This 5 ingredient keto chocolate cake is to die for! It is incredibly moist, rich and chocolatey and comes in at only 2.5 net carbs per slice. The recipe is low carb, sugar free and gluten free.
Do you want to see everyone at your table sink into silence, occasionally interrupted by a contented sigh? Serve this cake and watch the magic happen.
I love all the recipes I post on this site, but this sugar free chocolate cake recipe is special. That’s because it’s more than just a chocolate cake. It’s a crazy good, wonderfully rich, death by chocolate Keto chocolate cake.
This Keto cake does nothing by halves. It contains as much chocolate as it can possibly handle, a generous amount of grass-fed butter and it is just on the right side of sweet. Basically, it is a Keto dream dessert.
As grains are a no-no on a Keto diet (as well as on a sugar free / low carb diet), most Keto cake recipes use either almond flour or coconut flour or both. This cake uses only a very small amount of almond flour, which makes it super fudgy, almost like a brownie. Friends, you’ll love it!
Shall we get straight to the recipe?
How to make Keto chocolate cake – step by step:
1.) Whisk the eggs with an electric mixer until they have doubled in size and are frothy.
2.) Add the powdered erythritol and whisk again until well-combined.
Tip: If you only have granulated sweetener, blitz it in a food processor or with the attachment of a stick blender to turn it into a powder. You don’t want any crunchy bits in your gooey, moist chocolate cake! TASTE the cake batter and add more sweetener if necessary. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so you may prefer it a little sweeter than I do.
3.) Melt butter and chocolate and stir until combined. You can do this in a microwave or on the stove – but slowly and gently. TAKE YOUR TIME!!! If the chocolate gets too hot too quickly, it can seize or separate.
Then add the mix to the bowl and fold it in with a spatula or spoon.
4.) See how it’s slowly coming together?
5. And this is how it should look like – gooey, creamy goodness!
6.) Lastly, you add the almond flour / ground almonds and stir until they are evenly distributed.
7.) Get yourself a springform (I used a 20 cm / 8 inch) and line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease the sides with butter or oil and pour in the batter. Bake at 170 Celsius / 340 Fahrenheit on the middle shelf for 30 minutes.
Recipe tips and tricks to make the perfect Keto chocolate cake:
One thing I absolutely love about this low carb chocolate cake (apart from the taste!) is the fact that the recipe contains only 5 basic ingredients.
This also means that these ingredients MUST be the best possible quality, especially the chocolate.
Here in the UK there are a range of artisan chocolate makers which produce unsweetened chocolate. The brand I used, Montezuma’s, is available at Sainsbury’s, in organic shops or online. In the US you can go for a brand like Ghirardelli.
I don’t recommend choosing unsweetened Baker’s chocolate for this cake. It has the tendency to seize when you melt it and simply does not taste as creamy and mellow as quality chocolate.
Which brings me to my second recommendation: Take your time melting the chocolate!
When you melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave, do so in 30 second bursts. Mine was mostly melted after 90 seconds in total. I then left the bowl on the kitchen counter and stirred it from time to time. This caused the rest of the chocolate to melt slowly.
If you don’t have a microwave, you can melt chocolate in a water bath. For this, you either place the bowl with your chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over a pot with boiling water. Once the chocolate is half-melted, remove the bowl and let it fully melt by stirring occasionally.
If you are baking at high altitude, increase the oven temperature by 10 Celsius / 25 Fahrenheit.
Recipe Variations
I think all chocolate desserts benefit from a pinch of salt, although this is entirely optional. To give your keto cake a festive vibe, you could add 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon plus some cardamom, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves.
For an extra kick, try adding a pinch of chilli!
Add nuts for a bit or crunch – walnuts or pecans would work well.
Serving suggestion
I’m a bit of a purist, so I simply dusted my cake with 100% unsweetened chocolate powder. If you want to go the whole nine yards, you could make a frosting (see recipe suggestion in the recipe notes below) or a quick chocolate ganache by melting 1 bar (100g) of chocolate and stirring in 3 tbsp of double / heavy cream and 4 tbsp powdered sweetener.
You could serve this cake with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of sugar free vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Notes
I used a 20 cm / 8 inch springform in this recipe. If you only have a standard size 25 cm / 9 inch springform, your cake will be a little flatter, but it still works fine. You may need to reduce the baking time by 5 minutes. Simply check after 25 minutes if the middle of the cake feels firm to the touch.
You can freeze this Keto chocolate cake. Simply defrost on the counter!
More decadent chocolate dessert recipes:
- Fudgy Chocolate Avocado Cake (Sugar Free)
- Keto Chocolate Donuts
- Really Simple Low Carb Chocolate Tart
- Sugar Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Best Ever Keto Chocolate Cake (Sugar Free)
The ultimate keto chocolate cake recipe! This decadent, fudgy cake is really easy to make and requires only 5 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 300 g / 10.5 oz unsweetened chocolate ***see notes
- 300 g / 10.5 oz butter unsalted (1 1/3 cup melted)
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup / 50g almond flour or ground almonds
- 1 1/2 cup / 150g powdered erythritol
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Heat the oven to 170 Celsius / 340 Fahrenheit. (If you are baking at high altitude, increase the oven temperature by 10 Celsius / 25 Fahrenheit.)
Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave (ca 90 seconds - see notes), then stir and wait until dissolved. Alternatively, gently heat in a water bath (a heat proof bowl placed over a pan of boiling water). Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy, then add the sweetener and mix well.
Add the melted chocolate and butter along with the almond flour and stir with a spoon or spatula until just combined.
