All Day I Dream About Food

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Almond Crusted Butter Cake (Low Carb and Gluten-Free)

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We have quite a large cookbook/cooking magazine collection in this house. So large, in fact, that we have a whole IKEA bookshelf devoted to containing these items. It’s not quite full yet, but it’s definitely on its way there. The strange part is that I don’t actually buy cookbooks anymore, as I get most of my recipes and inspiration from fellow bloggers. But I have won quite a number of cookbooks in giveaways and I can always count on receiving a few every Christmas from my parents-in-law. And they are always welcome additions to our collection, because I find nothing more relaxing than thumbing through a cookbook in the comfy blue arm chair just off the kitchen.

One of the cookbooks I was fortunate enough to win in a giveaway was a sweet little thrift store find by Elisabeth of Food and Thrift. It is a book devoted solely to coffee cake recipes and was in brand-new condition when it came my way. It no longer is, as I have thumbed it many a time, and it may even have a splatter of batter or two on its pages. Of course, I can’t eat conventional coffee cakes anymore, so I haven’t made a single recipe as is from the book. But I have taken some wonderful inspiration from it.

I happened to pick up the book again last Saturday morning, and flipped through, when a lovely almond-crusted bundt cake caught my eye. My brain instantly started doing the low-carb, gluten-free substitution dance, and I could see just how I would make my version of this. I got out my butter to soften and began calculating in my head the proportions of the alternative ingredients I would need. I decided to make a half-recipe in a loaf pan, a variation that was suggested by the book, and turn it into a tea cake of sorts. I also decided to forego my usual base of greek yogurt, as this was supposed to be a butter cake, and I knew I needed a bit more almond flour and whey protein to help give it structure. The original cake took a full pound of powdered sugar…oh my, just thinking about that is enough to make my blood sugar rise! But I wasn’t about to try and sub in exact proportions of alternative sweeteners, so I knew my version would be a little less sweet.

The Results: If you follow me on Twitter, you would have seen me crowing about this the other day. I will tell you, it turned out better than I even would have hoped. It has a lovely almond-y flavour, and it’s not overly sweet. Some might like it sweeter, but I think that the way it is makes it a perfect complement to coffee or tea in the morning or as an afternoon snack. My husband was in full agreement on this one. I am also more than a little impressed by the way it looks. I love the way the sliced almonds look on the outside of the cake, it’s very elegant. And it turned out to have a very fine-crumbed texture, virtually indistinguishable from cake made with flour. This took me pleasantly by surprise, as I think many nut-flour cakes don’t come out looking this evenly textured. Even my other cakes haven’t always looked this perfect!

Almond-Crusted Butter Cake

1/4 cup sliced almonds
3 cups almond flour
1/3 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated erythritol (I used Swerve)
3 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract
20 drops stevia extract
1/2 cup almond milk

Preheat oven to 300F and butter a loaf pan very well. Sprinkle sides and bottom of pan with sliced almonds, pressing into butter to adhere to sides.

In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth. Add granulated erythritol and beat until lighter and well-combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at time, scraping down beaters and sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in almond and stevia extracts.

Beat in half of the almond flour mixture, then beat in almond milk. Beat in remaining almond flour mixture until well combined. Spread batter in prepared pan, being careful not to dislodge sliced almonds on the sides. Smooth the top.

Bake 60 minutes, or until top is deep golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 5 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Serves 12. Each serving has a total of 6.52 g of carbs and 3.04 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 3.48 g.

Food energy: 259kcal; Total fat: 22.44g; Calories from fat: 201; Cholesterol: 68mg; Carbohydrate: 6.52g; Total dietary fiber: 3.04g; Protein: 9.58g.

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Nutritional Disclaimer

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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Comments

  2. It looks amazing, Carolyn!!! You would never, ever guess it was anything other than a perfectly made conventional recipe! You are fabulous!!!!

    Reply

  3. Once again, you have posted a recipe that I must now make! This looks like it would be perfect with my morning coffee. You should also consider adding a "pin it" button for Pinterest, as almost everything you post ends up getting pinned to my board there and gets re-pinned by my "followers".

