My moist keto butter cake is topped with flaked almonds and low carb sweetener. It's a sugar-free version of the classic German Butterkuchen!
Butterkuchen - German butter cake - is one of the most popular sheet cake recipes in Germany. Every bakery sells it, and every Granny has her own coveted recipe. Butterkuchen is a simple yeast cake that's topped with butter, sugar and flaked almonds.
This keto butter cake is my sugar free and gluten-free version of the original. It is a great choice for "Kaffee und Kuchen" (coffee and cake, an unmissable part of German culture).
We all loved this recipe. Alongside my keto apple cake, keto black forest cake and this keto olive oil cake, it is definitely one of the best cakes I have ever made.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredient we'll need for a keto butter cake:
- Active dry yeast - I use sachets which contain 9 grams. This is equivalent to 2 teaspoons.
- Inulin - We need the inulin to activate the yeast.
- Almond milk - Choose an unsweetened variety.
- Eggs - should be large and room temperature.
- Butter - I heated mine in the microwave and then let it cool to lukewarm
- Almond flour - I always use ground almonds. This is equivalent to regular almond flour in the US. If you use super fine almond flour, reduce the amount by about ยผ cup.
- Sweetener - I used a granulated erythritol monk fruit blend. However, any 1:1 sugar substitute wirks in this cake, such as xylitol or allulose.
- Whey protein powder - Whey protein makes keto cakes fluffier. It should be unflavoured.
- Baking powder - check that it's fresh by putting some in a glass of water It should fizz.
- Xanthan gum - This helps give low carb dough a stronger texture. It's optional though - if you don't want to use it, just make 100% sure to cool the cake fully before slicing.
- Flaked Almonds
Instructions
Let me show you how to make a keto butter cake with yeast. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method with timings, ingredient amounts and nutrition info.
STEP 1
Proof the yeast by adding it to warm almond milk and inulin. I needs froth and bubble.
STEP 2
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl โ almond flour, unflavoured whey protein powder, sweetener, baking powder and xanthan gum.
STEP 3
Blend the eggs until frothy. Add the wet ingredients and blend, then the dry ingredients. A sticky dough will form.
STEP 4
Line a cake pan with parchment paper and fill in the cake batter.
Cover with oiled cling film and/or a tea towel. Rest in a warm place until the dough has fluffed up and increased in size noticeably.
STEP 5
Make small hollows in the surface of the dough with your fingers. Brush the dough with almond milk. Cut butter into small pieces and place in the hollows.
STEP 6
Sprinkle granulated sweetener and almond slivers over the dough. Cover again with the tea towel and let the cake rise again.
Bake the cake in a preheated oven until golden and a knife inserted comes out without dough sticking.
Katrin's Top Tips
Don't over-brown: After 12-15 minutes place an aluminium foil lightly on top of the pan to avoid excessive browning.
Allow to cool before slicing the keto butter cake as the texture will improve.
Use a serrated knife to cut easier through the flaked almonds!
Temperature Guidelines
The right temperature is the key to success with all yeast cake recipes! Anything too hot will kill the yeast, as will anything too cold. Yeast needs warmth to rise.
- Eggs must be room temperature
- Milk should be warm
- Let the butter cool to lukewarm before adding
- let the dough rise in the oven on the lowest setting
Recipe FAQs
You can use a larger rectangular pan to get flatter slices. In this case, the oven time reduces to about 20-25 minutes. A round 20 cm springform pan would also work.
You can generally replace almond flour 1:1 with a mix of sesame seed flour and sunflower seed flour. Instead of the flaked almonds, simply use coconut flakes.
It's possible to substitute the whey with more almond flour. This makes the dough a little heavier, but it works. Readers have tested this with my keto bread rolls, which also use the almond flour / whey combo.
Use honey or simply sugar. Don't worry - no sugar will remain post bake. The yeast "feeds" on it.ย
Storage
Store keto butter cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or up to 7 days in the fridge. Alternatively, freeze for up to 3 months.
More Keto Cake Recipes
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Recipe
Keto Butter Cake
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 sachet active dry yeast 9g / about 2 tsp
- ยผ cup almond milk unsweetened, 60 ml / lukewarm
- 1 tablespoon inulin
- 3 eggs large
- ยผ cup butter melted, then cooled
- ยผ cup almond milk 60ml / warm (this is in addition to the almond milk used to proof the yeast)
- 3 cups almond flour 300g ***see notes
- 5 tablespoon whey protein powder 30g
- โ cup Lakanto Classic 67g, use ยฝ cup / 100g for a sweeter cake
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon xanthan gum
Topping
- 1 tablespoon almond milk unsweetened, warm
- 3 tablespoon butter 40g, cold, cut into cubes
- ยฝ cup flaked almonds 50g
- ยผ cup Lakanto Classic 50g
Instructions
Dough
- Proof the yeast by adding it to ยผ cup (60ml) of the warm almond milk (40C/105F) together with the inulin. Cover and put in a warm place for around 7 minutes to ensure it starts to bubble.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl โ almond flour, unflavoured whey protein powder, Lakanto Classic, baking powder and xanthan gum.