Line the bottom of a 20 cm / 8 inch springform with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter. Pour in the cake batter and bake for ca 30 minutes on the middle shelf until the top of the cake is firm to the touch, especially in the middle.
Leave to cool before releasing from the cake tin. Once the the cake is completely cooled, dust with cocoa powder.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Wait with dusting the cake until it's completely cooled. If it is still warm, the cocoa powder will melt and become sludgy.
TAKE YOUR TIME when melting the chocolate. If you overheat it, it can separate into cocoa and cocoa butter and become sludgy. If you melt it in the microwave, break it up as much as possible and heat it in 2 x 30 second bursts, followed by 10 second bursts. Take it out before it's fully melted and just stir a few times, letting the rest melt on its own.
***Use GOOD QUALITY butter and chocolate. If your products contain additives such as water or oils, you'll end up with fat separating and pooling on top of your cake.
Check out the recipe variations in the post!
Optional chocolate frosting: Melt 100g / 3.5 oz unsweetened chocolate and 60g / 1/4 cup butter, stir in 6 tbsp double / heavy cream and 1/2 cup / 50g powdered sweetener. Wait until it has cooled and thickened, then spread over the cake.
I recommend using an erythritol-based sweetener for best results. If you use a different sweetener use the volume measurements stated as sweeteners vary in density.
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and purchase a product, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Sugar Free Londoner.
Maya McAuliffe says
HI, I could be wrong but when I calculated macros i got quite a higher number from the chocolate. I think you may have mistook the serving on the package for the entire bar rather than one square.
Katrin says
I think carb count will depend on the chocolate and the other specific ingredients you choose 🙂
reception says
I’m allergic to erythritol and wanted to try this using Monk Fruit powder–how much Monk fruit would you suggest I use for this recipe?
Katrin says
Hi there, I have only ever used monk fruit mixed with erythritol and never pure… I’m sorry but I cannot help! Is there a conversion to table sugar on the pack? Erythritol is a 1:1 ratio to table sugar, so maybe you can figure it out that way.
Sian says
I have had the same issue as someone else above, ending up with a white layer on the bottom… In the previous comment it seemed to be with how the chocolate and butter were melted, but I did mine over a water bath so veeerry slow! I did use 75% choc as my local supermarket was VERY limited with options, that was the darkest they had.
I’ve cut the white layer off, and it has a sort of jelly texture, very odd.
Anyway, I cut it off and the remaining cake is very tasty! Rich and dark, I just had a slice with double cream and a few raspberries!
Katrin says
Hi Sian, this is interesting. If the issue is not the differing temperatures, then it may have been the ingredients in the chocolate? I’d love to know if it contained any fillers that could have caused the separation of the white layer. I only ever use Montezuma’s or Lindt, because I love the taste, so I don’t have experience with other brands. Anyhow, I am glad you manage to cut off the layer and that the rest of the cake did end up tasting great!
Jaime says
If leaving out the almond flour (I’m intolerant) should extra coconut flour be added and if so how much? Looking forward to trying this for my birthday cake.
Katrin says
Hi Jaime, I normally replace almond flour with 1/2 the amount of coconut flour because it’s more absorbent. In this case, it would only be 1/4 cup. Add a little more if you want a less fudgy and more “cakey” consistency.
jastine says
how many days can store this cake?
Katrin says
I store mine for about 3-4 days in the fridge. It freezes well, too
Margaret says
I swear by Lily’s sugar free chocolate for all my keto recipes.
Margaret says
Could this be adapted to cook in an Instant Pot?
Katrin says
I don’t have any experience with making cakes in the Instant Pot. But there are plenty recipes online – so I’d say it would definitely work. Just choose the cake setting and give it a go!
Sarah says
This came out more like a souffle, or chocolate pudding rather than a cake. Very oily and not sweet enough. Was still the best keto cake ive found so far though. Lovely with some double cream. I might make again with less butter and slightly more almond flour and erythitol.
Katrin says
Hi Sarah, thank you for your comment. I’m sure when you make it the next time you can adapt it to taste exactly the way you like it
Skye says
Hi Katrin, I’m really keen to give this cake a try. I plan to make it for my sister who loves chocolate but has trouble with dairy, gluten and sugar. I was wondering if you could suggest a couple of substitutes for the butter that you think would still work in the recipe? Thanks
Katrin says
Normally, coconut oil is a good replacement for butter. Maybe you could use a mix of coconut oil and a little coconut cream.
Skye says
Thanks for your quick reply. I’ll let you know how I go. Can’t wait to make it
Daisy says
I just tried to bake this cake. Added a dash of orange extract and used 1 cup of stevia instead (not sure if this is correct or whether it is going to be too sweet, as didn’t taste it!)
I have taken about 40-45mins to bake and mixture was bubbling on the edges. There seems to be oil on the edges durinv bubbling.When I move the pan, the mixture seems wobbly but when i feel the top it is firm, so I have removed it from the oven to cool. Hope it goes well. Smells fantastic though.
Katrin says
As long as your top is baked, the cake should be fine!Just make sure you wait with the cutting until it has cool down
Greta says
I love the recipe, I reproduced it twice, the first time I used erythrithol and it was amazing, however the second time I run out of it and used another anonymous sweetener that gave the cake a terrible chemical taste, as if I put too much, despite the amount was the same I had used previously.
Any suggestions on how to save the cake? Like to reduce the taste of sweetener… I really don’t want to throw it away, but it’s literally hard to swallow.