    Reply

  4. I have to admit that my cookbook collection is a bit out of control too. I That is an absolutely beautiful pound cake. I've neglected them since picking up the magazine thing, but they're patiently waiting for my return. Like you, I do go through them when I want inspiration for something different. 🙂

    The bread looks wonderful. I love the sliced almonds around the edges that leave the middle so fluffy and pristine. It's gorgeous.

    (I agree with Laura; you need a Pin It button.)

    Reply

  5. I rarely buy cookbooks for the same reason, most of the recipes I use are from other bloggers. But I have also won a few cookbooks from giveaways and need to browse through them more often. This cake looks great with that almond crust!

    Reply

    • Carolyn, will this work as a cupcake? I tried the recipe and I have to say it is the first low carb vanilla cake I have ever tried that doesn’t makes me feel like I am being deprived cause I can’t eat the real thing!!!! I constantly fantasize about vanilla cupcakes with pink frosting. I have even broken down occasionally and bought the real thing, only to be disappointed by the sickly sweet, yet tasteless and not worth the blood sugar spike results. This cake is a godsend and I can’t thank you enough for fulfilling my fantasies! I used to make a vanilla cake 47 years ago out of conventional ingredients that I have not been able to duplicate and this comes very close to that in texture and flavor. I have been diabetic for fifty years and have tried countless sugar-free and lo-carb recipies in that time.

      Reply

  13. This certainly does not look gf or low carb! It looks deliciously sweet and soft and crumby, perfect with a got cup of tea 🙂

    Cheers

    Reply

  15. This is just gorgeous! When I look at it, I think baby shower or tea party. It definitely is elegant. And I can't pass up anything almond flavored, so…winner!

    Reply

  20. The texture of this bread looks absolutely perfect. I'd be tempted to spread some stewed fruit on a slice. As for the cookbooks – well, we also have a very full bookcase full of them. I rarely buy new ones either and, yet, the collection seems to grow as though it has a life of its own.

    Reply

  25. Love how this cake looks! Those sliced almonds make such a pretty pattern 🙂 And it's incredible to hear this is gluten-free… I wouldn't have guessed! The texture looks perfect! Great post again, Carolyn!

    Reply

  26. I have a huge collection of cookbooks too – unfortunately a bunch got damaged when a water pipe broke in our house last winter (so sad). The crumb on your cake looks so fine – don't you just love it when you get it right the first time!

    Reply

  27. "My brain instantly started doing the low-carb, gluten-free substitution dance" It's totally a dance! I'd never thought of it that way. I've been doing substitutions on everything for so long, whenever I see a dish on TV, in a cookbook, or movie, I always begin brainstorming what I'd change in the recipe so I could eat it. Great work on this one, looks delicious!

    Reply

  29. The crumb looks wonderful and reminds me of pound cake, what a wonderful afternoon tea time cake.

    Reply

  32. For one,I must complement you for the pictures.It has been long since I saw such beautiful pictures on someone's blog/site – the combination of colors is simply beautiful.
    When I saw that this cake was majorly made of almonds,and had whey protein,I knew I wanted this recipe!Very healthy.I am going to bookmark/note down this one.
    Thank you so much for sharing!:-)

    Reply

    • When I found your recipe I just HAD to try it! I just took it out of the oven and it smells so good! But it fell, right down the middle and that area took quite a bit longer to bake or set? What did I not do right? It looks like I gave it a karate chop lol I don’t care if I have to eat this with a spoon, it smells so good and I’m sure it tastes even better. Any advice on the falling issue would be so appreciated! Thank you!

      Reply

      • So a few things. Sounds like you need more protein powder, which helps it rise. Maybe another tablespoon or two? And your oven must run less hot than mine, so definitely bake longer. You could also try adding a little coconut flour (2 tbsp or so) to give it more bulk.

        Reply

        • Thank you so much for the suggestions! The taste is wonderful! I will definitely be making this again, using the changes you’ve suggested!

          Reply

  35. I love that toasty almond crust so much – it's like a mosaic of almonds – beautiful and yummy! The cake looks moist and dense , like pound cake, and the buttery golden color is mouth-watering. Another amazing creation that looks so rich and fattening,, but isn't. 🙂

    Reply

  37. This is awesome! I like it when cakes like this aren't overly sweet. I mean I like sweet things but I much prefer things that aren't SO sweet you feel like you are sucking on a block of sugar. Looks awesome my dear!

