Keto Almond Cake Recipe (Easy 1-bowl Butter Cake)
By Carine Claudepierre
Published on 02/23/2021 - Last updated on 03/29/2024
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This keto French almond cake is a moist, buttery almond cake made of almond flour. Bonus, this easy French-style almond cake is also gluten-free, sugar-free with a dairy-free option, and only 3.6 grams of net carbs per slice.
As a French person on a keto diet, sharing a version of the popular French almond cake is a must! A buttery, moist cake with a delicious almond flavor.
What’s A French Almond Cake?
A French almond cake is a typically French butter cake served as a tea cake and perfect to pair with a cup of my bulletproof coffee. It has a moist, buttery crumb with a delicious almond flavor.
But a typical French almond cake would contain more than 30 grams of net carbs per slice! Far from keto-friendly.
How To Make Keto Almond Cake
This keto cake with almond flour is a very easy 1-bowl keto cake recipe using only almond flour. No need for coconut flour or other keto flours in this keto cake recipe.
This keto recipe is the easiest cake recipe to start your keto baking journey. All you need is one bowl and the ingredients below.
Ingredients
To make the most delicious, moist, and soft almond flour cake without sugar or gluten, you need:
- Almond flour – this refers to ultra-fine almond flour. It’s different from an almond meal. In fact, almond meal is coarse and dark in color, and adds a gritty texture to cakes. That’s why you must use golden, thin almond flour to make a delicious, moist, soft almond flour keto cake recipe. For more on Keto flour, read my guide on keto-friendly flours!
- Erythritol – that’s my favorite keto-friendly sweetener in keto cake recipes. You can use it as a 1:1 ratio replacement to sugar, and it has no carbs or calories. Other options are xylitol or allulose if you don’t like the cooling effect of erythritol.
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract – a must-add to boost the almond flavor of your cake.
- Melted unsalted butter – if you are dairy-free, use melted coconut oil. The color of the cake won’t be as gold, but the texture will stay unchanged.
- Large eggs – at room temperature
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
Measuring the almond flour precisely
The key to success when baking an almond flour cake is first to measure your flour with precision. You can use a kitchen scale or measuring cups.
But, if you choose to use measuring cups, always use the scoop-and-level method.
It means you scoop the almond flour from the bag, then level the top of the measuring cup with a knife to remove excess.
Combining wet to dry ingredients
First, in a large mixing bowl, combine the beaten eggs with melted butter, almond milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, baking powder, and salt.
In fact, beating the baking powder into the liquid ingredients activates the powder and makes the cake texture softer.
Then, gradually stir in the almond flour using a wooden spoon to incorporate the flour into the bowl without forming lumps.
Don’t use an electric beater to make this low-carb almond cake recipe. It will add too much air to the batter, and it won’t form a buttery, packed crumb, as you see in my pictures.
Greasing the pan
I won’t repeat this enough. Almond flour is different from wheat flour. It forms a thicker cake batter that sticks easily to your pan.
So always double-grease your pan to prevent the cake from sticking to the bottom or side of the pan.
First, grease a 9-inch springform pan with coconut oil or butter on the sides and bottom.
Then, add a circle piece of parchment paper to the bottom of the pan and grease the paper again generously.
Finally, pour the almond cake batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Smoothen the top of the cake with the back of the spatula.
Finally, sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the cake and slightly press them into the batter with your hands.
Bake the cake
Place the cake pan on the oven’s center rack and bake at 325°F (160°C) for 30-45 minutes.
You know the cake is ready when the top of the cake is slightly golden brown, and a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a little to no crumb on it.
Cool down on a rack for at least 3 hours or overnight. The longer you wait before slicing an almond cake, the better the texture will be.
Finally, slightly run a knife around the cake and release the cake by opening the sides of the springform pan.
Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 30 minutes or overnight before slicing.
Serving Almond Cake
A French almond cake is typically served with a dash of powdered sweetener on top.
First, wait for the cake to reach room temperature.
Then, use a small sieve to sprinkle powdered erythritol on top of the cake. Never add the powder sweetener on top of a warm cake, or it gets reabsorbed by the cake crumb.
Finally, cut the cake into 12 slices and serve each cake slice plain or with a dollop of keto vanilla ice cream on top.
Storage Instructions
This keto almond flour cake can be stored for up to 4 days in a sealed cake box in the fridge.
I recommend storing the cake unsliced to preserve all the moisture in the crumb. Then, slice the cake just before serving.
Freezing keto cakes
Of course, this is a large keto cake, and you can also freeze slices of cake for later.
It’s very convenient to thaw on a plate at room temperature when your cake craving hits you. Thaw the cake slice on the kitchen counter overnight.
7 tips for baking cakes with almond flour
It’s very different to bake with almond flour than other regular flours like wheat flours or other keto flours.
In fact, almond flour is very low in carbohydrates because it’s a non-starchy flour made of ground almonds.
As a result, almond flour is less liquid absorbent than wheat and creates thick, slightly gritty cake batter. Below I listed 7 tips to help you make a cake with almond flour if it’s your first time baking with almond flour:
- Choose ultra-fine almond flour – never use ground almonds or almond meal in an almond flour cake recipe. These other terms refer to a coarse ground of almonds with their skin on it. It results in a grainy, heavy cake texture with a dark crumb color.