Katrin says
Hi, maybe the new sweetener has a 2:1 sweetness ratio compared to sugar? I’ve done that before using a granulated stevia sweetener which was twice as sweet as sugar and totally ruined a cake. Then there are brands which have, like you say, a very fake, chemical taste. Not sure if you can save a cake like that… unless you use it as sprinkles over another (better tasting) cake 🙂
Ann says
I can’t find unsweetened chocolate, can I use cocoa powder instead
Katrin says
You could, but not the same amount. You’d have to experiment a bit – it would be definitely less. Chocolate is cacao butter (=fat) and cocoa, so you’d use less fat. You may also want to increase the butter content. I think it’s probably easier to use a 90% dark chocolate with this recipe it you can’t find unsweetened. Otherwise, I have a recipe for chocolate cupcakes on the blog that uses cocoa powder. You can make that as a cake, too.
Ann says
Thanks for the helpful info. I found some in Sainsbury’s their own make which says ‘no added sugar’ contains Naturally occurring sugar. I am on a Keto diet, so I hope it is Keto friendly! It says carbs 34.3, sugars1.2g per 100g
I’m going to give it a go, just hope it doesn’t use up too many of my daily carbs!!
Katrin says
I like to use the Lindt chocolate. It’s available at sainsburys and they have a 85% and a 90% cocoa solids variety. The 90% Lindt is very low in sugars, too. It only has 14 carbs per 100g, of which are 7 grams sugar.
Anne Hughes says
For Ann – Sainsbury’s sell their own 85% taste the difference chocolate and you get 125g with 5 individual bars inside. As do Aldi. Both are quite nice. The Sainsbury’s one values are (per 100g) 16.8g carb/10.4g sugar compared to Lindt 14g carb/7g sugar. I think the Aldi one is pretty similar, certainly not enough difference to matter in a recipe. Whilst I prefer Lindt – who wouldn’t! – I’d rather save a bit of money for recipes and use Lindt to make chocolates. I will say my very sweet toothed diabetic hubby will eat both 85% bars without added sweetener but not the Lindt which means I can chop them up and add to keto pancakes or keto muffins and he’s well happy. A lot of products that claim no added sugar can be much higher in sugars than those with a little added in. Some sugar alcohols that are used in products aimed at diabetics cause similar sugar spikes than actual sugar or glucose, as will natural fruit sugars etc. I also buy Callebaut cocoa mass buttons but it needs added cocoa butter really as it is very thick when melted. I buy those because I like eating them from the bag as they are and they last me a very long time, but I don’t have a sweet tooth! Those are super low in carbs/sugar.
Katrin – your recipes are awesome. I keep meaning to leave reviews on them all. Everything I’ve tried we have loved, my husband thinks you are a genius! My latest was the Naan recipe which I braved finally because I’m coming to like coconut and getting braver with the flour. I added garlic powder, small amount of cumin seeds and more black onion seeds (simply because I love them) because I knew I’d need extra help with the coconut flour! I split it into 8 and used a tortilla press to make mini naans. My oven isn’t brill so took bit longer to cook but well worth it, they were amazing. I froze half and took them out yesterday to roll out for wraps with Moroccan shredded beef. The dough handles amazingly well after freezing and I cooked them in a schoville never stick pan. They make incredible wraps too and I’ll be using this recipe for my wraps in future! I’ve copied this so I can leave a review on the naans whilst I’m here.
Katrin says
Ann, I think it’s safe to say that you’ve just made my day! I”m so happy you like the website and the recipe. And thank you for trying them all out yourself. 🙂
Hannah Buell says
Can I substitute the almond flour for coconut flour?
Katrin says
You could, but make sure to use only half the amount as coconut flour absorbs more liquid
Nathan Kiely says
Mines cooking for 30 minutes so far – still a little wobbly in the middle. I’m Cooking for another 10 minutes to see how we go. The mix was perfect and dusty when I put it in the tin. Everything crossed. The batter tasted phenomenal!
Katrin says
Let me know how it turned out and if you can give it five stars after all 😉
Alison says
Great recipe! I used powdered stevia instead of the powdered erythritol (only needed just under one teaspoon) and it worked fine, no issue with consistency etc.
Delicious, easy to make. Will definitely make again!
Katrin says
Thanks for your comment and letting us know your recipe tweak!
Sofie says
Hi, I followed the recipe to the mark, but after over 30 minutes in the oven at 175°C, it’s not even close to finished. The sides are sort of boiling, I don’t understand what went wrong, please help.
Katrin says
Hi Sofie, this is curious. Did you use all the ingredients mentioned in the recipe? Is it firm to the touch on top? If not, I’d leave it in a bit longer. But don’t turn up the temperature further (unless your oven is known to be temperamental) – almond flour goods burn easily.
Ana says
Hi. I have just finished making the cake. I let it stay in the oven after 30 minutes though I turned off the oven already as the middle didn’t feel quite firm enough. I have left it sitting on the bench for about 30-45 minutes. It’s still warm when I decided to release from the pan and I saw the cake separate!!! I freaked out and immediately put the *lock* of the pan back. I do hope when it cools down completely it comes out as a whole circle cake as I made it for hubby’s 35th tomorrow! I will come back to report later.
Katrin says
Yes, definitely wait until the cake is completely cold. To be sure, put in the fridge. Then you should have no problem with releasing it from the cake tin
Amy says
Currently cutting out all sugars and artificial sweetners and have limited ingrediants in my cupboard. Would stevia be a okay substitute for erytrithol?
Thanks!
Katrin says
Yes, you could definitely give it a go with stevia 🙂 Do check when using granulated stevia that it is a 1:1 replacement for sugar. Some brands are twice as sweet as sugar.
Abbey White says
I am in the process of making this.
My mixture is very airy and not fudgy like the video.