    Reply

  45. I also have many, many cookbooks and love to read them, even though I do get most recipes from the internet these days. My husband laughed at me for bringing a huge cookbook to bed with me last night :-p This cake looks just delightful, and I love that it's low carb!

    Reply

  46. Hi, I allergic to whey & soy. Is there anything I can replace the protein powders with? If I just used more almond flour would that work? Thanks

    Reply

  47. I agree with Sylvie – the crumb looks wonderful! I've recently been baking with almond meal and I love it!

    Reply

  53. This is such a beautiful cake! I'm dying to try baking with erythritol. Last week I made muffins with Stevia for baking mix, been curious about erythritol since I first read about it here on your blog. I haven't seen it here so I'll have to order from good ol' Amazon 🙂

    Reply

  54. My two favourite brands are ZSweet and Swerve. Swerve is great, just not as widely available yet.

    But I will be having a giveaway of Swerve in March (my birthday and my blog's birthday month), so be sure to stop by!

    Carolyn

    Blog: All Day I Dream About Food
    URL: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com

    Reply

  55. I have to tell you how much we enjoyed this recipe, along with others I' ve made from your blog. My non-LC hubby loved it and my two grandchildren did as well. Although mine didn't come out looking as perfect as your photo, and I undercooked it a tad, it is a keeper! I served it with LC vanilla ice cream for dessert. It seems to get more delicious every day in the fridge. Thanks, Carolyn.

    Reply

  57. Thanks So Much for These Recipe !! I did it yesterday And nobody noticed it was low carb LOL Is my Favorite From Today , Look really good and Test Amazing ,Thanks again 🙂

    Reply

  60. I modified this recipe a bit to suit what I had on hand, but it was still a winner. I omitted the sliced almonds, as I didn't have any, and I made two mini-loaves out of one-third of the recipe (one for my s/o and one for me). I substituted soy flour for the whey protein powder, Splenda powder for the liquid stevia and whole milk for the almond milk. It turned out great! It was nicely sweet, had a nice crust and was almost like the real thing as far as interior texture goes. I'll definitely make this again!

    Reply

  64. Also an option–I grind my own almonds in a mini food processor. While the texture isn't as fine as professionally-milled almond flour, it's much less expensive and yields a lower carb count due to the inclusion of the skins (commercial almond flours use blanched almonds).

    Reply

  65. Carolyn you are amazing!
    I love baking and cooking but after being diagnosed w. celiac I only bake for others and can't even try what I make. Im scared of gf baking. And can't afford 4+ different flours for 1 recipe. So I am so happy to find this blog you really inspired me to try gf baking. Thank you!!! 🙂
    I am going to make biscotti this afternoon and can't wait. 😀
    Thank you thank you!!
    -meg <3

    Reply

  67. Can you tell me if it is blanched or unblanched almond flour and also 20 drops of stevia sounds like a lot. I don’t like the taste of stevia but will give it a try. Any particular brand?

    Reply

    • Blanched almond flour is preferable. And I typically use Nu Naturals or SweetLeaf stevia drops. And this recipe is definitely not overly sweet, and has little to no hint of stevia aftertaste.

      Reply

  68. I just made your almond raspberry jam muffins and they were a huge hit! I would like to make this cake for a special occasion – any idea how I could adjust the recipe for a bundt pan?

    Reply

    • I think the amount would probably be just right for a bundt cake. Your biggest problem is going to be getting it to release (grease the pan REALLY well) and getting the almonds to stick.

      Reply

  70. Geez, I blew it. It was dry and not nearly moist enough to hold together. Not even close. I used it as a crust for tarts and it simply crumbled. I measured everything…..I’m just gonna move onto another recipe. lol For me I would have to increase the liquids by half as much. All I can think is that my almond flour is really dry?

    Perplexed…

    Reply

    • I don’t think this recipe would make a good tart crust. I can see it being crumbly there. But it shouldn’t be that dry. What kind of almond flour are you using?

