Healthy Recipes Blog

  • ♥️ Saved Recipes
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Index
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ♥️ Saved Recipes
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Index
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • ♥️ Saved Recipes
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Index
×
Home » Desserts » Keto Chocolate Cake

Keto Chocolate Cake

A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.
by Vered DeLeeuwUpdated Apr 9, 2025
36 Comments
4.95 from 35 votes

Jump to Recipe Review Recipe

This tender and fluffy keto chocolate cake is made with almond flour and frosted with a rich chocolate frosting.

A slice of keto chocolate cake.

This keto chocolate cake was inspired by my favorite childhood dessert - chocolate sheet cake with frosting. Making it is easy! Just like this keto carrot cake, it's a simple one-layer cake you mix in one bowl and bake in a square baking dish. If you don't use frosting, it's completely appropriate as a snack or breakfast cake. With frosting, it's rich and indulgent - the perfect chocolatey keto dessert.

Ingredients

The ingredients needed to make a keto chocolate cake.

See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.

  • Sweetener: I use stevia glycerite. You can use a granulated sweetener instead.
  • Almond flour: I use superfine almond flour.
  • Cocoa powder: Use unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed). Its natural acidity helps activate the baking soda, ensuring the cake is fluffy.
  • Baking soda: You can use 2 teaspoons of baking powder (gluten-free if needed) instead of ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
  • For the frosting: Unsalted butter, heavy cream, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and stevia. It's a similar frosting to the one I use in this keto birthday cake.

Variations

  1. Serve the cake without frosting, dusted with a powdered sweetener. It's delicious, and when not frosted, it can serve as a breakfast or snack cake.
  2. Use lighter frosting - this chocolate whipped cream is really good! But use this wetter frosting immediately before serving the cake to prevent the cake from becoming soggy.
  3. Add ⅓ cup of chocolate chips or chopped unsalted nuts to the batter.
  4. Drizzle the cake with warmed peanut butter - this is my husband's favorite version!
  5. Immediately after frosting the cake, scatter unsweetened coconut flakes on the frosting.
  6. Replace the vanilla extract with coconut, almond, or orange extract.

Instructions

The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.

Mix the frosting and set it aside. To make the cake, whisk the eggs, melted butter, stevia, and vanilla. Gradually add almond flour and cocoa powder and whisk them in. Then, mix in the salt and baking soda.

Adding almond flour and cocoa powder to the batter of a keto chocolate cake.

Transfer the batter to a well-buttered 8-inch glass baking dish. Bake the cake for about 18 minutes in a 325°F oven. Cool the cake completely, then frost it.

Frosting the cake with an offset spatula.

Cut the cake into nine squares and serve.

Cutting the cake into nine squares.

5 stars rating. Oh my goodness, this is the most delicious chocolate cake I’ve ever had. You would never in a million years know it was made with almond flour and a sugar substitute. It is moist, chocolatey, and delicious. I’ve been searching for a cake to make for my birthday because I always make myself a copy of a cake that we sell here at a restaurant in Maine called a Whoopie pie cake. It’s a three-layer chocolate cake with a homemade buttercream frosting, and I made a sugar-free version last year, but it was not good. This tastes EXACTLY like it. I will be following all your recipes. THANK YOU!
Danielle Freeman
Read more comments

Recipe Tips

  1. This cake relies on baking soda as a leavening agent, and the baking soda requires an acidic ingredient in the batter to activate. So make sure you use natural, non-alkalized cocoa powder, not Dutched-processed cocoa powder treated with an alkalizing agent.
  2. If you replace the baking soda with baking powder, using Dutch-processed cocoa powder is fine.
  3. Be generous when greasing the pan to make sure the cake releases easily.
  4. Storage: You can slice the completely cooled cake and store the slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can also freeze unfrosted cake slices. Remember to remove the leftovers from the fridge about an hour before enjoying them. Chocolate always tastes better at room temperature, and the same is true for frosting.
  5. If you opt for a granulated sweetener instead of stevia, use a powdered sweetener in the frosting to prevent a grainy mouthfeel. See the photo below - this is what the frosting should look like - smooth and creamy:
Mixing the frosting in a bowl.