Can I add anything to improve the thickness?
Katrin says
Hi Abbey, sorry I’m seeing this so late. How did the cake turn out for you?
Sarah says
Can I use a dairy free butter?
Katrin says
Yes, of course!
Charne says
Hey I’m confused with the butter, the 1,1/3 melted is that already melted before adding chocolate? Or do I melt chocolate and butter together
Katrin says
You can melt it together in one go. Just make sure you take your time and melt it REALLY slowly so the chocolate does not seize.
anne-marie says
This chocolate cake looks amazing! Very easy to make and was ready in 20 minutes (I used a 23cm tin) waiting impatiently for it to cool. How long does it keep fresh for or is it better to freeze
Katrin says
So glad it was a success! I’m happy to keep cakes out on the counter for a night (in a closed container) and 4-5 days in the fridge. The danger is though that you’ll keep on eating it! If I have lots of leftovers of a rich cake like that, I cut it into small pieces and freeze it. We have done that with this cake before and I can attest that it even tastes good frozen 😉
Patricia says
How should I change the recipe if I don’t want to use any sweetener?
Katrin says
Maybe add a little more almond flour to make up for the missing bulk.
April says
I just made this cake and wow is it chocolate and rich! I’d say it’s like a truffle cake! I cover it in a thin layer of chocolate ganache and pressed in shredded bits of Lily’s chocolate to cover the whole thing and it looks so decadent!
The macros you listed didn’t match up with what I calculated though (without the icing). The size Alize of cake you portray in the videos and pictures would be way more than 2.5 carbs. Are you calculating smaller piece as serving size? Maybe your chocolate bar has less carbs than ghirardelli? (I do not count fiber or sugar alcohols in my count)
Katrin says
Hi April, I think it’s the Ghirardelli chocolate. I always use Montezuma 100% chocolate, which is readily available here in the UK, and used the nutrition from that. I’ve had someone else tell me the nutrition values for Ghirardelli are slightly different.
Adrienne Davies says
I made this cake recently and loved it! Am wondering if anyone has tried this recipe as cupcakes instead?
Katrin says
It should work just as well, why not? You might need to reduce the baking time a bit. I’d check it at 15 minutes and see if the tops are firm. Around 20 minutes should probably be long enough.
Jess says
I did mini cupcakes with the left over batter (made it into a ball cake :P) and they were AMAZING!!!
Shanna Bickford says
Mine is darker and took much more time to cook. It was gooey for a good 40 min. in middle. A bit expensive for high end ingredients, fat content will make this serving bit size. I love the recipe, will try again. Practice is a good thing, and I am type 1 diabetic.
Christine says
Tried it, love it. So does my six year old, and she is ver particular. Wanted to add a photgraph…
Katrin says
When the kids love it, you KNOW it’s a winner! Unfortunately you can’t add a pic in the comments here, but I’d LOVE to see it – you can post it on my facebook page!
Adam says
Hi Katrin – I made this cake tonight and although it tasted great (a little sweet still for me) it took 1.5 hours before it was set properly and not liquid in the centre. It had a very thin crisp top but quite a thick, hard layer around the edges, however it did not stick to the pan. The only sweetener I could find was a blend of granulated erythritol and stevia, which I powdered as per your tip – could this have caused it to take longer to bake?
Katrin says
Hi Adam, maybe you’re baking at high altitude? Then the recommendation is to increase baking time by 10 Celsius / 25 Fahrenheit. I don’t think the issue is the sweetener. Also, some ovens just aren’t the temperature they say they are, if your oven has seen a few years, it might be not 100% accurate. Could either be the case?
Sian says
I’m not sure what happened to mine but I used coconut flour in stead, its only now reading through comments I only needed half the amount. Mine came out with a lot of butter at the top looking watery, it is a little oily…I’m pretty sure I’ve done something wrong but OMY THE CAKE STILL TASTE AMAZING.
Katrin says
Hi Sian, if you use grass fed butter and a good quality chocolate you don’t get a separation like that. I’m glad your cake tasted good though!!
Dani says
I was adding up the ingredients into my meal planning app and I calculated that using 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sweetener would add up to about 216 carbs and divided by 12 comes out to 18 carbs per slice just for the sweetener? I really want to try this but maybe I’m calculating something wrong?
Katrin says
Hi Dani, erythritol does not get absorbed by our bodies, it passes right through. Therefore, I do not count the carbs in erythritol.
Dani says
Oh wow I did not know that thank you. That’s really helpful info!
Kylie Roskell says
Ohhhh no, mine didn’t rise and it’s very oily. I used 300g of butter as per recipe
I’ve put it back in the oven. It’s been about 50 mins of cooking time.
I can’t see where I went wrong? Oven is usually spot on xx
Katrin says
I think you should take it out, so the edges don’t burn. I’m not sure what happened – I once had someone with a similar problem and we established that it must have been the chocolate they used that separated as opposed to the butter.
Alice Avistew Teague says
I chose this recipe because it’s the only keto chocolate cake recipe I found using chocolate rather than cocoa powder. I think I must have done something wrong, though, because when I tasted the batter before I put it in the over, it was the most bitter thing I had ever tasted. I ended up doubling the sugar and flour, and adding some almond milk and some whipping cream, so my version has more carbs.
I think I used the wrong chocolate. I had a Ghirardelli 100% cocoa, no sugar chocolate bar (4 oz). Maybe I needed a smaller percentage of cocoa?
