This 5 ingredient keto chocolate cake is the easiest fudgy sugar free cake ever! It is incredibly moist, rich and packed with chocolate flavor. Even better, it has only 2.5 net carbs per slice.
Do you want to see everyone at your table sink into silence, occasionally interrupted by a contented sigh? Serve this low carb chocolate cake and watch the magic happen.
I love all the recipes I post on this site, but this recipe is special. That's because it's more than just a chocolate cake. It's a crazy good, wonderfully rich 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.
It will satisfy the cravings of any chocolate lover, low carb or not. And it also makes a great gluten-free birthday cake!
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Low Carb Cake Essentials
There are 2 ingredients that increase carbs and sugar in a traditional cake: the wheat flour and, of course, the sugar.
What To Use Instead Of Flour
As grains are a no-no on a Keto diet (as well as on a sugar free or 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.
What To Use Instead Of Sugar
I am also using a sugar substitute in place of sugar.
For this cake, I've chosen an erythritol stevia blend. Erythritol is a polyol and cannot be absorbed by our body. Therefore, it is essentially zero carb and does not raise blood sugars.
You can replace the erythritol in this cake and in all keto cake recipes with xylitol, monk fruit sweetener, allulose or with blends such as Swerve. If you're using xylitol, keep it away from dogs. It's highly toxic to them!
Ingredients
It's hard to believe, but you only need 5 ingredients to make this cake:
- Unsweetened chocolate
- Eggs
- Powdered Sweetener
- Almond Flour
- Butter
...and a pinch of salt.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Why Quality Ingredients Matter
With such few ingredients, they MUST be the best possible quality, especially the chocolate.
There is 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 quality 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.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Let me show you how to make a keto chocolate cake in a few simple steps.
STEP 1
Whisk the eggs with a hand mixer in a large mixing bowl until they have doubled in size and are frothy and pale.
STEP 2
Add the sweetener and whisk again until well-combined.
STEP 3
Melt butter and chocolate and stir until combined. You can do this in a microwave or on the stove - slowly and gently. Slowly add the melted chocolate mixture to the bowl...
STEP 4
... and fold it in with a spatula or spoon.
STEP 5
Continue stirring until the mixture is fully combined - gooey, creamy goodness!
STEP 6
Lastly, add the almond flour and stir until it is evenly distributed.
STEP 7
Line the bottom of a springform (I used a 20cm / 8-inch pan) and with parchment paper and grease the sides with butter or oil. Pour in the batter. Bake the cake in the preheated oven until the top of the cake is firm to the touch.
Let the cake cool completely before cutting.
Expert Tips
This is what you need to know to make the recipe perfectly.
Tip #1: Room temperature eggs. Take them out 30 minutes before starting on the cake. Or, warm them up in a bowl with hot water.
Keeping the eggs at room temperature prevents the mix from splitting and becoming lumpy once you add the warm chocolate and butter.
Tip #2: Sweetener must be powdered. You don't want any crunchy bits in your gooey, moist chocolate cake!
Blend granulated sweetener it in a food processor or with the attachment of a stick blender to turn it into a powder.
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.
Tip #3: Melt chocolate slowly. This prevents it from splitting and seizing.
Microwave option: 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.
Water bath option: 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.
Recipe Variations
SPICE IT UP: To give your keto cake a festive vibe, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon plus cardamom, nutmeg and a pinch of cloves.
For an extra kick, try adding a pinch of chilli! Or grate the zest of 1 orange into the batter.
MAKE IT NUTTY: Add nuts for a bit or crunch - walnuts or pecans would work well.
FLUFFY TEXTURE: This cake is supposed to be fudgy. For a slightly fluffier texture, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder or ½ teaspoon of baking soda.
DAIRY-FREE: Replace the butter with coconut oil.
NUT-FREE: Use ¼ cup coconut flour in place of the almond flour.
Toppings
I'm a bit of a purist, so I simply dusted my cake with 100% unsweetened cocoa powder.
You could also dust the low carb cake with powdered sweeter. For both options it is important to wait until the cake is fully cooled. Otherwise, anything you dust on top will melt into an unsightly sludge.
If you want to go the whole nine yards, make the cream cheese frosting from my keto cupcakes or make a buttercream frosting.
You could serve this cake with a dollop of sugar free whipped cream or a scoop of sugar free ice cream.
Recipe FAQs
No. I don't recommend to replace the chocolate with cocoa powder.
To make a layer cake, either slice the cake in half or split the batter between 2 cake pans. The baking time in 2 pans reduces to about 20 minutes.
Let the layers cool completely, then add the keto chocolate frosting as described below.
Yes! Here are the steps:
Melt 100g / 3.5 oz unsweetened chocolate and 60g / ¼ cup butter.
Stir in 6 tablespoons heavy cream and â…“ cup / 50g powdered sweetener.
Wait until the mixture has cooled and thickened, then spread over the cake or slice it horizontally and fill in between the layers.
I used a 20 cm / 8-inch springform. With a standard size 25cm / 9-inch springform, your chocolate keto cake will be a little flatter, but it still works fine. Reduce the baking time by 5 minutes. In a rectangular loaf pan, the oven time increases by around 15 minutes. As a rule of thumb, the top of the cake must be firm, but the inside still a little jiggly.
Add 2 teaspoons of orange extract to the cake batter. I also recommend trying this chocolate orange cake recipe!
Of course. You can use either 90% dark chocolate or sugar free chocolate chips instead of the unsweetened chocolate. In this case, reduce the amount of powdered sweetener accordingly.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store this keto cake in the fridge for 5-6 days. Be sure to keep it in an airtight container. Let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
Freezer: This cake freezes well. Freeze it pre-sliced for up to 3 months. Simply defrost it in the fridge for 48 hours or on the counter for 24 hours.
More Keto Chocolate Desserts
Here is a selection of sugar free chocolate desserts that we love to make:
- Fudgy Chocolate Avocado Cake
- Sugar Free Chocolate Birthday Cake1 Hours
- Keto Chocolate Donuts23 Minutes
- Keto Chocolate Cheesecake4 Hours 20 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Best Ever Keto Chocolate Cake (Sugar Free)
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
- 10.5 oz unsweetened chocolate 300g ***see notes
- 10.5 oz butter 300g, unsalted (1 â…“ cup melted)
- 6 eggs room temperature
- ½ cup almond flour 50g, or ground almonds
- 1 cup powdered sweetener 150g
- 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 (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 approximately 30 minutes on the middle shelf until the top of the cake is firm to the touch, especially in the middle. Â
- Leave to cool before releasing from the cake tin. Once the the cake is completely cooled, dust with cocoa powder.
DEBRA A EBERHARDT
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
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
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
Thanks. I'll try that
Kiran
Can this be made with liquid egg substitute?
Katrin
I've never used it, but as long as your substitute is good for baking you should have no problem.
Will B
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
HI Will, if you use Splenda make sure you use the cup and not the weight measurements. Splenda is much lighter than erythritol.
Frances
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
I love the idea of some chili in this recipe!!!
Sue
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
Liz
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
Oh what a shame!! Fingers crossed next time will be a 100% success 🙂
DEBRA A EBERHARDT
I just did the same thing. Didn't place the pan correctly together!
Poppy
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
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
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
Great news John! Glad you all liked the cake
Sally
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
Your tweaks sound delish. Definitely let me know!!
Sherry
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
Can't wait to hear how you like the cake Sherry!
Sherry
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
What a story!!! Top marks for persevering - I really hope you'll all love it 🙂
Sherry
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
sounds like a plan xx