- In a second bowl or in a food processor, beat the eggs until frothy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the melted butter, yeast mixture and the remaining almond milk to the eggs and mix until well-combined. Then, add the dry ingredients and blend. A sticky dough will form.
- Line a 9 x 6 inch baking pan or casserole dish with parchment paper and fill in the dough. Dip a spatula in water to prevent sticking and smooth the top.
- Cover with oiled cling film and / or a tea towel and rest in a warm place (on a radiator, for example, or in the oven on the lowest setting) for 45 minutes until the dough has fluffed up and increased in size noticeably.
Topping
- Make small hollows in the surface of the dough with your fingers. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon almond milk. Cut butter into small pieces and place in the hollows.
- Now, sprinkle Lakanto Classic and almond slivers over the dough. Cover again with the tea towel and let the keto butter cake rest a further 20 minutes in a warm place.
- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Important!!!: After 15 minutes place an aluminium foil lightly on top of the pan to avoid excessive browning.
Jennifer Kaschau
Hi, I'm wondering if the inulin is necessary or can it be substituted??
Katrin Nรผrnberger
You can substitute the inulin for honey or "real" sugar. You need this to activate the yeast.
Carolyn Stoker
Could I replace the sweetener with allulose? I really prefer to use it when I can.
Katrin Nรผrnberger
Yes, I think that should work just as well. Allulose makes cakes a little softer, but in this recipe that would not be a problem.
Tineke
Hi Katrin,
Love your โGermanโ. Recipes. Dankeschรถn!
Question: can I use Instant Yeast instead of dry yeast?
Tineke
Katrin Nรผrnberger
I wish I had the answer! I don't know. I have only ever used dry yeast.
Tineke
Thanks. I will try this weekendโฆ. I think in the worst case it will be flatโฆ I will let you know how it turned out.
Cheri Mello
Thank You Karin โฅ๏ธLOOKS AWESOME โ๏ธYUM And SO DOES Your PUMPKIN BREAD โฅ๏ธThank You FOR Sharing G-dโฅ๏ธBless
Terri Joy
Would love to make this on this rainy day, but I don't have inulin. What might be a good substitute?
Katrin Nรผrnberger
You can use either honey or sugar. The yeast needs something to "feed" on, and the theory is that no sugar remains post bake.
Elen
I am going to try this to make a keto/low carb Bienenstich/Beesting cake. Instead of plain sliced almonds on top will add slivered almonds to a syrup of keto brown sugar and butter and then schmear that on top of the batter befpore baking. then a keto eggyolk thickenened custart betgween the layers. I have made a similar version but with a keto biskuit kuchen no yeast which was also good. I love your often German inspired recipes Katrin!
Lesley Leith
What can I substitute for protein powder please
Katrin Nรผrnberger
The protein powder helps to make the cake fluffy. You can try using more almond flour but it will change the texture of this cake.
Eva
Made this tonight for guests and it's stunningly good, I was concerned at first that it wasn't rising properly but it was light, moist, and totally delicious.
Sharon
My German Grandma used to make this, except she called it butter cake. This brought me back to my childhood. She also made a pastry she called kuchen that was baked in shallow pie tins that had a tender crust and a cream custard based filling that was spread on the bottom of the crust. Sometimes sprinkled with cinnamon or thinly sliced bananas or or apple I have her original recipe, which my adult son asks for as one of his holiday and birthday gifts annually. I'd love to make a version I could eat as well. Have you ever made a keto version of this sort of kuchen? I know I could make a keto version of the custard, just not sure how to approach the crust which has flour, egg, sugar and sour cream. Any suggestions?
Katrin Nรผrnberger
Is your Grandma's Kuchen a yeast cake as well? It sounds a little like a cake I know as Bienenstich, which translates as "Bee sting cake" - because it's sweet and the bees just love it ๐ There's always bees in German bakeries! It has a yeast base and a custard topping, then slivered almonds. You could use this same recipe for it, just spread it thinner on a larger pan. If it's a regular sponge cake base, use the base recipe of my keto cinnamon bread.
Kay
This cake is so good. I used a larger tin and cut it into 18 smaller pieces. You're right Katrin, it's really quite filling, even the smaller pieces. My daughter was visiting and we cut it and sampled it while it was still very warm, no crumbling, no falling apart, so delicious warm with a cuppa but still delicious when cold. Freezes and defrosts well too then warmed in the microwave for a few seconds, yum. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you Katrin for sharing.