      Reply

  71. Just made this one today! I had a big slice while it was still a little warm and it was so yummy. I love the smell and taste of almond extract so much! And it was perfectly sweet for me – grabbed it as a snack on the way to the pool with the kids. One question – have you experimented with the best way to store the cake? I’m looking forward to munching on it all week, but haven’t figured out the best way to store almond flour baked goods. Thanks Carolyn!

    Reply

  72. I’ve previously made this recipe and it’s cripplingly delicious. Do you think it would work well in a bundt cake pan, with the recipe doubled?

    Reply

  74. Hello….I was just curious if I have a whey powder that is vanilla flavored, would that work for this recipe or does it need to be unflavored? Thanks!

    Reply

  75. HI! I am dying to try your recipe for this cake, but could you please tell me what size loaf pan you used? I don’t see that listed..Thank you and looking forward to making this.

    Reply

    • Not sure, I’ve never tried it…but it’s always worth a try! Even if it doesn’t rise as much as it’s supposed to, it will still taste great.

      Reply

  77. Hello! This looks just amazing and I definitely want to try it! Do you have any suggestions for subbing out the whey protein for vegans? Thank you so much! 🙂

    Reply

  78. Carolyn, could you use liquid Splenda in the same amount of drops to replace the Stevia extract? Do you know what the measurement of liquid Splenda would be to replace the Stevia or the sweetness to sugar would be to substitute with liquid Splenda?

    Reply

    • Liquid sucralose is sweeter than stevia, I think, but this cake isn’t overly sweet anyway. I’d do maybe 12 drops of sucralose (equals about 1/4 cup sugar)…or a bit more if you want it sweeter.

      Reply

  81. Can I substitute granulated Truvia for the erythritol? I don’t have any erythritol (never tried it), and I MUST make this today! 🙂

    Reply

    • Hi Stephanie…you sure can, because Truvia IS erythritol. It’s a combo of erythritol and stevia. 😉 So it will work just fine.

      Reply

    • Rivka, I used vanilla whey protein powder and even vanilla almond milk – because that’s all I had on hand. I put in about 1/2 tsp more almond extract and it was delicious! I didn’t get a real ‘vanilla’ flavor. Couldn’t believe even my husband liked it – and he doesn’t like any of my ‘special food’! lol I put a few slices in the freezer to see how well they freeze too. Try eating with cream cheese smeared on top – delish! Thank you Carolyn!!

      Reply

  83. I accidentally put vanilla extract in it instead of almond extract, but it came out tasting amazing 🙂 Thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply

  84. Just made this recipe and it is so yummy. Mine looks almost as beautiful as yours, maybe my almonds are not quite as pretty. I am so thankful for now knowing that I need to bake with almond flour, not almond meal. What a difference!

    Reply

  85. Beautiful loaf, never lasts me and my mom more than a week. Love it with hot blueberries and no-sugar whipped cream.

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  86. I can not being to tell you how IN LOVE I am with this recipe. My Green Tea loaf went in a day and this loaf is half gone. I put dark choc chips in half of the loaf. Pure heaven. There are some many flavors you could do with this recipe. If fills my need for cake, a donut etc. 100% recommend.

    Reply

  87. Hi Carolyn, thank you for a wonderful recipe, the cake sure looks lovely. One small question though, can you suggest any substitute for the pure whey protein , those are very expensive in my country and I would really appreciate if you can help me out. Thank you so much in advance.

    Rose,

    Reply

    • Hi Rose,
      Can you get meringue powder? That’s just powdered egg whites. You really do need a little extra protein to get it to rise properly. Barring that, you could put in an extra egg but it might be overly moist that way. Thanks!

      Reply

  88. I made this into Pistachio muffins and they turned out PERFECT!
    Sub 1c almond flour for 1c ground pistachios (coffee grinder). Top with 1/4c chopped pistachios!