- Weigh your flour with precision – almond flour cakes are very sensitive to quantities. If you add a little too much, the cake ends up very dry and dense. Scroll down to read my tips to measure flours with measuring cups or a kitchen scale.
- Don’t thin out the batter – almond flour cake batter is thicker, and that’s how it should be. Don’t try to adjust the batter, adding more liquid to mimic a wheat flour cake batter.
- Use large eggs at room temperature – many almond flour cake recipes use eggs as a binder, and there is a reason for that. Since almond flour has almost no starch, it requires a binder. Eggs are the key to binding almond flour and creating fluffy, moist cakes. That’s why you can’t use egg replacer in almond flour cake recipes.
- Don’t overmix the batter – always add your almond flour into the liquid ingredients gradually and stir gently with a spoon. This technique prevents lumps in the batter and avoids adding too much air to the batter which can make the cake super dry.
- Double-grease the can pan – almond flour cake batter stick to the cake pan easily. That’s why you must you a non-stick can pan, preferably springform, for an easy release. Then, generously grease the pan with butter on the sides and bottom. Finally, add an extra piece of parchment paper at the bottom of the pan and grease the paper as well. This prevents cakes with almond flour from sticking to your pan.
- Bake at low temperature – almond flour burns very fast. Always bake your cake around 160C (325F) to prevent the cake’s top from browning too fast. Also, you can tent the cake pan with a piece of foil to diffuse the heat properly and avoid burning the flour. Be patient, bake the recommended time and keep the cake in the oven until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake come out almost dry.
So, to sum up, baking cake with almond flour is easy. But like everything new, baking with almond flour requires practice, patience, and precision.
Give yourself time to learn to bake almond flour cakes. And if something doesn’t work at first, try other almond flour brands and stick to the 7 rules above.
With time, practice, and precision, you will make the most delicious almond flour cake keto-friendly!
Frequently Asked Questions
This almond flour keto cake has a buttery, moist and sweet crumb with a strong almond flavor. The crumb is as buttery as my keto lemon pound cake recipe, but the texture is way more light and fluffy.
The moist, buttery crumb balanced very well the crunch of the toasted sliced almonds on top.
No, coconut sugar is not a keto-friendly sweetener, so I don’t recommend using this option in my keto cake recipes.
However, if you are not on a keto low carb diet, simply looking for a paleo almond flour cake or gluten-free cake that uses almond flour, then coconut sugar or any sugar is great to swap erythritol.
I don’t think it would work well. If you want a chocolate cake, make my keto chocolate cake.
More Keto Cake Recipes
I am a keto cake fan, and there is never a week without a cake in my house. Below I listed my favorite keto cake recipes for you to try.
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Keto French Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 3 large Eggs beaten, at room temperature
- ½ cup Granulated Sweetener
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Almond Extract
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter or melted coconut oil
- 3 cups Almond Flour scooped and leveled
To decorate
- ⅓ cup Sliced Almonds
- 3 tablespoons Powdered Erythritol
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease a non-stick 9-inch springform pan with butter or coconut oil. Add a circle of parchment paper at the bottom of the pan and grease as well. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a manual whisk, beat eggs, erythritol, unsweetened almond milk, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and melted butter. Make sure the melted butter is not too hot, or it can cook eggs and form lumps.
- Gradually pour the almond flour into the liquid ingredients and stir until it forms a thick, slightly grainy cake batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the greased pan and sprinkle sliced almonds all over the top of the cake. Slightly press the almonds into the batter to stick to the top.
- Bake cake for 40-45 minutes in the center rack of your oven. I recommend tenting the cake pan with a large piece of foil after 25 minutes to prevent the cake's top from burning.
- After 30 minutes, insert a skewer in the center of the cake, and if it comes out with almost no crumb on it, the cake is ready. Remove from the pan.
- Cool the cake on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours before slicing.
- When the cake has reached room temperature, sieve powdered erythritol on top of the cake.
- Slice into 12 even slices.
Storage
- Store the cake in a sealed cake box in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freeze cake slices in airtight ziplock bags or a box and thaw at room temperature the day before serving.
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Nutrition
About The Author
Hi, I'm Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I'm passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I'm also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
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Cakes & CupcakesDisclaimer
The recipes, instructions, and articles on this website should not be taken or used as medical advice. You must consult with your doctor before starting on a keto or low-carb diet. The nutritional data provided on Sweetashoney is to be used as indicative only.
The nutrition data is calculated using WP Recipe Maker. Net Carbs is calculated by removing the fiber and some sweeteners from the total Carbohydrates. As an example, a recipe with 10 grams of Carbs per 100 grams that contains 3 grams of erythritol and 5 grams of fiber will have a net carbs content of 2 grams. Some sweeteners are excluded because they are not metabolized.
You should always calculate the nutritional data yourself instead of relying on Sweetashoney's data. Sweetashoney and its recipes and articles are not intended to cure, prevent, diagnose, or treat any disease. Sweetashoney cannot be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or advice found on the Website.
