Vanilla Coconut Flour Cake – Keto, Sugar Free

This is the best keto coconut flour cake I’ve ever tasted! Moist, light and incredibly fluffy, this easy sugar free cake comes in at just 0.8g net carbs per slice. Plenty of ideas for low carb toppings and frostings in the post!

It’s no secret that I’m crazy about baking. In the Keto Desserts cookbook that I just published there’s TONS of great keto cake recipes, from carrot cake to Black Forest cake.

Well, this coconut flour cake definitely would have deserved to be in the cookbook. Coconut flour can be tricky to bake with, because it behaves so differently from almond flour and other low carb flours. It likes more eggs and more fat, otherwise the end result can be brittle or dense.

I’ve been getting plenty of requests for more pure coconut flour recipes recently. That’s why I’ve decided to create this coconut keto cake. And boy, I’m pleased with the result! This vanilla flavoured sponge cake is perfect for celebrations and would make a wonderful low carb birthday cake!

The secret to supreme fluffiness? Separating the eggs, beating the egg whites until stiff and folding them in last. Trust me, this hack will literally change your life! The result is an incredibly light and fluffy crumb, while the cake is delightfully moist.

Is coconut flour keto?

Yes, coconut flour is perfect for a keto diet! It is made from dried and ground coconut flesh. Coconut flour is not only gluten free, but also safe for most people with a tree nut allergy who cannot tolerate almond flour.

A little coconut flour goes a long way because it absorbs around 3 times as much liquid as other flours. It is rich in healthy fats, high in fibre and low in carbs. Read more about the benefits of coconut flour here.

Ingredients for coconut flour cake

• Eggs. These should be large and separated. It is really important that your eggs are room temperature. This helps you achieve a light, fluffy batter.
• Butter – I use unsalted butter, which I melt in the microwave for 1 minute and then cool. The goal is that all ingredients have a similar temperature. This prevents the eggs cooking or the butter going lumpy.
• Coconut flour – sifted. If possible, weigh the coconut flour instead of using cups. It’s more exact and will give the best result.
• Powdered sweetener – I used an erythritol monk fruit sweetener that is a 1:1 sugar substitute.
• Baking powder
• Vanilla extract – choose one that’s suspended in alcohol or water and not in glucose syrup. The vanilla also lessens the coconut taste.
• Almond milk – make sure it’s unsweetened.

How to make a light & fluffy coconut flour cake

Time to get started! Line a 18 cm / 7 inch round cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F.

Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff, about 3 minutes. Take your time with this – it creates sturdier air bubbles which ensures your batter stays fluffy and the cake does not collapse.

In a separate bowl, cream the egg yolks, vanilla extract and sweetener until pale and frothy. Add the melted, cooled butter and beat.

Mix together the sifted 1/2 cup coconut flour and baking powder and add to the egg yolk mix. Blend until combined.

Last, fold in the egg whites in batches using a spatula. Carefully stir and fold until well-combined, ensuring you’re keeping the air bubbles intact…

…until it looks like the image above.

Pour the batter into the springform and bake for about 40 minutes. Check the cake after 20 minutes to make sure it does not over-brown. If necessary, place aluminium foil over the top to avoid burning.

It’s done when a skewer inserted comes out clean and the top is raised and feels springy to the touch.

Be sure to let it cool fully before you remove it from the cake pan. Keto cakes with coconut flour are very fragile when hot and firm up as they cool.

Topping ideas

So many possibilities! I decided to frost my cake with a sugar free icing, but let me give you a few more ideas:

Sugar free vanilla icing (as seen in the images): Mix 1/3 cup powdered sweetener with about 2 tbsp almond milk or 3-4 tbsp heavy cream (double cream) plus 1/2 tsp vanilla extract until you have a spreadable consistency.

Keto cream cheese frosting: Chop 2.2 oz / 65 g room temperature butter into chunks. Whip the butter and 4.4 oz / 125g cream cheese together using an electric whisk until thick. Whisk in 1/3 cup / 53g powdered sweetener and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Place in fridge for 10 – 15 minutes for the frosting to stiffen up.

