This incredibly rich and buttery keto pound cake is made with almond flour and flavored with vanilla and lemon zest.
You'll need just eight ingredients to make it, and it keeps well for several days in the fridge and several months in the freezer.
![A keto pound cake is served on a tray.](https://healthyrecipesblogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/keto-pound-cake-1-2024.jpg)
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 like this pound cake because it's rich, buttery, and not too sweet - just like Oma's cakes used to be.
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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 of flour, 250 grams of butter, and 250 grams of 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 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.
My Keto Pound Cake
However, a pound cake is very similar in its concept. It's 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 (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 end result is similar: a rich, flavorful, 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 twelve slices.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this cake. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Avocado oil spray: Not mandatory, but I like to use it to lightly grease the parchment-lined loaf pan.
- Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, including this one. Even though the ratio of eggs to the other ingredients is fairly high, the cake doesn't taste eggy.
- 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 of sugar.
- Vanilla extract: Try to use the real thing - pure vanilla extract - and not the artificially flavored stuff.
- Lemon zest: Please don't skip it. It greatly enhances the cake.
- Almond flour: I use blanched, superfine almond flour. I don't recommend using a coarse almond meal.
- Kosher salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If using any other salt, use just a pinch.
- Baking powder: Make sure it's fresh, and use a gluten-free powder if needed.
Variations
- You can use ½ to ¾ cups of granulated sweetener instead of stevia.
- Replace the vanilla extract with pure lemon extract.
- Replace the lemon zest with orange zest, as I do in the image below.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this cake:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a small loaf pan (8.5 X 4.5 inches) with parchment paper, leaving an overhang (as shown in the photo below), and lightly grease it.
In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients in the order listed, starting with the liquid ingredients and gradually adding the dry ones.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
Bake the cake until it's puffed, golden, and fragrant, and a toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven to a cooling rack. Let it cool for 30 minutes.
Slice and serve.
Expert Tips
- Make sure you use a small loaf pan. A standard one (9 X 5 inches) will produce a flat cake.
- The lemon zest (or orange zest) is truly an important part of this recipe. The cake will taste good without it, but it will taste amazing with it.
Recipe FAQs
There's no need for frosting. This cake is very rich, and a frosting would make it too rich, in my opinion.
It's relatively dense, as it's supposed to be, although it's fluffier than traditional pound cakes or the classic Dutch butter cake. Generally speaking, a pound cake is supposed to be rich and dense.
No. While I'm always open to trying substitutions, in this case, the eggs and butter are an integral part of the recipe. I wouldn't try substituting them for other ingredients.
Serving Suggestions
Keto pound cake can be served as a dessert, a snack, or a breakfast cake. For breakfast, I have it with coffee or iced coffee. For a snack, I serve it with unsweetened vanilla almond milk or iced tea.
For dessert, I sometimes splurge and top a slice with keto whipped cream (or chocolate whipped cream) and berries.
Storing Leftovers
Once the cake is completely cool, line the bottom of an airtight container with wax paper, place the cake in the container, and store it in the fridge for up to five days. I like to gently warm each slice for about 10 seconds in the microwave.
You can also slice the entire cake and freeze the slices in freezer bags, separating layers with wax paper. If you'd like to freeze it whole, let it cool completely, wrap it in cling wrap and then in foil, and freeze it for up to three months.
More Keto Cake Recipes
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Recipe Card
Keto Pound Cake
Ingredients
- Avocado oil spray for the pan
- 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 ounces)
- ¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or a pinch of any other salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder fresh; 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 an overhang, as shown in the photo. 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 baking powder.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and tap the pan on the kitchen counter a few times to help spread the batter evenly.
- Bake the cake until puffed, golden, and fragrant, and a toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean, 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.
- Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- I use Bob's Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour. One cup of this flour weighs 4 ounces, so two cups weigh 8 ounces (dry measurements are different from liquid measurements). It's best to measure almond flour by weight, not by volume.
- It's important to use a small loaf pan. A standard loaf pan will result in a flat cake.
- The lemon zest (or orange zest) is truly an important part of this recipe. The cake will taste good without it, but it will taste amazing with it.
- You can use ½ to ¾ cups of granulated sweetener instead of stevia.
- You can replace the vanilla extract with pure lemon extract for a lemony flavor.
- Once the cake is completely cool, line the bottom of an airtight container with wax paper, place the cake in the container, and store it in the fridge for up to five days. I like to gently warm each slice for about 10 seconds in the microwave.
- You can also slice the entire cake and freeze the slices in freezer bags, separating layers with wax paper. If you'd like to freeze it whole, let it cool completely, wrap it in cling wrap and then in foil, and freeze it for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my 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 these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Judy M
Excellent! Wee give it five stars. Hubby ate his with strawberry slices. I am going to make whipped cream for the next slice!!
I made it dairy free by using butter flavored coconut oil.
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad you and your husband liked this cake, Judy! Thanks for the review and for sharing your dairy-free tweak.
Sharon Miller
Is there a substitute for butter in this recipe?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Sharon,
The butter is an important component of this recipe, but you could try using 6 tablespoons of melted ghee or oil. If the batter seems too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
Judy M
I don’t know if you’ll ever check back here, but I made it really nicely with coconut oil instead of butter
Kathy
I need to know how much stevia powder to use and will it be all right not to use the glycerite. Does the glycerin in this product help with the texture of the cake. Should I add some vegetable glycerin with the powdered stevia. Thanks.
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Kathy,
Simply use powdered stevia to equal 1/2 cup of sugar (or 3/4 cup if you like your baked goods very sweet).
The glycerin in the product is a tiny amount and does not affect the cake's texture.
Rakin M.
This is divine. We had an oven in our house, but we didn't really use it. With this recipe, my mom and I started baking.
Changes We Made:
We didn't have large eggs, so we used 7 small eggs.
We added keto dark chocolate chips at the end.
We used sucralose instead of stevia.
Overall, this was really great, and we'll 100% use more of your recipes in the future.
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad you and your mom liked this recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to review it and for sharing your substitutions.
Mandy
Could you use Erythritol instead...maybe 1/2 cup?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Mandy,
Yes! That should work. Use 3/4 cup if you like your baked goods very sweet.