This rich and decadent chocolate keto cake is shockingly delicious… Every time I serve it, people always ask for the recipe!
The Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cake
Why should you make this chocolate cake?
Simply put, because it is quite possibly the best chocolate cake you will ever make, even if you aren’t on a keto diet.
The first time I made the recipe was for a friend’s birthday party, where not a single person in attendance aside from the host was on a low carb diet, and yet people went absolutely crazy for this ultra fudgy chocolate cake. In just a single night, I was already asked by three more friends to make cakes for their birthdays too!
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It’s almost too good to believe!
This exceptionally bold chocolate cake recipe—without any flour to get in the way of the soft texture and intense chocolatey flavor—will change everything you thought you knew about chocolate cake. There’s no oil required, and NO coconut flour either!
Also Try These Keto Pancakes
Easy Low Carb Chocolate Cake
The simple keto cake recipe can absolutely hold its own against any cake mix or bakery style chocolate cake.
Super dense and fudgy, it can be naturally gluten free, dairy free, oil free, and vegan… and I’ve served it to enough people by now who aren’t on any kind of special diet that I can confidently say: even if you’re used to traditional sugar-and-flour desserts, you will fall completely in love with this delicious and moist chocolate cake. Just try it and see!
Want a single serving version? Try this Keto Mug Cake Recipe
Keto Frosting Recipes
For the chocolate cake in the photos, I used this Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.
Feel free to use your favorite vanilla or chocolate buttercream frosting, homemade or store-bought.
Or change up the flavor by topping the cake with cream cheese frosting, peanut butter frosting, whipped cream, ice cream, sliced strawberries, or coconut frosting. Just be sure to let the cake cool completely before spreading icing on top.
It’s also really good topped with Coconut Whipped Cream!
Can You Use Regular Sugar?
Yes, if you’re not counting carbs, the cake recipe works just fine with regular granulated sugar as well. I know this because I tested it on myself (the things I have to do for my job…).
Even if you use real sugar, you still only need 2/3 cup total for an entire double layer cake, which is crazy low in comparison to traditional chocolate cake recipes that often have at least double that amount!
For A Vegan Keto Cake
While flourless chocolate cake recipes usually call for eggs, making a vegan version was surprisingly easy. I simply mixed three tbsp Bob’s egg replacer with 150g water (half cup plus two tablespoons), let it sit for a few minutes to thicken, and then used that as my three eggs in the recipe.
If you need six eggs for a double layer cake, just use six tablespoons of the egg replacer mixed with 1 1/4 cup water instead. I haven’t tried making a version using flax egg yet, but be sure to report back if you experiment!
For A Paleo Or Gluten Free Cake
For a paleo cake, sweeten with either the erythritol option listed in the recipe or use 1/2 cup date or coconut sugar instead. The low carb cake recipe is naturally gluten free, no substitutions necessary. It’s made with almond flour, which is simply ground up almond meal. (For a cake that’s made with regular flour, I recommend this Vegan Chocolate Cake.)
(Above – watch the video of how to make the keto cake)
The recipe was adapted from these Keto Muffins
Chocolate Keto Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fine almond flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp dutch cocoa or additional regular
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup water or milk of choice
- 3 eggs (including the vegan option listed earlier in the post)
- 1/3 cup granulated erythritol or regular sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- *For a double layer cake, simply double the recipe and bake in two 8-inch pans. I listed a few keto frosting ideas above in the post. And if you're a visual person, be sure to check out the recipe video above!Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch pan, and line with parchment. Stir all ingredients together very well, then spread into the pan. If needed, use a second sheet of parchment to smooth down. Bake 14 minutes on the center rack (some ovens require more baking time, so continue cooking until firm if needed). Let cool completely before frosting. If you try the recipe, please feel free to leave a comment or rate it below!View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Popular Keto Desserts
Or this Keto Chocolate Mousse
Do I have to make this into layers? I have a haunted house mold I wanted to use, but not sure if it would rise enough, thoughts?
Definitely no need to do layers. If you make the recipe as written (i.e. don’t double it), it makes one layer 🙂
I am amazed at how incredibly delicious and easy to make this cake is, no weird ingredients! I’ve been keto (no sugar) for almost a full year, my hubby just kicked sugar two days ago because of a slight candida issue and he was a sugar pig – wanted to get him happy on this way of eating by having desserts available. This was perfect! It’s super rich and is a REAL cake, cake was always my downfall 90 pounds ago and now I can eat it without fear of gaining my weight back or guilt at abusing my body. I will say you do not need a very thick slice, a little goes a long way, which is great because I’m going to slice it up and freeze portions for treats later. Thank you so much, glad I found your page I’m going to be trying lots of your recipes! Oh and I shared it with a friend who is going to make it for an upcoming Halloween party, she doesn’t eat sugar and several of her guests don’t either – so how perfect!
Hi I made the Ulitimate chocolate cake with frosting today. Absolutely yummy and amazing that it is healthy as well. I have one query you put the nutritional values at the bottom of the recipe, you do not say if this is for one layer or two, with or with out the frosting. I just need to get my carb count right.
Hi Ruth! It’s for the recipe as written, so single layer and no frosting. If you don’t have enough carbs/calories allowed for frosting, you can also always just sprinkle with sugar free powdered sugar! 🙂
Jason
Hi,
Cannot find the nutritional value anymore. How many net carbs?