But the recipe was so simple, and I know the mistake was on my end, so I’m giving you 4 stars 🙂
Katrin says
Hi Alice, I haven’t personally tried the Ghirardelli brand – I use a brand called Montezuma here. It’s also unsweetened 100% cocoa, so I assumed it tastes the same. I don’t find it bitter, but it is very strong and you would not want to eat more than one square at a time. That’s why the recipe uses more sweetener than I normally use in my desserts. In fact, I’ve had people commenting that they find the recipe too sweet! The bottom line is that we all have a different perception of what’s just right. Maybe you could use half Ghirardelli and half Lily’s dark chocolate chips next time, which would make it sweeter. Or you try a different brand of unsweetened chocolate, if the Ghirardelli does not agree with you. You could also search for a 90% chocolate – here in the UK we have a brand called Lindt which is excellent and it tastes great on its own. With the 90% chocolate the sugar/carb content is minimal (7g per bar of 100g or 0.7g net carbs per square). I hope this helps 🙂
Kaylene B. says
You can get the Montezuma’s Chocolate Bars in America on Amazon.com, too.
If your chocolate seizes, make sure NO water is getting in your chocolate either. For instance, if you wash your bowl right before using to make sure it’s as clean as possible, it must be completely dry and free of water before you melt chocolate in it, otherwise, your chocolate will seize. Fat and water don’t mix!
MArianne says
My Chocolate seized when I mixed it with the eggs. INot sure why this happened. Ihave just put it in the oven but I am not sure this is going to work as the butter wa already separating when I put the cake in the oven.
Katrin says
What a shame! I think your chocolate must have been too hot, and possibly your eggs were straight from the fridge? I’ve had chocolate seize on me when I heated it up in the microwave for too long. The safest way to heat chocolate is to do it in a double boiler or water bath. It takes a while, but you won’t have that problem. I do hope you’ll try the recipe again, it really is so delicious
Burch Carr says
I just found you today. I am so glad I did. Your recipes really sound good, even though I have not made any yet, and I love your explanations and comments. I can hardly wait to test some of the dishes. The chocolate cake drew my eye. It will be one of the first, along with your bread recipe. Thanks so much. I will keep you posted on my success.
Burch
Katrin says
Let me know how you get on Burch! I’m glad you found my site.
Lauralee says
Oh wow! Finally! A chocolate keto Cake that tastes amazing. I followed the recipe exactly and dusted a mixture of cocoa powder and powdered erythritol on the finished cake. Simple and elegant. The next time I plan to add vanilla and cinammon for an interesting variation.
Katrin says
I’m so glad you thought it was a success!
Daisyq says
I made this for the first time last night. This is going to be my gift to everyone from now on! I adjusted as follows: used the alt as suggested, added 1/2 cup cup of coconut flour. I also added 1 teaspoon of espresso powder, 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika and 1/2 teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon KAF meringue powder. I used a hand rotary mixer that was mygrandma’s to whip everything into the frothy liquid. I used very high quality 90% chocolate bars and kerrygold butter, using the double boiler method on low and waited patiently. I used the powdered erythritol as suggested. I only have a 9” pan so that is what I used. I baked as directed BUT I always have a sheet pan in my oven with water in it to create steam. I had to bake four extra minutes. After cooled, I sifted KAF triple cocoa blend along with a little of the powdered sweetener all over the cake. It absolutely melted in my mouth. My husband loves it. I like the slightly crisp texture on the outside and cloud-like texture inside. I’d love to share my photo with you. BTW did I say that I am not a chocolate lover…until now!
Katrin says
Wow! Thank you for listing all your tweaks! I love reading how others make my recipes their own. I’m glad you like the cake!!!
Daisyq says
Correction…not added 1/2 c coconut flour…I added 2 Tbs coconut flour
Adrian says
Hi baked this today for Valentines, turned out pretty good but not as fudgy as expected. I did notice that when I took the cake out of the oven there was a lot of butter floating on the top that did soak back into the cake and also a lot of butter on the baking sheet (the cake tin is new, only the second time used) wondering if I over cooked it or something, cake ended up a little grainy – what do you think? Im not a very experienced baker and I have a tabletop oven which i don’t believe is the temp it says on the dial – if you get what I mean?!?!
Katrin says
Hi Adrian, it’s possible that your oven temperature was too high – ovens can be temperamental. I think it may be the chocolate that has seized and separated into cacao butter and cocoa, rather than the butter. Make sure you melt the chocolate slowly before incorporating it and, in your case, try setting your oven temperature a bit lower next time.
Adrian says
Will do thanks, I did melt the chocolate fairly slowly in a bowl over a hot pan of water.
I had another thought how cool does the chocolate/butter mix need to be before adding to the egg mixture? I believe mine may of been quite hot still – I was getting impatient haha
Katrin says
Warm would be best 🙂
Melissa says
Would coconut flour be a 1:1 substitute? We are nut free, but can do coconut. I’d love to try this! I just want to make sure I can simply sub the coconut flour for the almond flour.
Katrin says
If you use coconut flour instead of almond flour, you have to halve the amount. Coconut flour is more absorbent than almond flour, that’s why you need less.
Paty says
Hi
Thanks for the recipe, Im planing on making this cake tomorrow and I just realized that if I use 100%unsweetned Ghirardelli the net carbs per slice go up to 6 net carbs thats a lot! I already bought the ingredients so now I have to look for a more low carb friendly chocolate. I’m not saying its not a good recipe but maybe if others are in a very low carb diet should look for other chocolate options not Girardhelli. Thank you again for the recipe.
Katrin says
Hi Paty, thank you for your comment. I’m wondering how how that’s possible if the chocolate is unsweetened? I used the Montezuma nutrition to calculate the recipe – surely the Ghirardelli cannot be much different. Can you send me a pic of the nutrition on the pack via email?