Serving Suggestions

  1. This cake is perfect with coffee or a tall glass of cold almond milk. In the summer, I serve it with iced coffee or iced tea.
  2. Sometimes, I top it with berries. It's especially good with raspberries. The combination of the sweet cake and the tart fruit is amazing.
  3. If I don't frost the cake, I sometimes have a slice spread with peanut butter or walnut butter for breakfast.
  4. It makes a good birthday cake if you don't want to bother with making a layered keto birthday cake.

Recipe Card

A slice of keto chocolate cake.
4.95 from 35 votes
Save this RecipeSaved! Rate this Recipe Print Recipe

Easy One-Layer Keto Chocolate Cake

This wonderfully moist and fluffy keto chocolate cake is made with almond flour. The chocolate frosting is rich and creamy!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Rest time1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 9 slices
Calories: 326kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Prevent your screen from going dark

Video

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - for pan
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup unsalted butter - melted and slightly cooled; 112 grams
  • 2 teaspoons stevia glycerite - equals ⅔ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup almond flour - 112 grams; please measure by weight
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder - not Dutch-processed; 40 grams
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

Chocolate Frosting:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter - softened; 112 grams
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder - 20 grams
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite - equals ½ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • To make the frosting, place all the frosting ingredients (unsalted butter, heavy cream, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and stevia glycerite) in a medium bowl and whisk them by hand until smooth. Alternatively, beat them with an electric handheld mixer on low speed until smooth and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
    Mixing the frosting in a bowl.
  • Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish with butter. Be generous when greasing to ensure the cake releases easily from the pan. You can also line the bottom with a square of parchment paper and then grease the paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter, stevia, and vanilla extract.
    Mixing eggs, melted butter, stevia, and vanilla in a bowl.
  • Gradually whisk in the almond flour and cocoa powder. Whisk in the kosher salt and baking soda. The batter will be quite thick.
    Adding almond flour and cocoa powder.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
    The cake batter in the pan.
  • Bake until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in it comes out clean, about 18-20 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for about 1 hour.
    The cake is ready in the pan.
  • If you wish, frost the cake using an offset spatula. If you don't frost it, I recommend dusting it with a powdered sweetener to make it look pretty.
    Frosting the cake with an offset spatula.
  • Cut the cake into 9 squares and serve.
    Cutting the cake.

Notes

  • Occasionally, baking soda can cause a reaction in baked goods, resulting in an ammonia smell. If you're concerned about it happening, use 2 teaspoons of fresh baking powder (gluten-free if needed) instead of baking soda.
  • The nutrition info includes frosting. Nutrition info for an unfrosted slice: Calories 206, Fat 19g, Saturated Fat 8g, Sodium 166mg, Carbohydrate 5g, Fiber 3g, Sugars 1g, Protein 6g.
  • A granulated sweetener in the frosting will feel grainy, so use a powdered sweetener if not using stevia.
  • You can slice the completely cooled cake, then store the slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze unfrosted cake slices. Remember to remove the leftovers from the fridge about an hour before enjoying them. Chocolate always tastes better at room temperature, and the same is true for frosting.

Nutrition per Serving

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 326 kcal | Carbohydrates: 7 g | Protein: 7 g | Fat: 32 g | Saturated Fat: 16 g | Sodium: 170 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 1 g

Save this Recipe!

We'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!

We will also add you to our weekly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime. See healthyrecipesblogs.com/privacy/ to learn how we use your email.

Disclaimers

Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

Share this Recipe

8.0K shares

More Desserts

  • Cottage cheese chocolate mousse is served in dessert glasses with dessert spoons.
    Cottage Cheese Chocolate Mousse
  • Keto mug cake is served on a white plate with a fork.
    Keto Mug Cake
  • A stack of three keto brownies.
    Keto Brownies
  • Keto cookie dough is served in a white bowl.
    Keto Cookie Dough

Comments

    Leave a Comment or Ask a Question: Cancel reply

    Please be polite. If you had any issues, I would love to help you troubleshoot before you rate the recipe.

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *.


    Recipe Rating




  1. Carmelina Abregu says

    May 17, 2025 at 7:38 am

    The cake is still in the oven after 30 minutes and yet not cooked. The recipe say that the batter will be quite thick, mine was quite thin. I dont know if the ingredientes are correct.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      May 17, 2025 at 10:14 am

      Hi Carmelina,
      Thanks for the feedback. I hope it ended up fully baked.
      Yes, you can see in the photo that the batter is thick.
      Did you measure the almond flour by weight? If not, it's possible you didn't use enough.

