Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting is a keto cake recipe that makes the perfect birthday cake for chocolate lovers. But this low carb chocolate cake is so good, you won’t want to wait for a special occasion to make it.
Any Occasion Chocolate Layer Cake
It is nobody’s birthday in my house. Nobody. Not even close. We’re all late Fall and Winter babies in this household. My three kiddos are October, November and December, my husband is right after Christmas and I am in early March. It’s pretty nutty, quite honestly. From mid-Fall to New Year’s we are run ragged with birthday and holidays, and each year it seems to get more stressful.
My husband and I aren’t even remotely over-indulgent with our kids and we don’t do big birthday celebrations for them. But even the minor family celebrations we do hold take enough effort and time that we find ourselves girding our loins at the approach of October. Oh, and have I mentioned that our anniversary is in October as well? Um, yeah, that gets more and more overlooked each year as we just try to survive.
So what on earth possessed me to make what is, for all intents and purposes, a huge low carb chocolate birthday cake in June? I haven’t the foggiest, the idea just took hold of me and wouldn’t let go. It worried at me like a dog with a bone, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. And it wasn’t just any old birthday cake I wanted to make. I knew this one had to be gluten-free chocolate cake, with lots of layers and a rich sour cream frosting. It had to be tall, it had to be impressive, and most importantly, it had to taste wicked good. I wanted it to be a low carb birthday cake, but one that you would never know was sugar-free and gluten-free.
Keto Cake Recipes
If you make a lot of keto cake recipes, you already know that they can be a challenge to make well. They tend to dry out during baking, but this low carb chocolate cake is definitely not dry! If you want low carb cake, but in a different flavor, make my Low Carb Italian Cream Cake or Kentucky Butter Cake, or Brenda’s Sugar-Free Low Carb Sponge Cake.
So why chocolate sour cream frosting? I don’t know. Once again, it was just an idea that got a hold of me. My sister-in-law made sour cream frosting for my nephew’s birthday cake and I am not sure I’d ever had any until that time. And then I happened to see a recipe for chocolate sour cream frosting on the inside of a package of unsweetened chocolate, and I thought how perfect that might be for a low carb frosting. I could see the cake in my mind’s eye, 3 or 4 layers with rich frosting in between and swirled richly on top. And some brightly coloured sprinkles to finish it off. Just a few, since I don’t think they make sugar-free sprinkles yet!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Recipe Notes
The Results: Honestly, this keto cake recipe is phenomenal. Except for the fact that I can’t seem to get almond flour chocolate cake to look as chocolaty as cake made with wheat flour (it has a muddy brown appearance, rather than a rich chocolate brown), you would never know the difference. The low carb chocolate cake is rich and decadent.
The chocolate sour cream frosting is made using powdered Swerve, and it is rich and has a wonderful tang from the sour cream. I was a touch worried at first because the frosting seemed too goopy, like it would just slide right down the sides of the cake. But it didn’t at all, and I was able to frost the cake perfectly. And I gave it an hour to chill in the fridge and it set nicely. It is a really big cake and very rich, so even though I’ve called it 16 servings here, you can easily get 18 or 20 out of it.
This gluten-free chocolate cake is definitely one worthy of a birthday celebration!
Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting (Low Carb and Gluten-Free)
Print Pin RateIngredients
Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups almond flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup granulated erythritol I used Swerve
- ½ cup vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 oz Greek yogurt room temperature
- ½ cup butter softened
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon stevia extract
- ⅔ cup almond milk
Sour Cream Frosting:
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate chopped
- 1 ½ cups sour cream room temperature
- 3 cups powdered erythritol I used Swerve
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon stevia extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
Instructions
- For the cake, preheat the oven to 325F and grease 2 8-inch round cake pans. Line cake pans with parchment paper and grease the parchement.
- In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, protein powder, granulated erythritol, instant coffee, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt.
- In another large bowl, beat Greek yogurt and butter together until combined. Beat in eggs and stevia extract. Beat in almond flour mixture in two additions, alternating with almond milk, and scraping down beaters and sides of bowl as needed.
- Divide batter between prepared pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cakes are set and a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, and then flip out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Once cool, use a large serrated knife to cut each layer in half horizontally to create 4 layers total.
