Sugar Free Keto Apple Cake

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This easy keto apple cake is going to wow your guests and it's so healthy you could eat it for breakfast. It has a moist, fluffy crumb studded with apple pieces and it is topped with a low carb cinnamon streusel layer. A sugar free cake perfect for the colder season.

"A keto cake with real apples!" I hear you scream… yes, indeed!

I've tried all the faux keto apple cake recipes with zucchini, chayote squash and apple cider vinegar over the years. They are okay, but let's be honest, they are no real apple cake.

This gluten free low carb apple cake is filled with big bursts of flavourful apple pieces in every bite.

Together with my keto apple cider donuts and these keto apple muffins this cake is my favourite autumn treat.

"Love this apple cake! Easy to make and the taste is great!" (Mireille)

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What's Awesome About This Cake
Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Recipe FAQs
Serving Suggestions
Storage
More Sugar Free Cake Recipes
Recipe

What's Awesome About This Cake

It is sugar free! I'm using low carb flours and a zero carb sweetener, which make this cake suitable for diabetics. Of course, there is some natural sugar in apples. When I say sugar free apple cake, I'm referring to the fact that there are no added sugars in this cake.

It is keto! How can it be a keto apple cake? Here's why: each slice is only 6.5g net carbs. We are using just enough apple to get ALL THE FLAVOR whilst keeping the carbs low. And you won't get a blood sugar spike (tried and tested by my keto-loving husband!)

It tastes delicious! The cake is fluffy yet moist, with soft apple pieces and a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping. Yum.

Ingredients

Apples

All you need to know about the apples:

I used regular dessert apples. It doesn't matter which type you choose - Granny Smith, Braeburn, Golden Delicious - they all work.
Cooking apples such as Bramley require more sweetener as they are more tart. Adjust the recipe accordingly.
I recommend peeling the apples. The hard bits from the skin interfere with the cake texture. Only leave the skins on if you like the idea of a VERY rustic cake.
Slice one apple to top the cake with and chop the rest - those pieces get mixed into the batter.
The apples are mixed with lemon juice (prevents browning) and sweetener.

Cake Batter And Streusel

This is a super easy, tasty batter! Here's what you need:

Eggs - Should be large and room temperature for a better rise.
Butter - Use unsalted. I melt it in the microwave, then cool it a few minutes.
Cream cheese
Unsweetened almond milk
Almond flour - I use ground almonds, which is equivalent to regular almond flour. If you use super-fine almond flour, I would reduce the amount by 2 tablespoons.
Coconut flour - Works so well in combination with almond flour. Ideally, always measure your low carb flours with digital scales. It's much more precise than cups.
Sweetener - My go-to is a granulated erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend. Both white and golden sweeteners (which are brown sugar replacements) are good in this cake. You can also use allulose or xylitol. When using xylitol, be aware that it is toxic to dogs.
Baking powder, vanilla and cinnamon

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Instructions

It's easy to make a keto apple cake. Here are the basic steps.

Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method with baking times and nutrition info.

STEP 1 - Prepare Apples

Slice one apple and dice the rest. Place them in a mixing bow. Squeeze over lemon juice. Stir in the sweetener and let the mix sit to macerate.

STEP 2 - Blend Eggs

In a large bowl using an electric mixer or in a food processor, beat the eggs until pale, fluffy and double in size.

STEP 3 - Add Wet Ingredients

Add the sweetener, butter, cream cheese, almond milk and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.

STEP 4 - Mix Dry Ingredients & Add

Mix the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Then add to the wet ingredients and blend until you have a smooth batter.

STEP 5 - Prep Crumble

Mix crumble ingredients in a separate bowl using a fork and set aside.

STEP 6 - Assembly

Separate the apple slices from the diced apple. Mix the chopped apples through the cake batter and fill the prepared springform cake pan (don't forget to line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the sides first!)

Arrange the apple slices on top in a single layer. Top off with the streusel mix.

STEP 7 - Bake

Bake in the preheated oven on the middle shelf or until a skewer inserted comes out free of dough.

Katrin's Top Tips

Macerate apples. Letting the apples sit in lemon juice and sweetener is an important step. It draws out excess liquid and prevents the cake from becoming soggy. Don't miss this step.

Cover. Almond flour cakes brown quicker than wheat cakes. Check the cake during baking. Once it has browned sufficiently, loosely cover it with aluminium foil to prevent it from burning.

Patience! Let your apple cinnamon cake cool completely before releasing and removing the springform. Grain free baked goods are very fragile when hot and firm up as they cool.

a slice of apple cake on a plate with a fork and vanilla custard

Substitutions

No coconut flour - To make a keto apple cake without coconut flour, replace it with 3 times the amount of almond flour.
Dairy free - For a dairy free keto apple cake, replace the butter with coconut oil and the cream cheese with coconut cream.
Nut free - Try a blend of sesame flour and sunflower seed flour in place of the almond flour.
Using different fruits - This cake would work well with berries, although I would leave the cinnamon out of the cake batter.

Recipe FAQs

Can you eat apples on keto?

Yes, it depends on the amount. Apples contain a fair amount of carbs, that's why you might have heard that "apples are not keto". But
keto is a metabolic state, not a food. And as long as you eat higher carb food in moderation, it can be part of a low carb diet and even a keto diet. This includes apples! I still make my sugar free applesauce every autumn, and we all love these sugar free flapjacks.

How much apple do you eat per portion?

This keto apple cake contains 400 grams of dessert apples - about 4 apples. Spread across 12 slices of cake, we're talking ¼ apple per portion. This way, you're getting all the apple flavour but at the same time, each slice only has 6.5g net carbs.

Can I use another cake pan?

You could use a rectangular pan if you prefer and even make a no sugar added cinnamon apple dump cake - where the apple mix is at the bottom, topped by the batter. The baking duration will be similar.

Serving Suggestions

We love serving sugar free apple cake with keto custard (just keep it on the stove until the mix thickens and coats the back of a spoon - skip the oven part).

Alternatively, serve with a dollop of keto whipped cream or a scoop of low carb vanilla ice cream.

Storage

Store the cake in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. I like to slice it first and layer parchment paper between each slice so they don't stick together.