Paty says
Hi
Sure I can send a pic give me your email. I found another chocolate that had the nutrition closer to the one you used and the batter was delicious, I used monfruit powdered sugar I haven’t taste the cake cause its cooling down but I loved that was super easy to bake, I had the same issue with butter coming out on top but it was just a little bit and I’m pretty sure its my oven (not a very good one for baking) next time I will bake it a 330 or even 320.
Katrin says
it’s katrin (at) sugarfreelondoner.com
Linda says
Can I substitute cocoa powder for the chocolate bar? Maybe increase the butter to compensate?
Katrin says
Hi Linda, that’s a good question. My personal feeling is that it would be just too much butter, and it may end up too soft. Cacao butter has a finer taste than butter and it’s also firmer at room temperature. You’d have to increase the amount of almond flour to hold it together. Basically, you’d end up with a totally different cake. You’re probably better off searching for a recipe that uses cacao powder to start with. The only recipe you could use from my site are these chocolate cupcakes, which can be baked as a cake, or this chocolate mug cake, which readers have doubled and tripled to make a really fudgey cake – take look in the comments there!
Nuclear Nana says
I am going to try that next time. I used Baker’s chocolate and texture was great but I will add more sweetener next time. Not sweet enough for us and had to cook over 10 minutes longer in my oven at 340°.
Ash Lee says
Is the butter 1 1/3 cups before melted or after melted?
Katrin says
I don’t think it makes a difference. I weighed my butter on a scale, then measured it in the cups once it was melted. If you’re using cups, I’d use soft/room temperature butter so you can scoop it out with your cups
Blayne says
Hi we followed the ingredients list exactly however it seemed. A little runny to begin with and after 30 mins it was still liquid. We kept checking every 10 mins and finally gave up after an hour. It just failed to set at all and ended up like chocolate soup instead… an awesome tasting chocolate soup however just hard to put candles in for a birthday cake…
Any tips or tricks or ideas for this type of outcome.
Katrin says
Hi Blayne, this puzzles me. The eggs should cook at 170 Celsius/340 Fahrenheit and set the cake. The chocolate is firm at room temperature, and the butter makes it soft and fudgy. My best guess is that your oven was not hot enough? If the eggs can’t set your cake would remain liquid. Do you use your oven regularly for baking? I did a google search and egg whites actually begin to thicken at 150 F – much lower than the temperature I recommended….. quick thought – did you maybe bake at 170 Fahrenheit instead of 340 – I always give both temperature as I have readers all over the world? Do let me know. I’m so sorry though that the cake did not work out for your birthday. I do hope we can get to the bottom of it so you can make and enjoy it the way it’s supposed to look!
consuelo rodriguez says
Hello. I am planning to bake this cake, but I just noticed bought granulated erythritol, not powdered. Can I still bake the cake with granulated erythritol.
Katrin says
Hi Consuelo, I’d definitely blitz your granulated erythritol in a food processor (or use the attachment of a stick blender) to powder it. In cakes with a “cakey” texture or in cookies it’s fine to use granulated sweetener. This cake is really fudgy, so it’s better if the sweetener is as fine as possible. Erythritol has the tendency to re-crystallise a bit when cooled, that’s why.
Rebecca says
This Recipe is incredible, thank you so much. So easy to follow and Tastes amazing!
Lorena says
I am new to this sugar substitute life style, so I didn’t know how sweet they were, so I followed the recipe, but after trying a little bit of the batter, to see if it was sweet enough, I found it way too sweet for my taste, so I added some cocoa powder. To keep it healthy, next time I’ll just put 1/2 cup of erythritol.
Katrin says
Hi Lorena, I’ve actually made it with 1/2 cup of erythritol one and found it not sweet enough for me – but we’re all different. You did see the note in the recipe for all other sweeteners which are NOT erythritol-based and much lighter in weight (and therefore WOULD be too sweet if used by weight?) Thanks for your comment, it’s always useful my myself and other readers to know what other people think and how they alter the recipes to make them work for them.
Ildie says
Hi Katrin,
Can I use Stevia Pues sweetener in this cake please. I need to use a lot less so I don’t know if it’s gonna be too dry From that sweeter I really need maybe a teaspoon to make it really sweet. But I don’t know what the texture gonna be..
What do you think?
Thank you!
Katrin says
Is this pure stevia extract? I’ve never tried that, so I’m not sure, actually. Thinking about the recipe, it is the eggs and also the chocolate that bind the cake. The almond flour gives is a slightly cakey (=more fluffy) texture. From that standpoint it should not affect the recipe. You MAY want to add another few tbsp of almond flour to make up for the missing bulk coming from the erythritol. Let us know how it turns out!
Angella says
This is awesome! I added half a cup. Of sour cream and a pinch of baking soda also. I add sour cream to all my baking. I can’t help myself lol. It was to die for! My question is, are there any other variations of this recipe other than chocolate? Lemon perhaps? Or white chocolate from a jello sugar free pudding mix.? Thoughts?
Katrin says
Must try that sour cream hack lol! A white chocolate version could be good. Otherwise I recommend you try my sugar free lemon mug cake. It is moist and rich, people have doubled the recipe with great results, and you can replace the cream in the recipe with sour cream. I think it could tick all your boxes 🙂
Val Thayer says
I have taken my cake out of the oven, I used pyure sweetner and only used 1 cup of it instead of 1 1/3 cup like it said originally, I wish I had read all the suggestions because I would have added that little bit extra almond flour like you suggested. The batter still wasn’t too runny so I figured it would work. I added a couple of drops of orange flavoring and a pinch of salt. I batter was so good I was tempted to eat a little extra batter My springdoem pan did leak but I am not too worried about that. I did need to leave the cake in 10 extra minutes as it wasn’t completely cooked at 30 minutes. I’m so excited to try this, I’ll come back later and give you my opinion on taste
Katrin says
Can’t wait to hear how it turns out!!!! I recently upgraded my springform – I bought 3 different (smaller) sizes – and since then I’ve never had a problem with leakage. I think they close less well over the years. It’s one of those things we keep over decades and eventually age gets the better of them.
