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    Home » Dessert Recipes » Keto Pound Cake

    Keto Pound Cake

    Last updated: Aug 21, 2022 · Recipes developed by Vered DeLeeuw and nutritionally reviewed by Rachel Benight MS, RD · This website generates income via ads and uses cookies.

    Jump to Recipe Card

    This incredibly rich and buttery keto pound cake is made with almond flour and flavored with vanilla and lemon zest.

    You'll only need 8 ingredients to make it, and it keeps well for several days in the fridge and for several months in the freezer.

    Sliced keto pound cake served on a white tray with a red napkin.

    This wonderful cake is dedicated to my beloved Oma (grandma in Dutch), who was an amazing baker. I miss her buttery baked goods, and I'm doing my best to recreate some of them, albeit keeping them sugar-free and low-carb. A tall order, for sure.

    Several of my baked goods were inspired by oma. These buttery shortbread cookies, for example, are wonderful. But I especially love this cake because it's rich, buttery, and not too sweet - just like oma's cakes used to be. It's a truly easy recipe and leftovers are excellent. It also freezes well.

    Jump to:
    • Grandmas' recipes
    • Oma's butter cake
    • My keto pound cake
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Storing leftovers
    • Related recipes
    • Recipe card

    Grandmas' recipes

    “So, how much liquid do I need to add to the dough?”

    “As much as it will take.”

    This was how Ziporah, my husband’s grandma, used to respond when my mother-in-law would ask her how to make one of her famous recipes.

    Needless to say, this is not how most of us make recipes these days. Modern cookbooks and food blogs have spoiled us with exact measurements, detailed instructions, and step-by-step photographs.

    When I asked Oma for her boterkoek (Dutch butter cake) recipe, I was pleasantly surprised when she started with exact measurements: “Take 300 grams flour, 250 grams butter, and 250 grams sugar.”

    Of course, it all went downhill from there. The rest of the instructions went something like, “Make a smooth dough out of these ingredients; transfer to a pan (what size??); brush with egg white; bake 5 minutes at a very high temperature (how high, grandma??), then lower the temperature and bake until done.” 🤦‍♀️

    Oma's butter cake

    But it was important for me to bake this cake. Boterkoek is a dense, extremely rich cake. It’s made of three ingredients, all in equal parts more or less: flour, butter, and sugar. No baking powder – so it’s more like a big giant soft butter cookie than a tall fluffy cake.

    Oma’s baked goods, in general, are one of my favorite childhood food memories. They were always so rich and buttery. They stood in stark contrast to the margarine-based baked goods that most Israelis made back then (margarine was cheaper; it was thought to be better for you, and it kept foods Pareve for those eating Kosher).

    I ended up making that cake, improvising a little, and loving every bite of the dense, buttery result. But now that my husband and I are on a low-carb diet, that wonderful cake is no longer an option.

    A slice of boterkoek - a Dutch butter cake, served on a blue plate.
    Boterkoek

    My keto pound cake

    However, a pound cake is very similar in its concept. The pound cake was named after its ingredients.  The classic recipe, dating back to the 1700s, calls for a pound of flour, a pound of butter, a pound of sugar, and a pound of eggs (which, I believe, would be about eight large eggs). You can halve the ingredients as long as you keep the same ratio.

    Over the years, many variations on the basic recipe have evolved. Since my goal is to create low-carb and gluten-free baked goods, my recipe obviously differs from the classic one.

    But the result is similar. A rich, very flavorful, deeply buttery cake, where a thin slice goes a LONG way. So don't be tempted to cut yourself a thick slice! Do as the Dutch do, show some restraint, 😆 and cut your cake into 12 slices.

    Ingredients

    You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty keto pound cake. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

    Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included. Even though the ratio of eggs to the other ingredient is fairly high, I don't think the cake tastes eggy at all.

    Butter: I use unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled. If you can get European butter, go for it! It's wonderfully creamy and flavorful.

    Sweetener: I use stevia glycerite to equal about ½ cup sugar. I haven't experimented with using a granulated sweetener, but I do believe it will work in this recipe.

    Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.

    Lemon zest: Adds SO MUCH, so please please don't skip it. You can also use orange zest, as I do in the video.

