Keto lemon cake is a classic white cake made bright and citrusy with the addition of lots of lemon flavor.
This cake is tender, sweet, and delicious.
With only a handful of ingredients and a few simple steps, you can make this perfect keto cake.
KETO LEMON CAKE RECIPE
This low carb lemon cake is a variation of our Keto Vanilla Cake, amped up with lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest.
The perfectly tart, bright flavor of lemon balances the sweetness of the cake to create the best keto dessert, perfect for spring and summer parties or any time you want to enjoy some keto lemon cake goodness.
Do you love lemon desserts like I do? Try our Keto Lemon Bars. Honeyed Lemons are also delicious, and you can add them to other recipes.
Our keto carrot cake is also phenomenal and uses some of the same ingredients as this keto lemon cake.
INGREDIENTS IN KETO LEMON CAKE
Almond Flour - Use a fine ground almond flour for cake recipes.
Coconut Flour - The combination of two types of flours makes for the best texture.
Granulated Erythritol - This is my favorite sweetener for baking with. Monk fruit sweetener works well in this recipe too.
Baking Soda - Works with the lemon in this recipe to create chemistry magic and extra rise.
Baking Powder - Baking powder helps the cake rise in the oven.
Salt - Just a bit to balance the sweetness.
Eggs - Leave your eggs on the counter for at least 30 minutes to get them to room temperature.
Buttermilk - this cultured milk adds a specific tenderness to the cake, but whole milk can be substituted.
Unsalted Butter - Melt your butter and then allow it to cool before mixing.
Vanilla Extract - Use your best quality vanilla extract for this cake.
Lemon Extract - This strong lemon flavor shines here.
Lemon Juice - Fresh lemon juice is bright and lovely in the cake, and ads the right amount of acidity for the batter.
Lemon Zest - We're using the entire lemon here.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you.
HOW TO MAKE KETO LEMON CAKE
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, combine eggs, erythritol, buttermilk, cooled butter, lemon juice, zest, and extracts.
- Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
- Allow the batter to sit for a couple of minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the liquid.
- Divide the batter evenly between prepared baking pans and bake as directed.
These numbered steps match the numbered photos above and are for illustration purposes. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please see the recipe below.
If you don't need to eat keto, you might like this Gluten Free Lemon Cake.
HOW TO SERVE KETO LEMON CAKE
This cake is delicious on its own, topped with some Keto whipped cream and raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries.
For an especially decadent low carb lemon layer cake, you'll want to make keto lemon cream cheese frosting to decorate with. The full recipe is below.
I love the way this cake looks with a simple, no-frills icing design, but you can feel free to get as fancy as you'd like when decorating your keto lemon cake.
WORKING WITH ALMOND FLOUR
Almond flour is a staple in keto baking as it is grain free and low carb.
Not all almond flours are alike. Make sure to use a fine ground almond flour.
If the almond flour is stored in the refrigerator or freezer, bring it to room temperature before using. Cold almond flour absorbs more of the wet ingredients.
Stir the almond flour, then spoon it into the measuring cup and level. Never dip the measuring cup into the almond flour. It will add too much almond flour to the recipe.
SUBSTITUTIONS IN KETO LEMON CAKE
Cake recipes are very particular because they need certain ratios of ingredients to make them rise up properly. Keto cake recipes can be even more particular, since we're working with non-traditional ingredients.
I've tested this cake recipe multiple times and as written it is perfect. I don't suggest making any ingredient substitutions in this recipe.
If you do decide to make changes, I'd love to hear how they work for you.
HOW TO PREPARE CAKE PANS
It's important to properly prepare your cake pans before filling them so that the keto lemon cake layers are easy to remove.
Using parchment paper, trace your cake pan with a pencil and then cut out a circle to cover the bottom of the pan.
Next, spray the entire inside of the pan, and the paper, with cooking oil spray.
Set the pan aside until you're ready to fill it with your cake batter.
Following these steps should make it easy to remove your cake layers from the pan once they are cooled.
Don't try to remove the cakes from the pans while they are still hot. You may burn yourself, and the cakes will most likely tear or crumble. Be patient.
We hope you love this recipe as much as we did! Please help us out by leaving a quick review and star ★ rating below.
LET'S GET SOCIAL, you can follow Four Score Living on Pinterest. You can also leave a comment below if you have any questions.
Did you make this Keto Lemon Cake? Please leave a comment below letting me know what you thought.
Keto Lemon Cake
Keto Lemon cake is a classic white cake made bright and citrusy with the addition of lots of lemon. This cake is tender, sweet, and delicious.
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 2 cups fine almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated erythritol (or monk fruit)
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3T pure lemon juice
- ½T lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon extract
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups powdered erythritol
- 1T heavy cream
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp lemon extract
- Pinch kosher salt
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees F. Line the bottoms of three 6-inch OR two 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds, then spray with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, combine eggs, erythritol, buttermilk, cooled butter, lemon juice, zest, and extracts. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Allow to sit a couple minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the liquid.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper liner and frost as desired.
- In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat cream cheese and butter for 4-5 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Add the powdered erythritol and mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add heavy cream, zest, extracts, and salt. Mix until fluffy, adding more cream if desired for a smoother frosting.
- Spread the frosting between the cake layers and on sides using a spatula. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Notes
- Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Allow ingredients, especially almond flour and eggs, to come to room temperature before mixing.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 419Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 211mgSodium: 544mgCarbohydrates: 12gNet Carbohydrates: 8gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 14g
The nutrition information for this recipe is an approximate total per serving. Please double check the nutrition information for your exact ingredients and brands.
Laurel Holmes
This made a moist delicious very small cake. If you need a medium or large cake—you’ll need to double the recipe. It won’t make two nice 2” rounds for a layer cake!!
Four Score Living
We're so glad you liked it. Thank you for taking the time to stop back by and let us know.
Happy Holidays,
The Four Score Living Team