Keto Pound Cake (Low Carb + Gluten Free)

This Keto Pound Cake recipe is low carb, gluten free and sugar free. The cake itself is moist and perfectly sweetened with just a hint of lemon. Keto pound cake should be in the repertoire of any dessert lover on a Keto or low carb diet.

This Keto Pound Cake recipe is low carb, gluten free, sugar free and delicious.

The cake itself is moist and perfectly sweetened with just a hint of lemon. If you’re a dessert lover sugar free Keto pound cake should definitely be in your repertoire.

I actually never liked pound cake until my grandmother made it for me and she flavored it with lemons. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that it was a life changing moment.

Now there’s nothing I love more than I nice, tender slice of pound cake topped with whipped cream and maybe a few berries. My favorites are definitely strawberries but blueberries are also a delicious, Keto friendly, option. Even raspberries might be nice, if you’re into that.

Why is pound cake called pound cake?

The original recipe for pound cake got its name for a very simple reason. Recipes traditionally require one pound of each ingredient.

That means one pound of sugar and one pound of flour.

It also means that there’s one pound of butter but us Keto-ers don’t shy away from butter.

And there’s eggs too but we’re cool with eggs.

Generically speaking, the macros in one slice of traditional pound cake with all its carb filled ingredients are:

• Calories: 215
• Fat: 8.5g
• Total Carbohydrates: 33g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.4g
• Protein: 3.1g
• Net Carbs: 32.6g

The delicious, lemon keto friendly cake we’re making here?

• Calories: 198
• Fat: 18g
• Total Carbohydrates: 6g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 6g
• Net Carbs: 4g

I get the sinking feeling that traditional pound cake has way more calories than that but you still get the point.

While my version isn’t a no carb cake, 4 grams of net carbs is pretty darn good for a sweet treat. Definitely an excellent low carb cake option.

And just so we’re not totally fixed on carb counts here, the Keto version also has more fat and more protein. So all around this lemon cake is perfect for Keto macros.

Is this cake dairy free?

Even though butter is made from cream, a dairy product, there is almost no lactose in it. Because of this fun little fact, butter is often allowed on dairy free diets!

Now it’s up to you if you’re willing to bend the rules of dairy free but I think this cake is worth it.

Some Keto dieters do dairy fasts in order to break weight loss stalls and reduce inflammation.

I will never be one of those Keto Dieters but, to each their own.

If you’re strict dairy free and aren’t using butter at all, you can try your favorite butter substitute in this recipe. I personally can’t vouch for how this will turn out though.

If you try using something other than butter, let me know in the comments how it turned out!

I wouldn’t recommend using liquid oils here since they would make the batter too runny. You also can’t cream the liquid oils with the butter which really helps with dissolving the erythritol.

What you need to make this Keto friendly cake

One thing about the Keto diet, and probably most other diets, is that ingredients really matter.

It can be really important to buy and use the right ingredients and products because using brands that aren’t truly Keto friendly can kick you out of ketosis and we don’t want that.

Certain brands might have one or two more carbs than another brand.

One might secretly use real sugar in its ingredients when another doesn’t.

The eggs and butter are up to you. But the almond flour, erythritol and a few other items, I can help with.

I think it’s important to share which brands I use for each recipe because, like I said above, not all brands are created equal. It can really be confusing, especially when you’re just starting out!

Cake with Almond and Coconut Flour

I’m a huge fan of Keto baked goods that use a combination of coconut and almond flours. One example that comes to mind is this Keto Pumpkin Bread recipe that I love.

Almond flour is pretty much the king of low carb flours because it’s just amazing for making low carb baked goods nice and sturdy. Cakes made entirely with almond flour can be so heavy though, in my opinion. Almost like a weight in your stomach and that’s really not a good feeling.

To me, coconut flour alone is excellent for making baked goods nice and light but it can be a little spongy in terms of texture.

If you don’t have coconut flour and don’t want to buy it just for this recipe, just use an additional ¼ cup of almond flour.

Lemon Zest vs Lemon Extract

If you happen to have lemon extract on hand already you can use ½ tsp to replace the lemon zest used in the recipe.

Since lemon extract is concentrated flavor from the peels of the lemon, you only need half as much.

If you’re zesting the lemons yourself, make sure that you avoid the white part of the peel aka the pith. The pith is bitter and will ruin the whole party if it’s invited. Don’t feel pressured to buy a zester either. Most cheese graters, like the one I have, also make excellent cheese graters.

Just be sure to use the side with the smallest holes and watch those fingers!

If you don’t have lemon extract but want to amp up the flavor a bit more, throw in a splash of lemon juice. I’ve done this a few times and the smell is just insane.

How to make Keto pound cake

1. With a hand mixer, cream softened butter and granulated sweetener until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low until combined.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix with a spatula until evenly combined.
4. Transfer batter to parchment lined 9×5″ loaf pan.
5. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
6. Cool, then slice.

How to store your homemade cake

Like most homemade baked goods, there are literally zero preservatives in this cake so it won’t last nearly as long as a store bought cake.

You can probably get a good 3 days if you decide to leave it on the counter but refrigerating will stretch it up to about 7 days. Cakes can last up to 3 months in the freezer, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and then sealed in an airtight freezer bag.

However you store you cake, make sure that it’s in an airtight container to keep mold and bacteria from growing all over it. Since homemade baked goods don’t have all the preservatives the fancy store brands do they’re more susceptible to mold.

How to keep the top of your cake from burning

An easy way to keep the top of your cake from burning is to cover it with aluminum foil. Make a tent with the foil, bending it in the shape of a triangle, and place it over the top of your cake.

This method helps to deflect some of the heat from your oven, allowing the center and top of your cake to bake more slowly. This method is also said to bake the cake more evenly and keep it from being lopsided.

Why is my cake dry?

If you followed all the directions and your cake came out dry and dense it’s possible that you may have packed too much flour into your measuring cup.

Make sure the flour is nice and fluffy in the measuring cup, not packed down. One way to do this is to scoop flour into the measuring cup using a spoon and then leveling with a butter knife.

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