- For the frosting, in a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and stir until smooth. Set aside.
- In large bowl, beat sour cream and powdered erythritol until smooth. Beat in cocoa powder, then vanilla extract and stevia extract.
- Sprinkle xanthan gum over mixture and beat in until frosting thickens slightly. Stir in melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl, until well combined.
- Place one layer of cake on serving platter and top with ½ to ¾ cup frosting, using knife or offset spatula to spread evenly. Repeat with remaining layers and frosting. For final layer, top with any remaining frosting and spread down and over sides of cake, smoothing with knife or offset spatula. If desired, use back of small spoon to create swirled effect on top of cake.
- Chill cake in refrigerator for at least one hour. Any leftover cake should be wrapped in plastic and kept in refrigerator.
MaryD says
made this today…awesome, and beautiful. wonderful flavor. Taking it to Thanksgiving.
Nout says
Hi Carolyn, I made this recipe except I turned the cake into cupcakes. I couldn’t get the Honeyville Almond flour in time so I just had to use the Sensato blanched almond meal/flour that I had on hand and even though the texture of the cupcakes was more nutty and less fine, the cupcakes still rose well and had a great flavor. My husband and I kind of the like the texture of the almond meal, it has a nice flavor and mouth-feel.
The trouble I had was with the icing. I followed the recipe to a “T” and a “gloppy” and very tough ball of icing resulted after I added the xantham gum. It did not improve once I added the chocolate. It was so thick that I could not really mix it and I could not ice the cupcakes either. I was able to thin the icing out out by adding some more sour cream. I don’t know what could have happened but now that I know what to expect, I will just use 1/4-1/2 tsp xantham gum next time I make the recipe.
All in all, the cupcakes tasted great and had a great texture, even though I didn’t have the correct almond flour and had trouble with the icing.
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your recipes with us!
Carolyn says
I am so sorry about that. Not really sure what the issue is, because twice now, the icing has worked out well for me. I use Bob’s Red Mill xanthan gum, I wonder if it’s a brand difference? But adding more liquid was exactly the right thing to do. I may change the recipe to reflect that…
Nout says
Hi Carolyn, it’s not a problem at all. I also used Bob’s Red Mill xantham gum. Maybe different batches have different levels of freshness and that’s what is contributing to the extra gloppiness?
I just want to express my gratitude to you for creating these amazing recipes. I can’t wait to try your mini pumpkin cheesecakes!
xoxo
jo says
I’m wondering if it’s about the sour cream. I’ve noticed that the lower the fat in any brand of sour cream, the higher the thickeners added. It’s possible your sour cream already had xanthan gum in it? I try to buy a full fat sour cream, but it’s not always easy to find.
Carolyn says
Very possible, good call! I think that you might be on to something. I buy all full fat dairy products when I can find them.
anita says
made this last night – just putting all the icing back in the double boiler allowed it to become soft and spreadable again.
Allison says
I had the exact same result. I think that the icing looked and tasted fine and was a good consistency until I added the Xantham gum, then it was sticky and gelatinous. Also, is it normal for the powdered Swerve to leave a weird peppery/cinnamon taste? My kids and I all noticed a ‘spicy’ yet not spicy sensation when eating the icing. The cake was great and turned out beautifully. But I think next time I might try a different icing recipe.
Christie Fine says
I made this yesterday and it turned out so good. I think I like the cake better than a “normal” cake. I didn’t see where you need to buy powdered eyrithritol so my frosting was a little crunchy but still good. Next time I will have the powdered on hand.
kfelix says
we made this today (son is trying out low carb). It looked a little scary in the bowl, and I think we made the frosting a little too early (made it when I put the cake in the oven), but it actually came out pretty good. I didn’t get any of the sour cream flavor, but I might have shorted the recipe a little; I was in kind of a hurry. I think I would personally omit the coffee next time and cut the cocoa powder a little bit, but that’s just me. Thanks so much for this great alternate to a Betty Crocker cake mix.
robbi says
Hi!