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Hi Carine, could you use orange juice instead of almond milk?
I don’t think it’d work, sorry!
Thank you so much Carine for this delicious Almond cake recipe! I already made a comment, but wanted to ask you if monk sugar is ok for the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar vs the honey & maple syrup that I used previously. Company coming this Saturday evening, not sure you can answer me soon, but I’m assuming it’s OK. Monk sugar which is an alternative to sugar maybe fine, just thought i would ask, I just do not want it to be too sweet. Also for the milk I thought I would use my plain KEFIR, I might of mentioned that in my 1st comment! Again it was delish! 😊
Sorry I’ve been away – yes monk sugar works as long as it’s not pure monk fruit (it generally is mixed with erythritol or allulose). Kefir is fine!
What an amazing & flavorful cake! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I used maple syrup & honey. At first I thought 325 was too low to bake, but I am so thankful bc I did need to raise the heat towards the end & it only needed a few minutes to fully cook. It was delicious & friends love it! ❤️
Thank you! 🥰
I was very pleased with this recipe. This was my first time baking with almond flour so I was unsure of the outcome. I followed the recipe except I added 3/4 c of blueberries and nothing on top except sliced almonds.I was totally happy with the outcome and this recipe is a keeper.
I don’t usually do reviews on recipes but came back because it was SO good!!the only addition I made was add a little cinnamon and I didn’t use the sliced almonds or erythritol on top. Rather, I made a keto buttercream and frosted it. It is definitely better once refrigerated.
Thank you!!
Beautiful Texture! Held together wonderfully. I am wondering if the Erythritol used IN the batter needed to be powdered and not granular in order to dissolve. It is more like a bread without any sweetness or else maybe if using erythritol I should increase? Was it intended to be powder ? Thanks
Thank you!! The batter is meant to use crystal sweetener, not powdered. It normally dissolves well, but it sometimes struggle if some of the other ingredients are cold.
If you feel it wasn’t sweet enough, use a Stevia + erythritol blend, or add a touch more!
Hi can you use coconut milk instead of almond milk? Thank you
Absolutely!
This is a great recipe! I used Allulose 1:1 for Erythritol and in the next batch I will probably use a little bit more as Allulose isn’t as sweet. Although a less sweet version still tasted lovely – perfectly moist texture, and so filling too! After one slice I do not feel the need for any more cake (this doesn’t happen with cake made with flour and sugar!) so mission absolutely accomplished on this one!
This cake was delicious and very easy to make. It looks great and tastes even better.
I love this recipe! Can the almond milk be substituted by heavy cream or half-half?
Yes, both option should work well
Was doubtful at first but this cake checks all the boxes. It tastes slightly sweet, has a nice crumb, looks gorgeous and satisfies that urge you get on keto for something a little sweet and don’t want to blow it. I followed the directions to a T and it is fabulous. I am hoping it lasts a few days in the fridge because I don’t want to freeze it.
Could you add grated apple to the almond cake?
I didn’t try that, I would probably drain the juice form the grated apple to avoid the cake batter to be too moist
This is so good, I am diabetic and finally embracing a low carb diet, I am addicted to sugar and this is a big help, its also very filling unlike items filled with sugar
Can this be made in cupcake pan?
Have you tried it in muffin form? I’m interested to try it that way too
I didn’t try this option, it won’t raise much but should work. Otherwise try my almond flour cupcakes.
Caribe, can I use Honey or maple syrup to sweeten? If so do I decrease the liquid? The change in sweetener will make this cake suitable for an anti-inflammatory diet I think.
Also, I prefer to weigh my ingredients, so the almond flour should be 300grams?
I also use a thermometer to measure fineness, do you know the temperature of the cake when it’s ready?
Thank you, I’m excited to try this.
Click the metric button to convert the recipe in grams. I didn’t try liquid sweeteners yet, but it should work without changing anything because the cake are a good amount of eggs. I unfortunately didn’t check the cake temperature but as soon as a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, it means it’s cooked thorugh.
Phenomenal. Came together in 5 minutes and I wouldn’t change a single thing. My first time baking something keto was a success with this recipe.
I made this with finely chopped pecans on top and a sprinkling of Lakanto and cinnamon. Wildly good!. And dairy free. A win-win.
Omg! Both my daughters are gluten free and dairy free, so I had to find cake recipes to try so they can eat them. I made this as a test run for a party next weekend & it’s incredible! I make a regular almond cake but this is like a rustic version & I added fresh blueberries & a dollop of whipped cream for myself. Amazing! So glad I found this!
Very tasty cake! We enjoy it with strawberries and whipped cream.
I just made my second cake and my kitchen smells delicious!
Has anyone added lemon zest & juice to it for a little change in flavor? If so did you add it to the current recipe or delete an ingredient to accommodate the lemon juice?
Yes you can add 1-2 tablespoon lemon zest. If you add lemon juice decrease almond milk to 1/4 cup and add 2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. ENjoy
I’m going to bake it for my ChristianHomefellowshipBible study Healthy recipe.