    Reply

  89. Hi Caroline I absolutely love your recipes,still trying to get over how wonderful your lemon cheesecake bars taste (they were heaven) could not stop eating them my hubby had to stop me. I am a type 2 diabetic and have come down to only 10 units of insulin per day and am planning on ditching it completely because of my low carbing lifestyle started 10 months ago. I never thought that I could ever taste the cakes I used to eat in the old days but your website changed all that. I am like you completely ….all day long I dream about food and sweet things… cant help it. I can now through your fab recipes, thanks so much!!!. Made your almond crusted butter loaf this afternoon but turned it into an orange loaf, just added orange rind and vanilla essence. It was amazing I cant believe it, my husband and I kept making tea as an excuse to have a slice of the loaf. It was so moist and yellow a real keeper.
    Best regards and keep them coming.

    Reply

  90. Hey all 🙂
    Can anyone please give me a substitute for whey protein powder and almond extracts ? I live in Egypt , and I was going to try out the recipe today , there’s nowhere I know that’s selling whey protein or whey protein powder . For almond extracts , is there any way I can make it at home ?
    Thank you so much 🙂

    Reply

    • Can you get your hands on powdered egg whites? That can sub for the whey. For almond extract, you could just use vanilla but of course, it won’t have the almond flavour.

      Reply

      • Even that I can’t .. Unfortunately
        Also , I have very big problem with almond flour and coconut flour both in general . They are not sold in Egypt , so I have to make them out of almonds and shredded coconut , but they just taste so different and look way darker than this . The cake was horrible and I honestly have no idea what to do , a lot of low-carb recipes demand almond or coconut flour .. 🙂

        Reply

        • Yes, that would be very tough! With your own ground almond flour, you are going to get something tougher and coarser. A few tips…cut back on the oil and use an additional egg to help give it more structure. That should help some. Sorry it’s not easy to get the right ingredients.

          Reply

  91. Hi Carolyn,
    I found this recipe while searching for low-carb desserts my gestationally diabetic sister could enjoy during her high-risk pregnancy. Who would’ve guessed it would become one of our favorite cake recipes long after the baby was born! I’ve made this cake for family and friends at least a dozen times and everyone is always surprised that it is sugar and gluten free! It is equally successful served with whipped cream and berries as dessert, or toasted with some homemade jam and a cup of coffee for breakfast!

    Now, I usually sub 1/4 to 1/3 cup Splenda for the stevia extract because that’s what I have on hand, and the results have been great! But I’ve been asked to make this cake for a friend’s father’s 70th birthday party who can’t eat Splenda, and I’m too lazy to run out and get stevia extract. Can I just use more erythritol instead of the stevia/splenda? Do you know how much, and if this effects flavor or texture?
    Thanks!

    Reply

      • I make this ALL THE TIME and love it. I use erythritol and no stevia drops and it comes out perfect. I do taste the batter for sweetness.

        Reply

    • I’ve made this cake as is several times and it’s always a hit! For those of you asking about storing the cake, refrigerating and freezing works well but the erythritol can re-crystallize when it gets cold and become a bit gritty, so be sure to reheat it before you eat it. Last week I needed an alternative to cornbread to serve with my chili so I made this cake and adjusted the recipe to transform it into a more savory cornbread-like cake. It was delicious! I omitted the sliced almonds when buttering my pan; used Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour which is coarser than my usual Honeyville Farms for a more cornbread-like texture; ran out of erythritol so used 1/3 cup regular sugar (but you could certainly just use the erythritol and stevia adjusting for desired sweetness); omitted the almond and stevia extracts; and bumped up the salt a tiny bit to make it more savory. It was the a great grain-free, gluten-free, corn-free alternative to cornbread!

      Reply

  92. I made your “little black dress” of a recipe, and I have to admit that you had us at the batter! It has wonderful flavour, as does the finished cake. I used a silicone baking loaf pan because I thought that it would make unmolding easier, and it was easy, but next time I will use a standard, non-stick metal loaf pan. I did not bake the cake for the amount of time indicated because it looked perfect after 40 minutes, but I should have left it in longer. The very middle was too moist, and a little “marzipanish”, but still delish. Next time, and there will certainly be a next time, I shall follow the recipe exactly. I served the cake slices with whipped cream, home made raspberry jam, and meyer lemon curd…wonderful.
    May I ask for some advice here? I am finding that when I make something using Swerve, it is perfect, but after being refrigerated it seems to crystalize. In the case of your candied ginger, this was perfect because it gave the ginger a “sugary” coating, but in the lemon curd, the bits of crystal spoiled the silky smoothness. Is there some way to avoid this?
    Many thanks for the recipe, and the anticipated advice.