Lemon glaze: Mix 4 tbsp melted butter, 4 tbsp cream, 4 tbsp powdered sweetener and the juice of 1 lemon. Let the glaze cool and thicken, then spoon over the coconut flour cake.

… or simply dust the cake with powdered sweetener! Make sure you do this only once it’s fully cooled to prevent the sweetener go wet.

Recipe variations

I have used butter and cream in this recipe. If you prefer a dairy free keto cake, simply replace the butter with coconut oil and the cream in the frosting with full fat coconut milk (use only the firm coconut cream part).

You could turn this cake into a Victoria Sponge cake by slicing it in half and spreading whipped cream and sugar free strawberry jam in the middle. Alternatively, make two single layer cakes and reduce the baking time to about 30 minutes. Or make a coconut flour pound cake!

Or consider adding a handful of blueberries or raspberries into the batter before baking!

Last but not least, you could drizzle this cake with a mix of my Keto Caramel Sauce and melted sugar free chocolate!

I’m planning to turn this cake into a coconut flour chocolate cake recipe soon. I think adding 8 tbsp cocoa powder and 4 tbsp heavy cream should do the trick. Watch this space!

How to store keto cake

Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

More keto desserts with coconut flour

The Best Keto Coconut Flour Cookies – the ultimate recipe for coconut flour cookies. Soft, moist and crazy easy!

Cinnamon Swirl Coconut Flour Mug Cake – A popular keto coconut mug cake with a luscious cinnamon swirl.

Keto Chocolate Mug Cake – this keto chocolate cake is to die for! It’s my go-to when I want a quick cake treat.

Keto Coconut Flour Muffins with Blueberries – Classic sugar free muffins that my kids request time and time again.

Keto Pumpkin Muffins with Coconut Flour – Bookmark this recipe for pumpkin season!

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Keto Coconut Flour Cake (Vanilla)

Katrin Nürnberger

This keto coconut flour cake is great for birthdays, family celebrations and any day when only a proper low carb cake will do! It's a vanilla flavoured sponge cake with a light and airy crumb, topped with a sweet sugar free icing.

5 from 7 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 12

Calories 124 kcal

Note: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary. ***As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6 eggs large, separated, room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 114g butter melted and cooled
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 tbsp almond milk unsweetened
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 60g coconut flour
• ▢ 2/3 cup / 107g powdered sweetener (So Nourished)
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Sugar Free Vanilla Icing (optional)

• ▢ 1/3 cup / 50g powdered sweetener
• ▢ 4 tbsp double cream (heavy cream) or 2 tbsp almond milk
• ▢ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Line a 18 cm / 7 inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F.
• Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff, about 3 minutes. Take your time with this – it creates sturdier air bubbles which ensures your batter stays fluffy and the cake does not collapse.
• In a separate bowl, cream the egg yolks, vanilla extract and sweetener until pale and frothy. Add the melted, cooled butter and almond milk and beat.
• Mix together the sifted coconut flour and baking powder and add to the egg yolk mix. Blend until combined.
• Last, fold in the egg whites in batches using a spatula. Carefully stir and fold until well-combined, ensuring you’re keeping the air bubbles intact.
• Pour the batter into the springform and bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Check the cake after 20 minutes to make sure it does not over-brown. If necessary, place aluminium foil over the top to avoid burning.

Icing

• For the optional icing, mix together the ingredients, adding more cream/milk or more sweetener as necessary until it is spreadable. Pour over the top of the fully cooled cake and spread around the sides. Let the icing set before cutting.

Notes

NET CARBS: 0.8g net carbs per slice. Makes 12 servings.

If you add the frosting, the net carbs increase to 0.9g, calories are 148 and fat increases to 13.4g.

Let cool fully before cutting or decorating. 

I used a 18cm / 7 inch springform. If you use a larger (20cm) springform pan, the cake will be slightly flatter. You may also need to decrease the oven time to 30 minutes in total. 

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcalTotal Carbohydrates: 1.7gProtein: 4.1gFat: 10.8gSaturated Fat: 6.3gFiber: 0.9gSugar: 0.4g

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