      Keto chocolate cake thick batter.

  2. Michael and Ruth says

    March 23, 2025 at 4:23 pm

    Thank you for the recipe. May I substitute white flour for the almond flour ?

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      March 23, 2025 at 5:12 pm

      Hi,
      I don't think so. Some sources say it's a 1:1 substitution, but I find that difficult to believe.
      In any case, I only tested this recipe with superfine almond flour.
      If you're willing to experiment, please come back and share your results!

    • Ruth says

      March 24, 2025 at 7:33 am

      Thank you for your reply. I will, probably, try oat flour. I'll let you know.

  3. BobT says

    March 15, 2025 at 6:21 pm

    5 stars
    One final comment on this cake which has become my GOTO for a chocolate cake. Still Love it, but One additional minor change made it even better for our tastes. Simply reduced the Cocoa content to 3/8 C and increased the almond flour to 1 1/8 C. Used Allulose/Monk granular and baked @350 for 24 minutes in 8x8 metal pan. Frosted with White Chocolate sugar-free Instant pudding mixed with heavy cream.
    While I have always liked chocolate, I have finally learned I don't like it all that much. So a little less cocoa gives us a flavor & texture we enjoy more. Also prefer milk chocolate to semisweet or dark when used. Didn't learn this until 75 years of age and started keto baking. Who knew.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      March 15, 2025 at 7:30 pm

      Very interesting, Bob! Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.

  4. Pam says

    February 17, 2025 at 12:52 pm

    Is the cook time of 18-20 minutes correct? The first time I made this the cake was not done and I had to cook for additional time.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      February 17, 2025 at 12:58 pm

      Hi Pam,
      It's correct in my oven, which is calibrated annually. However, home ovens vary, so it's very possible that in some ovens, the baking time is longer. That's why, in addition to the suggested time, I say to bake until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in it comes out clean. I hope you liked the cake once it was done!

  5. Malti says

    January 14, 2025 at 1:42 am

    I plan to use Erythritol sweetener for this cake. could you tell me what would 2/3 cups be in grams. Also should I be using 2/3 grams of Erythritol to replace the Stevia in the batter?

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      January 14, 2025 at 9:42 am

      Hi Malti
      I'm not sure if this is product-specific, but I checked the label on this erythritol product, and according to my calculations, 2/3 cup would equal 128 grams.
      In terms of how much to use, since erythritol isn't as sweet as sugar, I would use 3/4 cup.

  6. J Fisher says

    January 06, 2025 at 8:15 pm

    5 stars
    Just tried this little cake. It is very tasty without frosting even. Quick, easy and for sure I will make it again. Took an extra 8 minutes but could be my oven.

    Reply
    • Vered DeLeeuw says

      January 06, 2025 at 8:17 pm

      Yay! Glad you liked it!

« Older Comments
A photo of Vered DeLeeuw.

Welcome!

Healthy Recipes Blog was founded in 2011 by Vered DeLeeuw. It features real food recipes with a focus on low-carb and gluten-free ingredients. All recipes are nutritionally reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog@gmail.com.

Start Here

Popular Recipes

  • Korean ground beef is served in a bowl with chopsticks.
    Korean Ground Beef
  • Sautéed shrimp are served on a white plate with a napkin.
    Sautéed Shrimp
  • Baked pork chops are served in a cast-iron skillet.
    Baked Pork Chops
  • Turkey burgers are served with lettuce and sliced tomatoes.
    Turkey Burgers
  • Three cauliflower steaks are served on a white plate.
    Cauliflower Steak
  • Baked cod is served on top of asparagus.
    Baked Cod

Footer

Logos of media outlets that featured Healthy Recipes Blog.
↑ back to top

Explore

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Newsletter

Terms

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Accessibility

Copyright © 2011-2025 • The information on this website has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease • All recipes were tested, photographed, and written by a human • Contact us at HealthyRecipesBlog [at] gmail.com.

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




Please comment below. Your email won't be published. If you had any issues, I would appreciate the opportunity to troubleshoot before you rate. Thank you!

Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe!
It was great - will definitely make again.
Loved it! Thank you so much.

Or write in your own words:

A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required