    Reply

    • The only way I have found to not have Swerve (or any erythritol) re-crystallize is to limit the amount and add some liquid stevia to help sweeten things more. It’s frustrating because Swerve is by far and away my favourite sweetener but for some applications, it’s just not quite right.

      Reply

      • To reduce graininess in cold applications (like coconut oil freezer fudge!), I’ve had good success blending the granulated erythritol into a powder (measure first, then pulse in a hand blender or coffee/nut grinder). You might try that next time for your lemon curd!

        Reply

  93. Great recipe. I made in a pie plate with almonds on top and served with a cream cheese glaze flavored with almond extract. Delicious! Thank you!

    Reply

  94. I’m anxious to try this & I’m currently making out my shopping list. Since I can’t have the extra protein, what can I use in it’s place? Thank’s, Carolyn…Became

    Reply

    • You can leave the extra protein out if you need to, but the cake as a whole won’t rise as well. It will still taste good! You could put in an extra tsp of baking powder and perhaps a little more almond flour (maybe 1/4 cup?) to help give it a little more structure. Hope that helps keeping the protein count down.

      Reply

  96. Lost my recipe and had to pull this back down. I have a horrible ragweed allergy so I steer away from Stevia. I add a rounded tablespoon of Equal in its place. With berry season coming up, I thought I would mention I leave off the almonds and use this as the base for Strawberry Shortcake. Tonight, I making it just to smear a little jelly on and enjoy in the morning.

    Reply

  97. I would love to try some of your recipes! But I can’t have casein/whey and not sure if I can sub vegan protein powder.

    Reply

  98. Hi Carolyn,

    I’m so excited I found this blog! Your recipes look amazing (although I must admit I’ve basically only looked at the desserts). I do have one question about an ingredient I often see in your baked goods: protein powder.

    I understand why you use it, but is it possible to substitute it for xanthan gum? And if so, what would be the sub rate: so if you call for 1/3 cup of whey powder, how much xanthan gum would I use?

    Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • No, it’s not possible to sub protein for xanthan gum, they don’t play the same role. Xanthan may help hold gluten-free baked goods together but it does not help them rise at all. If you don’t want to use whey protein, you can use hemp protein or powdered egg whites instead.

      Reply

      • I just made the cake and it’s delicious! Not too sweet, lovely almond flavor, and the texture is awesome! Thank you so much!

        Question 1: If I sub the almond extract for lemon and add poppy seeds, do you think the rest of this recipe would translate well into a lemon-poppy seed cake?

        Question 2: When baking this cake, I ended up having to take it out at the 42 minute mark. I followed your recipe to a T, can you think of any reason why this would have been the case? I do have a gas oven, could this have been the reason? And, if so, does that mean I should always set my timer for less time than you recommend in your recipes?

        Thanks again!

        Reply

        • Hi Scarlett. I actually have used this recipe as a base for lemon poppyseed and it works great. You can see it here (I used lemon zest and some of the juice but extract would be good too) https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/01/lemon-poppyseed-bundt-cake-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html

          Sounds to me like your oven runs very hot. I have a gas oven too and most people find that they need to go LONGER with my recipes, not shorter. In fact, I’ve started giving instructions with additional time because so many have said things haven’t been baked through at the times I’ve given. Ovens can differ a lot (and I keep meaning to get mine checked…you may want to get yours checked too!).

          Reply

  99. You may have answered this already, but there are so many comments, no time to read them all. What size loaf pan did you use? A standard size or something smaller. I have several size loaf pans and want it to turn out perfectly. Thank you.

    Reply

    • The standard 9×5 size pan. Make sure you are using Honeyville or a similarly finely ground almond flour for best results!

      Reply

  100. Such a simple, delicious, comforting cake! My mom loved it so much when I made it for her here in Ireland that now she is abroad she’s always pestering me to send her whey protein just so that she can make this cake! 🙂

    Reply

  101. OMG. This came out so very good. I can’t believe it! I could serve this to my family and they would never know it was low carb. It would be great for a tea party or a coffee get together. I am so grateful for this recipe! Thank you!