Made this cake just now…the cake batter is awesome!! The cakes are cooling now for the frosting. My frosting is kinda funky though. I am new to xanthum gum; I used the recommended amount but my frosting got super doughy! It globbed up and wrapped around the beaters. I had to put in liquid to smooth it out some, but it is still sorta gel-like, not creamy:( Any suggestions to fix?
Now I think I might make my standard cream cheese frosting and maybe use this for middle the layer and freeze the rest…does it freeze well?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
Hmmm, not sure what happened. I have made this several times and never had issues with the xanthan gum. It does get doughy when you first add it, but once you add the melted chocolate and keep beating, it should smooth out. At what point did you add the xanthan? The cake does freeze well, so yes, you can do that quite easily.
robbi says
ah, I see. It may have been after I added the melted chocolate not before.
I did end up using it as the middle layer..super thick! I kept the cake wrapped in the fridge, and once cooled I did not notice any problem with the frosting.
Thanks again:)
Shannon K. says
Just came to search out this recipe 🙂 I’m going to make it this Wednesday. My son will be 4, and wants chocolate cake. I really want to make a cake that everyone can eat…and I am excited because you say you can’t really tell a difference between this and the real deal. So…I am CERTAIN my 4 year old will never know 🙂 Thank you!!
Carolyn says
Hi Shannon…I just made this cake as cupcakes for my in-laws anniversary celebration. Everyone raved! Your son won’t know at all.
Amy says
Hi Carolyn, quick question!
I’ve baked with erythritol and xylitol in the past in sweet items and the amounts of sugar alcohols are just too much. Have you personally experienced or heard of others experiencing less tummy anger when using Swerve? I really want to try it out but it is unfortunately much more expensive than other sweeteners. Thoughts?
Carolyn says
Hi Amy, I am surprised you say you get any tummy upset using erythritol. I don’t find I have any. It is typically excreted into the urine straight from the small intestine, unlike other sugar alcohols, which is why it doesn’t cause any GI issues. I do find I have a bit of GI issues with xylitol. I don’t have any with Swerve, although I do find that it often makes me feel more full, sort of acting like an appetite suppressant. The best I can suggest is that you buy one package of Swerve and give it a test run. In recipes such as this, where the icing is made with concentrated amounts, it may be too much for you. But in many of my recipes, I keep the sugar alcohols to a minimum and combine them with stevia. That may work better for you if you have issues with erythritol.
Amy says
This looks wonderful! My lovely BF is going to take a stab at baking me a birthday cake this year and I think this is the recipe I’ll send him, can’t wait to try it!
Kim says
My mom is a new diabetic, thanks to having her pancreas fully removed due to stage III pancreatic cancer. Her 50th birthday party tomorrow is thus going to be a HUGE celebration of her life and defeat of cancer, and this is going to be her birthday cake. When I told her I’m making her a completely diabetic-safe, sugar-free birthday cake, I know she was skeptical. I’ve been on a no-sugar diet for years, and some of my past experiments have been… questionable. However, I ordered Swerve on your recommendation and am fully convinced that this will be the most delicious non-blood-sugar-spiking dessert we’ve ever tasted.
Thanks so much for the recipe! I’ll let you know what she thinks!
Tammy says
Thanks!!!!! I love it. I made this tonight using Chobani very berry Champions yogurt 2 of the 3.5oz containers. I was worried that might goof it up, but no IT WAS PERFECT! I made my own powdered sweetener using Splenda in my “baby bullet” so that was simple as well.
carol says
Not trying to push a product but I have found that Penzey’s cocoa makes my chocolate so dark it is almost black! I believe they have THE best cocoa. I am fortunate to have a Penzey’s store in driving distance. I used to get mail order from them all the time. Great company, great products, and no, no one I am related to or friends with or I work for the company.
Carolyn says
LOL, thanks for all the qualifications, but it’s perfectly okay if you like a product to say so. I appreciate the recommendation. I love Penzey’s spices and I need to do an order from there. Any idea if their cocoa powder is GF?
Anne says
I made the cake today! I didn’t have almond flour, but used almond meal and my cakes weren’t that thick. Would almond flour have given it more height? Also, no powdered E, so I put it in the blender. Frosting still turned out gritty. Is there any trick to getting the grit out of E? I usually freeze my flour cakes so they stay moist. Does this trick work as well on this type of cake? Thanks for the recipes! This is my first one of your’s I’ve tried after eyeing your blog for last couple months!