Susan says
I adjusted the servings to halve the recipe. Your ingredient calculator only adjusts the first amount. For example: 300 g/10.5 oz. Unsweetened chocolate. Metric will adjust, but not the imperial. Ingredient measurements switch places for almond flour and powdered erythritol, so it’s the imperial instead of metric measurements that will adjust. Luckily I noticed prior to purchasing or cooking. It looks really good!
Katrin says
Unfortunately this is one of the limitations of this recipe plugin I am using. I’m glad you noticed though. Hope you liked the cake!
DEBRA A EBERHARDT says
I just made this and blew it! First I had never used a springform pan and placed it in incorrectly so it leaked and smoked up the house. I also used stevia and a chart I had said to use 3/4 tsp stevia. It smelled good but was so rich and no sweetness to it. Do you suggest sticking to the Erythritol or how much stevia would I use? Will try again. We sooo need something here to snack as we are new to keto.
Katrin says
Hi Debra, the tried and tested version is with erythritol, so that’s the version I can guarantee will work (unless you springform doesn’t play ball!!). If you prefer a cake that’s less rich, you could try making a cake using this chocolate cupcake recipe – it’s more cakey and less fudgy.
Wanda says
i line the whole springform cake pan with baking paper and it’ll never leak.
Great tasty recipe,
Katrins recipes have never failed
Debra Eberhardt says
Thanks. I’ll try that
Kiran says
Can this be made with liquid egg substitute?
Katrin says
I’ve never used it, but as long as your substitute is good for baking you should have no problem.
Will B says
Hello, I am about to attempt this cake and my only question is can I use Splenda instead of erythritol? Both have that powdered consistency, and I’d rather not make a special trip for 1 item.
Katrin says
HI Will, if you use Splenda make sure you use the cup and not the weight measurements. Splenda is much lighter than erythritol.
Frances says
Made this last night and OMG was it wonderful! took half of it to work and everyone loved it. I was looking for something different to take to a family gathering this coming weekend and I found it…. (so I can have sweets too) but thinking of adding some chipotle spices to it. O I also made your donuts and they were good too. but this has to be my fav
Katrin says
I love the idea of some chili in this recipe!!!
Sue says
Turned out really well, I’m no baker but this recipe so easy to follow, also kept a couple of weeks stored in fridge, thanks for sharing recipe
Katrin says
I’m glad you like the recipe Sue!
Liz says
Oh how I wish I had read the comments before I attempted this.. brand new spring form leaked considerably while I was out of the kitchen.. house filled with smoke, etc. had to pull the cake out of fhe oven half way through..clean the oven etc By the time it went back in the oven it didn’t have a chance and had already sunken in. Onto attempt #2 stay tuned. ..
Katrin says
Oh what a shame!! Fingers crossed next time will be a 100% success 🙂
DEBRA A EBERHARDT says
I just did the same thing. Didn’t place the pan correctly together!
Poppy says
Is 300g of chocolate correct for the portions. Its works out at 8.5 net carbs as the chocolate you suggested was 35g per 100g of chocolate. Thanks xx
Katrin says
Hello Poppy, I calculate the nutrition based on the exact ingredients I use, which I state in the post. If you use a different chocolate, the nutrition may differ.
John says
Made this tonight for my diabetic mother. It was INCREDIBLE – even the non-diabetics loved it. Thought it was a little on the sweet side so next time I’ll definitely cut back on the sweetner. Glad I read your recommendation about blasting the sweetner as I only found regular baking sweetner in the store (not powdered).
Katrin says
Great news John! Glad you all liked the cake
Sally says
I have just made this and taken it out of the oven. It looks and smells amazing. Will let you know if it tastes great. I added some vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and some chopped walnuts.
Katrin says
Your tweaks sound delish. Definitely let me know!!
Sherry says
Think looks and sounds amazing! Tonight we’re finishing off a keto cheesecake and tomorrow I’m baking this. My husband and I both love chocolate so it’s a no-brainer, and he doesn’t care if it’s keto or a diabetic’s nightmare as long as it tastes good I’ll come back to add a rating once I actually make it.
Katrin says
Can’t wait to hear how you like the cake Sherry!
Sherry says
It took me 2 tries , with the first in the trash, to make this cake. Unfortunately, my 8″ springform pan sprung a leak and most of the butter ended up on the bottom of the oven. On further inspection, the pan outer ring had a nearly imperceptible dent and caused enough of a gap to leak out the butter. The end result was a very dry, crumbly cake.
While the oven was on self-clean mode, I ran back to the store and exchanged my springform pan for a new one, bought some more unsweetened chocolate and eggs, and went home to try again. This time I cut the parchment large enough to run it up the sides about 1/2″. I buttered the underside of the parchment before buttering the rest of the pan, poured in the batter, and baked for 30 minutes as the center was too sift at 25 minutes. It only leaked about 1/2 tsp, which is likely the butter from the parchment. I know springform pans aren’t waterproof (or butter-proof in this case), but I’ve never had one leak before. I usually only use them for cheesecake and never line the bottom with parchment.
At any rate, the cake is super rich and chocolatey. I hope my husband will love it because it’s this week’s dessert!