    Reply

  102. What is the best way to store this? Can it be left out on the counter or does it need to be refrigerated? Have you ever frozen slices individually?

    Reply

    • It can be left on the counter for 2 to 3 days, depending on your climate (very hot and humid, I’d refrigerate it). I haven’t frozen slices but I have frozen it as muffins and it works very well.

      Reply

  103. I made the recipe last night and it turned out very well, but my final result does not look “yellow” as in your pictures above. I really feel the look of the final product will sell the taste. I am using almond flour but it has the almond “skin” in the mix so it looks much darker and denser. May I ask what almond flour you use? Would I be better off pulverizing almond slivers which have the brown skin removed to use as the almond flour?

    Reply

  104. This recipe is just so delicious – I’ve made it twice now, once with almond crust and almond essence and once without almond crust and banana essence. Both yum, but dropped in the centre so I will have to lower my oven (as it was very brown) temp, cook longer and add some extra protein powder and see how I go 🙂 Thanks for this recipe, it is so filling!!!

    Reply

  106. Hi Carolyn,
    In your introduction to this recipe you said you adapted it from a bundt cake recipe and so halved it to make into a loaf. I love this recipe and wondered – if I were to make a bundt cake, should I double the amounts to make the portions appropriate for a bundt pan? And how would I adjust the baking time?

    Reply

    • Actually, since I first developed this recipe, I’ve made similar ones in my bundt pan without doubling it and it works out quite well. It takes less time to bake because the batter is more spread out (more like 40 minutes). But if you do double it to make a really big cake, it would be great too but I am not sure how long it will take to cook. I always think to start with less time and check frequently. Start with 40 minutes and check every few minutes after that.

      Reply

  107. Made this last night. I can’t imagine how a simple looking cake like this can be so delicious. YUM.
    For the record – I replaced a few things as the Tiramisu recipe recommended and some personal preferences;
    – No slivered almonds
    – Vanilla flavoured whey, not unflavoured
    – Vanilla essence, not almond
    – Water, not almond milk. I always use water instead of almond milk in recipes like this.

    Also, I find it nice to warm up the water gently and patiently dissolve the Erythritol. Too many times has this stuff left a grainy texture so this avoids that risk.

    Mat

    Reply

  108. I’m at work and I’m starving. I just read this recipe and my mouth is watering. I’m making this tonight! Thankfully I have all the ingredients at home! Thank you!!!

    Reply

  109. I just unmolded this and it is cooling on the rack. I have to say it looks gorgeous. It was a little sunken in the center, but I was afraid of leaving it in longer for fear it would be dry and overcooked, because it was very brown. Only had a few wet crumbs clinging to my tester. Came out of the pan in a snap, hoping gravity and cooling makes the depression un-depress. 🙂 My only challenge was the stevia extract. I don’t know what 20 drops is supposed to be the equivalent of. I have liquid stevia, but not drops. I looked up Sweet Leaf stevia extract on Amazon and they said a serving is 5 drops, so I assumed this was equivalent to one teaspoon. Taste test tonight with my girls night. One friend is gluten free and I am low-carb which often translates to making gluten free foods. I try to only make sweets for company, so I am excited to taste.

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    • Oh dear, no. 20 drops of liquid stevia extract is about 1/4 tsp. I hope you didn’t over sweeten this!

      Reply

      • I didn’t mean one tsp of stevia I meant equals 1 tsp of sugar … since most sweeteners give you the equivalent in sugar. 🙂 I tasted the batter, it didn’t taste too sweet.

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      • Everyone loved it, I would make it again. It actually wasn’t sweet enough, but still good. It was a little dry, but I don’t know if that was the protein powder I used. What brand of stevia drops do you use?

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    • yes, it is very moist. But you need to make sure to use proper almond FLOUR, quite finely ground. I love Bob’s Red Mill, but their almond flour isn’t fine enough for a cake like this.

      Reply

    • Whey helps it rise and holds its shape, just like gluten would (gluten is a protein). This is an almond cake, so I don’t think the coconut flour will work very well.