Carolyn says
Hi Anne – almond flour and almond meal are definitely a little different. Blanched almond meal is quite fine…not as fine as flour, but definitely finer than almond meal. So it may well be the reason your cakes didn’t have much height, because it’s denser and heavier and doesn’t blend as well with the eggs and butter and other ingredients. If you can, try to get your hands on either some Bob’s REd Mill or Honeyville Grain almond flour. They are definitely worth the added expense if you want your cakes to be more like regular flour ones. I know when I started baking, I assumed I could get just as good results with the cheaper Trader Joe’s Almond Meal but it’s just not the same.
And yes, I’ve frozen my almond flour cakes before with great success. Just as you would with a regular cake, wrap tightly in plastic and then in foil. Should be good for a few months!
I’ve never attempted to make icing with non-powdered erythritol so I can believe it was gritty! Powdered E is really powdered. And I mean REALLY powdered, as in it goes everywhere when you try to blend it. A light fine dust that settles over your entire counter. Like the almond flour, I think you really need to get a hold of some powdered erythritol. The companies with their big grinders can get much better results than we can with blenders and food processors.
Anne says
Thanks! I figured I just need to get the better ingredients. I did use Bob’s Red Mill almond meal/flour (that’s what the package says)…but will look into trying to get some Honeyville…although shipping to Alaska is $60! Like we aren’t a part of the United States! 🙂 Even though I apologized for the “crunchy” frosting, even non-low carbers at our 4th of July BBQ last night enjoyed a piece. I put fresh strawberries on top and it looked awesome. Thanks again for the beautiful recipes and insights into this type of baking!
Carolyn says
I thought Bob’s made some finer flour, but maybe they don’t. If not, also look into Nuts Online and Oh Nuts and see if they have cheaper shipping costs. Oh Nuts makes great almond flour!
Anne says
I made the cake today! I didn’t have almond flour, but used almond meal and my cakes weren’t that thick. Would almond flour have given it more height? Also, no powdered E, so I put it in the blender. Frosting still turned out gritty. Is there any trick to getting the grit out of E? Thanks!
Pam says
Carolyn, this looks amazing…can’t wait to try it! Your ingredient list calls for almond milk; is that unsweetened vanilla or unsweetened chocolate almond milk?
Thanks again for all your awesome recipes 🙂
Carolyn says
Hi Pam…I should be more specific, since almond milk does come sweetened and in various flavours. But I usually just use plain, unsweetened for all of my recipes.
Christina @ Sweet Pea's Kitchen says
This cake looks so rich and delicious! 🙂
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
What a gorgeous cake! I can totally see this was phenomenal like you said. I’ve never made “layered” cake but hope I can do it one day… so pretty!!
what katie's baking says
i’m not really a fan of chocolate cake, but this one caught my eye. it looks so delicious, whether it’s for a birthday or not! 🙂
Liz says
Wow, this sure looks rich and chocolaty to me!!! I say it every time I visit, but you are an awesome baker, Carolyn…and even more, and awesome low carb baker. This cake looks incredible~
Christina says
You say in Step 3 to beat the cream cheese, yet I don’t see that in the ingredients list.
Carolyn says
Whoops, good catch. I must have been referring to sour cream. Those kind of mistakes are hard to catch because they are spelled correctly!
Taylor says
Can I substitute the sour cream? I have a yeast allergy and I can have everything but the sour cream. Maybe plain (not greek) yogurt?
I hope so. It looks amazing!!!! I love you whey protein addition 🙂
Carolyn says
If I was going to sub anything, it would be Greek yogurt. Non-greek yogurt won’t be nearly thick enough and you’d have some seriously goopy icing, I think. Give it a try, I hope it works!
Taylor says
Also, could I use whole wheat pastry flour in place of almond flour? Would it measure the same?
Carolyn says
No, whole wheat flour would be a different creature all together…different amounts of eggs, leaveners and liquids If you want to use that, I’d suggest finding a good chocolate cake recipe made with regular wheat flour, subbing in the whole wheat pastry flour and the Swerve, and then making the frosting exactly as I did.