Katrin says
What a story!!! Top marks for persevering – I really hope you’ll all love it 🙂
Sherry says
I think next time I’ll bake this in a regular cake pan. I have some fabulously-non-stick ones and I won’t have to worry about drips or parchment
Katrin says
sounds like a plan xx
Becky says
What an INCREDIBLE cake!!! I made it for a dinner party yesterday and everyone loved it. I served it with salted caramel ice cream. Such a treat!
Katrin says
This cake and salted caramel ice cream – that does sound like a perfect match! Glad you all enjoyed it 🙂
LL says
Do you think this would work with coconut oil or palm shortening instead of butter?
Katrin says
Coconut oil has a similar consistency, so it should work. It will change the taste though. I have heard that if you get hold of refined coconut oil there’s no coconut taste, so this might be something worth trying out. I have never tried palm shortening so can’t help with that one.
Rita says
I made this cake according to your directions but the ingredients seemed to separate during baking and I ended up with a thin white bottom with chocolate on top. Also, it took an additional 15 minutes for the centre of the cake to cook, resulting in a hard, burnt edge. I really wanted this recipe to work out. Help!
Katrin says
Hi Rita, how disappointing! I’m sorry your cake did not turn out. I have never heard of ingredients separating in this recipe. To me it sounds like it may have something to do with the kind of chocolate you used, as this is the main ingredient. Maybe it was not suitable for baking? I’d be really interested to hear what the brand was and what ingredients it has. Cheaper brands use vegetable or palm oils instead of cocoa butter, and they may have caused the separation?
Donna Klander says
Mine has done the same! I used Montezuma chocolate 100%. I hope it tastes ok no time to go back out for ingredients x
Katrin says
Hi Donna, as you have used the same chocolate as me I’ve done some research now. The reason may be that you need to heat the chocolate slowly and gently. Heating it too quickly and too much can cause the cocoa butter and cocoa to separate. I’ve added this info to the recipe and really hope you’ll try the recipe again. By the way, have you tried the Montezuma 100% chocolate with orange nibs? It’s the best tasting unsweetened chocolate ever (it actually tastes great all on its own) and I bet it would be amazing in this cake. Wishing you a happy Christmas, despite the mishap with the cake, and thank you for supporting Sugar Free Londoner.
Donna Klander says
Hi! Merry Christmas to you! I have tried the recipe again today (last minute chocolate shopping yesterday) and yes I have changed the way I did the chocolate and it is great! Can’t wait to try it! Thank you x
P.S. I did see the orange one in the shop and did think it would be amazing for the cake. Will try it next time!
Katrin says
Donna, that’s great news! I felt so bad for you because at Christmas you want your dessert to be a showstopper. Thank you for taking the time to reply.
monika says
Hi! Will this work with 1tsp pure stevia extract?
Katrin says
Hello Monika, I have never used pure stevia extract, so I cannot tell you how much to use. Just calculate the equivalent sweetness and you should be fine. Also consider adding a little more almond flour – maybe 3 tbsp – to make up for the missing bulk as you’re not using the same amount of dry ingredients
monika says
Hi Katrin. Thanks for replying. Sweetness level I am not worried about. I was more concerned about structure; if the powdered sweetener added structure. Does it do anything to hold it together? I realize it’s bulk and sweetness, but I also wonder whether it does anything to keep it all together. If you know, let me know. Otherwise, I will experiment and let you know if it worked!
Katrin says
Hi Monika, it would be a bit of an experiment. I’d say it’s mainly the egg and the chocolate plus the butter that hold the cake together. To make up for the missing weight/texture of the sweetener I’d add a little more almond flour as mentioned, just in case. I’d be so interested to hear how it worked out!
Heather says
Amazing cake! Such a treat- we all loved it.
Katrin says
Great news! So happy you like it
Janet says
Hi I usually use rapeseed oil instead of melted butter would this be ok do you think? Thanks
Katrin says
Rapeseed oil will stay liquid at room temperature whilst butter firms up. I think the cocoa butter in the chocolate and the egg will probably be enough to give firmness, so my guess is that it will work. Your cake might be a bit softer, so definitely keep it in the fridge. Do you normally replace butter with rapeseed 1:1?
Wendy says
Made this tonight for my diabetic mother. It was INCREDIBLE – even the non-diabetics loved it. Thought it was a little on the sweet side so next time I’ll definitely cut back on the sweetner. Glad I read your recommendation about blasting the sweetner as I only found regular baking sweetner in the store (not powdered).
Katrin says
I’m happy the cake was a success! Thank you for taking the time to comment
Robin says
Do you know of any other gluten free flour that would work for this that is not a nut flour or coconut. I have a kiddo with a nut allergy and we are trying to make a Keto diet work for all of us.
Katrin says
That’s a good question. you could try replacing with 4-5 tbsp flaxseed meal or psyllium husks. Or maybe 2-3 tbsp psyllium powder. Or sub the almond flour for chickpea flour. It’s not low in carbs, but it is gluten free and high in protein and as you’re only using a small amount calculated across 12 slices you’re probably still Keto.
Rebecca says
I did not see what the serving size is. Would you tell me please?
Katrin says
Hi Rebecca, I cut my cake into 12 slices. The nutrition is calculated per slice. Hope this helps!
Caroline says
I have this in the oven right now…dear sweet Jesus if the cake tastes anything like the batter I will have to be dragged kicking and screaming away from the kitchen table by my ankles…IT IS HEAVEN
I shall regain my composure and complete my findings later….
Katrin says
Haha! This was the intention 🙂 It is rather decadent…