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  114. Thank you so much for this recipe, it is the first truly successful almond flour recipe I’ve followed! Really pleased with the results, such a tasty cake and the flaked almond crust really works well. For any fellow Brits, I used the following conversions for the cup-based measures: 55g flakes almonds, 288g almond flour, 75g protein powder, 115g butter, 15g granulated sweetener, 120ml almond milk. I used the “Diet PhD” whey protein brand (vanilla flavour) and I used Splenda for the sweetener (as well as liquid Stevia drops, as the recipe says).

    Thanks again, Carolyn!

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  115. I’ve made this cake twice now. It’s delicious! The first time it was still uncooked in the middle after letting it bake for a total of 1 hour and 25 minutes! I even increased the heat to 325 for about 10 minutes. Had to finally take it out — center still uncooked — because the crust was starting to burn. I used the recommended almond flour, everything at room temp, loaf pan same size. This isn’t the first time I’ve had problems with things not cooking all the way through, so it has to be my two-year old oven. Here’s what worked for me the second time around: I baked it in a 9×9 glass lasagne pan, giving the batter more room to spread out. Checked a few recipes for other dense cakes (applesauce), and they recommend baking at 350. 300 degrees for a dense almond batter like this seems so low. So I split the difference and baked it for 50 minutes at 325. Checked it at 34 minutes when the wonderful aroma wafted through the house. It was done and completely cooked in the center! The crust was nicely browned but not burned. It’s really good, even if it’s more of a beige than yellow like yours. Thanks for another great recipe, Carolyn.

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  117. This looks great! Just wondering, if I want to skip the protein powder, is there anything that I need to take out or add in? I don’t react that well with too much protein.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • You can skip it but your cake won’t rise as well. Just FYI, a scoop of protein powder like this (which replaced the protein from gluten and helps cakes rise and hold their shape) only adds about 18g of protein to the whole recipe, so about 1.5g of protein per serving.

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  118. Hi! Your recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it. I live all the way in Malaysia and I can’t find the sugar subs and so will stick with raw coconut palm sugar. How much should I use? Much thanks!

    Reply

  119. Not sure if you’ll get this, Carolyn. . . I’ve made this several times and LOVE IT! But I’m wondering if it would work if (instead of the almond extract) I added lemon extract and some lemon zest too, to make it lemony. ?? I just love the consistency of this bread.

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  120. This cake tastes fantastic. I managed to get more rise and a fluffier crumb by separating the eggs, beating the whites with a little cream of tartar into stiff peaks and folding into the batter at the very end. Was a really big hit!! 🙂

    Reply

  121. Hi Carolyn tried this recipe and it looks beautiful but post taking out of the oven the cake collapsed in the middle. Where did I go wrong ? Many thanks

    Reply

  122. Hi Carolyn tried this recipe and it looks beautiful but post taking out of the oven the cake collapsed in the middle. Where did I go wrong ? Many thanks

    Reply

  124. This is soooooo good! it’s definitely one of my two favorite keto desserts! I’m picky too. I’ve always loved almond cake so I was so happy to find a recipe that tasted like the real thing! Amazing!

    Reply

    • I need to give this lovely old recipe an update. It was the first cake I ever made that was truly CAKE! I’ve based a lot of recipes on it since then.

      Reply

  125. Love this recipe.. I make a berry trifle with marscopne mousse.. it’s divine! But my cakes always crumble when I slice them.. why?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  9. […] Some ideas are really, really good ideas and you just have to steal them. Well, let’s not say steal, let’s say “borrow”, shall we? It sounds much more civilized and refined, even if the result is the same. I took the idea and I really have no intention of giving it back. It’s mine now and I am holding on as tight as I can. Finders keepers, as they say. However, when it comes to good ideas, I am always one to give credit where credit is due. I mean, I might be an idea stealer but I will readily and happily admit that the idea is stolen. And so I will readily admit that the idea of making tiramisu with layers of pound cake is not at all my idea originally. I came across it first when my friend Amy made Pound Cake Tiramisu on Very Culinary. Even though hers was made with Sara Lee pound cake, I took one look and knew I needed to make a low carb version. I needed to steal that idea as fast as I could. And I knew exactly the low carb cake recipe I wanted to use for it: my Almond Crusted Butter Cake. […]

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