This healthy keto lemon cake recipe is based on my popular keto chocolate cake and lemon blueberry zucchini bread… and it’s just as moist and decadent, with plenty of zing and fresh flavor. You might associate an almond flour lemon cake with a dense, dry cake, but this one is far from it. A few key ingredients make all the difference. And the result? Layers of fluffy sugar-free lemon cake, studded with lemon zest and topped with a lemon buttercream frosting. If you enjoy tangy desserts like keto lemon bars, you’re going to love this one! What makes this the best keto lemon cake recipe? Besti sweetener! This blend of monk fruit and allulose makes a sweet, super moist cake, with no aftertaste. I use it for all my cakes now and it makes a huge difference in moisture and texture. And, my Wholesome Yum Superfine Blanched Almond Flour makes the cake perfectly fluffy, not dense like some low carb cakes.
Keto Almond Lemon Cake Ingredients
This keto lemon cake recipe comes together with pretty basic low carb pantry staples, plus a few common items from the grocery store:
Get Besti Sweeteners For Sugar-Free Cakes
Low carb lemon cake ingredients
Butter – I prefer to use this grass-fed butter for best flavor and quality, but any unsalted kind will work. Be sure to soften the butter! Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – A must for keto cakes, it makes them super moist and not dry! And of course, zero net carbs, sugar, or aftertaste. Eggs – Use large eggs, not medium or jumbo. Sour cream – Full-fat sour cream is best for keto and the best cake texture, but low-fat works too if that’s what you have. Lemons – Look for a bright lemon that has a slight give to it when pressed. Vanilla – Look for a high quality extract to make sure there aren’t any other added sugars. Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour – The superfine, blanched texture of my brand makes the lemon cake fluffy and not dense. Baking powder – Make sure it’s fresh to avoid a dense cake. Sea salt
Sugar-free lemon buttercream frosting ingredients
Butter – Same kind as above. Lemons – We use both the juice and the zest in the frosting as well, but if you want your frosting ultra smooth, you can swap the lemon zest for lemon extract to taste. Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – A powdered sweetener is crucial so that your frosting isn’t gritty, and this one has no aftertaste. Heavy cream – This thins out the frosting to reach the right consistency. Almond milk will also work, but you’d need to use less.
Ingredient amounts are on the recipe card below.
How To Make Keto Lemon Cake
Beat butter and Besti. In a large bowl, beat together Besti and butter, until fluffy.
Beat in wet ingredients: eggs (one at a time!), sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla.
TIP: Make sure your wet ingredients are at room temperature. This will keep the batter smooth.
Beat in dry ingredients: superfine almond flour, baking powder, and salt, until the batter is uniform.
Bake. Divide cake batter among 2 pans and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until the top springs back and cool completely.
Make frosting. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat butter and powdered Besti, until fluffy. Add the lemon juice and heavy cream and beat until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more cream as needed.
Assemble. When cake layers are cooled, place one layer of cake onto cake stand and frost with 3/4 cup frosting. Place the second layer on top and frost with another 3/4 cup frosting. Frost the sides with remaining frosting.
TIP: If desired, decorate the top! I used twisted lemon slices and fresh mint leaves. You could also make additional frosting and pipe it onto the cake in patterns.
How many carbs are in lemon cake?
Traditional lemon cake slices will have 50+ grams of carbohydrates. Because we’ve used almond flour and Besti sweeteners, this almond flour lemon cake has just 4.1 grams net carbs per slice!
Can I make it dairy-free?
You can make this cake dairy-free, but it will take a few adjustments:
Swap the butter for coconut oil. Use dairy-free sour cream substitute. This is found at the grocery store, but note it does typically have more carbs. Alternatively, you could use coconut cream instead of the sour cream. Use an alternative keto milk instead of heavy cream in the frosting. You may need a bit less if it’s thinner than heavy cream.
I haven’t personally tested these swaps in this recipe, but have done so in baking in the past, and it should work.
Can I use a different sweetener?
I highly recommend Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend for cakes, including this healthy almond flour lemon cake, because this sweetener makes them super moist and won’t crystallize if it sits. However, allulose makes a very close substitute – it will have the same moist qualities. Another alternative is erythritol, which definitely makes a worse end result, but works okay if that’s all you can get. With both erythritol and allulose subs, use 30% more than the stated amount. You’ll also need a powdered sweetener for the frosting. Besti Powdered Monk Fruit Allulose Blend is recommended, but you can also use powdered erythritol or powdered allulose. Refer to my healthy sweetener guide and sweetener conversion chart for conversions and differences among sweeteners.
Storage Instructions
Like most cakes, you can make this keto friendly lemon cake a couple of days in advance if needed. Store covered at room temperature for about a day, or refrigerate for up to a week.
Can you freeze lemon cake made with almond flour?
Yes, you can freeze leftover sugar-free lemon cake for 2-3 months. Freeze uncovered first until the frosting solidifes, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil, to keep freezer burn at bay. Another option would be to freeze individual pieces, but again, let them freeze uncovered before wrapping individually.
More Keto Cake Recipes
If you like this low carb lemon cake with almond flour, you might also like some of these other keto cake recipes:
Keto Birthday Cake – One of the first keto cakes I made and still love. Simple vanilla flavor and yummy frosting! Coconut Flour Cake – Impossibly moist, without almond flour! Keto Red Velvet Cake – So luscious! This cake is naturally colored and ready in an hour. Sugar-Free Carrot Cake – Unbelievably low carb, and complete with rich cream cheese frosting. Keto Angel Food Cake – The best light dessert! Made with almond flour and coconut flour, it’s light and fluffy. Keto Lemon Pound Cake – Sweet, moist, and just 4 grams net carbs per slice.
Citrus Zester – Using a zester is the easiest and fastest way to get all the zest from lemons. Hand Mixer – Mix up the cake and frosting with this easy-to-store mixer. Springform Pans – You’ll need two pans for the two cake layers. I love springform pans for easy removal, and these are the perfect size. Cake Stand – Put this cake on the stand… it’s easier to frost and makes it easy to display. Icing Spatula – This simple little tool is the best way to get a smooth, even application of frosting on your cake.
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