Thanks so much!
Full nutrition facts are linked right under the recipe ingredients/instructions 🙂
How do you know when it’s cooked? It’s very soft to the touch after 14 mins. Is that right? So not like a regular cake that springs back?
Made it yesterday, and it was amazing!
I’m on paleo, so I used 1/2 a cup of coconut sugar, according to the paleo instructions. Now, I’m not a big fan of sweets, and for me the sweetness of the cake was juat right, but my family (not on plaeo) said they would have liked it sweeter. So, definitely make this cake, texture and taste are amazing, and if you like things on the sweeter side – consider baking a small amount of the batter in a cupcake mould and taste it, so you can add more sweetener if you want.
Also, watch the baking time! I waited for a toothpick to come out dry, and I think I overbaked. I fixed it by poking the cake with a toothpick in several places and pouring some hot almond milk on it, but it’s probably better to just stick to the baking time…
This is my first time making a keto friendly cake. I found the cake wad still very runny in the middle after baking for 14 minutes. I wasn’t sure if it would firm up as it cooled so I baked it an additional 5 minutes. Some explanation on the recipe as to how to tell when the cake is done would be helpful!
Hi! The “toothpick” method is usually good for cakes – put a toothpick in the center and if it comes out mostly clean then it’s done. Did yours work by cooking the extra 5 minutes?
Jason
I tried the recipe but converted into a rectangular 9×13 cake pan which required to triple the recipe and it was YUMMOH by it self. I think I over mixed it tho coz it wasn’t as dense as the example. Will definitely make this cake again and again and again. Truly satisfied my chocolate craving!!! THANK YOU!!!
Made this cake and it was delicious! However I did have a problem with the cake crumbling as I tried to get it out of the pan. Not a problem though! I made the icing that was recommended to go with this cake, I took the crumbled cake, mixed in some diced strawberries, just enough icing to hold everything together, pressed it into a springform pan, froze for thirty minutes, then iced as normal. Not exactly what I had intended, but really dont care for cake pops and I’ll be darned if I was gonna let that delicious cake go to waste! Thank you for this wonderful recipe, I will definitely make it again! (Though perhaps next time I will use parchment paper instead of greasing the cake pan) lol.
I used a cheap pan from Target and sprayed it with olive oil Pam. My cake came out easily after running a knife around the rim and inverting on a plate. I am awful at baking and it was the first time I’ve had a cake come out in one piece. I baked it for 16 minutes.
I live in Denver – are there any high altitude modifications you recommend ? I usually try a new recipe as is then adjust depending on results….
Unfortunately we don’t have any testers in high altitude locations, so we aren’t able to test the recipes that way. Hopefully someday!
Jason (media relations)
This looks amazing. I’m hoping to get on board with Keto. Im a sugar addict so hoping this recipe will finally convince me I can stay keto. I’m confused about the cake recipe saying vegan egg substitute in the actual recipe. Is that in addition to regular dairy eggs and when it says butter spread in frosting recipe is that margarine or vegetable oil? Thanks
Hi! The vegan egg is if you want to use that instead of chicken eggs. If you’re not vegan, just use the chicken egg option. Butter spread can be either dairy butter or a non-hydrogenated margarine like Miyokos or Earth Balance
🙂
Jason
Just made this today.
Great recipe! Absolutely SMORGEOUS! Makes you want MORE! ?
I was thinking, “a cake with no butter?”
It’s incredibly light and totally chocolately. I used finely grated 95% dark chocolate in place of the Dutch Cocoa.
Only butter I used was in the filling (melted dark chocolate and butter, stirred in powdered erythritol, and whisked up with a dash of hazelnut milk. Delish.
Thank you for this recipe – it will be the only one I go to when I crave chocolate cake.
?
That filling sounds FANTASTIC!
I made this today and it was fantastic. So moist and chocolaty. I will definitely make it again and again. I liked that the recipe was for the smaller amount, as that was enough for my family.
Going to try it this weekened in a 13 x 9 pan double recipe. will let you know how it comes out with the adjustment.
Ooo! I need chocolate now!?
I wonder if I could make this batter into pancakes… 😉
Am eating it now. ?
Will write review later…. probably when it’s gone…lol.
Ok. (& there IS cake leftover. Some anyway… lol.)
Did recipe pretty much according to directions.
First time for everything. 😉
Used pie pan (9″ ?) with parchment paper.
Used demara (?) sugar (the less processed slightly golden crystal stuff).
3 eggs.
Cooked in convection toaster oven at 325 (you have to drop 25 degrees)
about 15 minutes. Toothpick test came out clean, but center, most really, was kind of like pudding. Even after let sit, for 10minutes, which was as long as I could wait, lol.
I did sprinkle the top before baking with a tiny bit of sea salt. Tasted GREAT! Will definitely make again, but cool a little longer.
Mom thought it wasn’t quite sweet enough, which is odd, cause she barely eats sugar anymore, and I’m usually the one saying, argh! Add some sugar! lol
There’s half a slice I saved for the boys to try, and 3 slices, of 8, left. 😉
Completely forgot about the pancake idea. Will have to remember that sometime…?