    Almond flour: I use blanched finely ground almond flour. I don't recommend using a coarse almond meal.

    Kosher salt: If using fine salt, use just a pinch.

    Baking powder: Make sure it's fresh, and use a gluten-free one if needed.

    Instructions

    Making this keto pound cake is so easy. It's one of my easiest recipes, in fact. Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:

    Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a small loaf pan (8.5 X 4.5 inches) with parchment paper and lightly grease it.

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients in the order listed, starting with the liquid ingredients and then gradually adding the dry ingredients.

    Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake the cake until puffed, golden and fragrant, and a toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean. This should take about 30 minutes.

    Remove the cake from the oven to a cooling rack. Let it cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

    A photo collage showing the steps for making a keto pound cake.

    Expert Tips

    Make sure you use a small loaf pan (available on Amazon). A standard loaf pan will produce a flat cake.

    The lemon zest (or orange zest) truly is an important part of this recipe. The cake will taste good without it - but it will taste amazing with it.

    Frequently asked questions

    Should I frost this cake?

    There's truly no need for frosting. This is a truly rich and flavorful cake. A frosting is unnecessary and would make it too rich, in my opinion.

    Is this cake fluffy?

    It's actually relatively dense, as it's supposed to be. Although it's fluffier than traditional pound cakes, and it's also fluffier than a Dutch butter cake. Generally speaking, a pound cake is supposed to be rich and dense.

    Can I make this cake without eggs? Without butter?

    No. While I'm often open to trying various substitutions, in this particular case, both the eggs and the butter are an integral part of the recipe. I wouldn't try substituting them for other ingredients.

    Storing leftovers

    Once completely cool, line the bottom of an airtight container with wax paper and store the cake in the container, in the fridge, for up to 5 days. I like to gently warm up each slice for about 10 seconds in the microwave.

    You can also slice the entire cake and freeze the slices in freezer bags. Separate layers with wax paper.

    Sliced almond flour pound cake served on a white tray.

    Related recipes

    • Keto Cheesecake
    • Keto Chocolate Cake
    • Keto Strawberry Shortcake
    • Keto Cupcakes

    👩🏻‍🍳 I typically publish a new or an updated recipe once a week. Want these recipes in your inbox? Subscribe! You can unsubscribe at any time.

    Recipe card

    Keto Pound Cake
    5 from 167 votes
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    Almond Flour Keto Pound Cake

    An incredibly rich and buttery keto pound cake is made with almond flour and flavored with vanilla and lemon zest.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Rest time30 mins
    Total Time1 hr 15 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Servings: 12 slices
    Calories: 208kcal
    Author: Vered DeLeeuw

    INGREDIENTS

    • 5 large eggs
    • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
    • 1 ½ teaspoon stevia glycerite (equals ½ cup sugar)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tablespoon lemon zest or orange zest
    • 2 cups blanched finely ground almond flour (8 oz)*
    • ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder gluten-free if needed

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a small loaf pan (8.5 X 4.5 inches) with parchment paper, leaving overhang, as shown in the video. Lightly spray the parchment paper with oil.
    • In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter, sweetener, and vanilla extract.
    • Gradually add the lemon zest, almond flour, kosher salt, and finally the baking powder.
    • Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top out with a spatula and tap the pan a few times on the kitchen counter to help spread the batter evenly in the pan.
    • Bake the cake until puffed, golden and fragrant, and a toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean. This should take about 30 minutes.
    • Remove the cake from the oven to a cooling rack. Let it cool slightly until easier to handle, then use the parchment overhang to remove the cake from the pan. Carefully peel the parchment away and place the cake directly on the cooling rack. Cool for 30 more minutes before slicing.

    WATCH THE VIDEO:

    NOTES

    *I use Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour. One cup of this flour weighs 4 oz, so 2 cups weigh 8 ounces. It's best to measure almond flour by weight rather than by volume. 
    It's important to use a small loaf pan. The cake will be flat if you use a standard loaf pan.
    Leftovers keep well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 5 days. Place the cake on wax paper. You can also slice it and freeze the slices in freezer bags.

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    DISCLAIMERSMost of our recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes.

    NUTRITION PER SERVING

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 84mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g
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    More Low-Carb Desserts

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    About the Author

    Vered Deleeuw Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.

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    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.


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