it even better!
You see, when I first created the recipe, it used a product called Carbquik. It’s a low carb biscuit and baking mix that uses a wheat based low carb flour known as Carbolose flour. Since I’ve been avoiding gluten, the old recipe needed to change. That’s why this gluten free red velvet cake has replaced that old recipe.
Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cake with Almond Flour and Coconut Flour
How did I change the recipe to make it gluten-free? Well, it took a couple tries. I ended up replacing the Carbquick with almond flour. But, after my first attempt resulted in a flat dense cake, I ended up increasing the amount of almond flour and baking powder.
In order to get a lighter and fluffier cake without the low carb baking mix, I needed to up the flour used and increase the leavening agent. Another ingredient that can make a gluten-free cake made with almond and coconut flour have a lighter texture is whey protein isolate. But I decided not to add that since it’s a bit pricey and not really needed.
How to make a gluten-free red velvet cake keto friendly
My new sugar free red velvet cake recipe is very similar to the original recipe. The main difference is using only gluten-free flours and adding a little more baking powder. I also lowered the sweetener amount as I prefer things a lot less sweet these days than in my earlier days of low carb.
I start out by beating butter and sweetener together until the mixture well blended and fluffy. Then I add in some eggs and stir in a little vanilla extract. Next, I work on the dry mixture.
In a separate bowl, I mix up some almond flour, coconut flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder and salt. Next, I add the dry mixture into the wet mixture in a couple batches. I also add in a little sour cream or yogurt which makes the sugar free red velvet cake moist.
Too get a deep red color, I’ll add up to 1/4 teaspoon of red gel food dye. I’ve tried using natural based food coloring like beet powder, but the color isn’t as strong. Most of the time, I don’t bother with food dye as it’s for looks only.
Baking the low carb sugar free red velvet cake
When I first started to bake low carb cake recipes, I had a lot of trouble getting the cake to release easily from the baking pan. That’s why I started buying non-stick silicone cake pans. Even if not greased well, my cakes pop right out.
However, if you don’t have a silicone cake pan, you can line the bottom of your regular pan with parchment paper. That will prevent the bottom of the cake from sticking. So all you’ll need to do is run a knife between the side of the cake and the pan to get the cake to release easily.
I typically grease and dust the bottom of the pan with a little cocoa powder. Once the pan is prepared, the cake batter is spread into it evenly. Then, it’s put into a 350°F oven for about 25-30 minutes. I let the cake rest on a rack in the pan for about 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Finally, I allow the cake to cool completely on the rack before adding a frosting.
Adding a low carb cream cheese frosting
I use a basic keto cream cheese frosting. It’s a combination of cream cheese, butter, powdered low carb sweetener, and vanilla extract. In the past, I’ve used powdered erythritol with a little stevia extract powder for frosting recipes.
If you can’t find a powdered sweetener, you can make your own from a granular sweetener. Simply put the granular sweetener in a small blender or food processor and process until it’s a fine powder.
To make the frosting, I beat together the cream cheese and butter first. Then, the sweetener is beat in until the mixture is fluffy. Finally, I mix in the vanilla extract.
Thoughts on the Recipe
I thought this low carb sugar free red velvet cake tasted very close to a regular high carb one. Next time, I may double the recipe to make a regular two layer cake.
To dress up the cake, I sprinkled chopped pecans over the top. But this could be left out or something else like chocolate shavings can be used. Or, make a little extra cream cheese frosting for piping along the edges.
After making this yummy keto friendly gluten free red velvet cake, I realized I need more homemade cake recipes. But, I do have a couple popular recipes, namely my low carb chocolate cake and a blueberry lemon pound cake.
Of course, you don’t want to eat low carb cakes too frequently. Eating foods with a sweet taste can trigger overeating even when made with sugar alternatives. So, eat your low carb treats in moderation. And, be sure to stick to portion sizes and freeze any extras for later.
Sugar Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe (Gluten-Free, Keto)
I hope you enjoy this revised cake recipe. It’s a healthier option for celebrating special occasions. And if you like spice cakes, you’ll want to try my low carb carrot cake recipe too.
Be sure to let me know what you think of the recipe in the comment section below if you do give it a try!
Sugar Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe (Gluten-Free, Keto)
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup low carb sugar substitute
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt can be omitted if desired
- 1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- red food coloring optional for red color
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup Swerve Confectioners Powdered Sweetener or other one for one substitute
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Instructions
- Grease 9-inch round cake pan with shortening and dust with cocoa.
- Beat low carb sweetener into butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla extract.
- In separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt).
- Beat in half the dry mixture into wet mixture.
- Then beat in half the sour cream (or yogurt), then the rest of the dry mixture, and then the rest of the sour cream.
- Mix in red food coloring (you will need quite a bit for a red color, 1/4 teaspoon of gel food dye works well).
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25-30 min.
- Remove from pan and allow to cool.
- To make frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter until well combined.
- Beat in sweetener until fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Spread frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle on finely chopped pecans if desired for garnish.
Notes
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Nutrition
Additional Info
Note 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.
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
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Post updated in December 2018. Originally published May 2012.
Lisa MarcAurele has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen. The results are low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
