You can’t go wrong with a classic like Devil’s Food Cake, especially when it’s low carb. Tender, rich keto chocolate cake with a fluffy sugar free vanilla frosting.
I have a serious thing keto chocolate cake these days. I just can’t get enough of thinking about it, baking it, and decorating it. I already have any number of chocolate cake recipes, and this Keto Devil’s Food Cake is yet another to add to the growing list.
You might think that having a single chocolate cake recipe is sufficient, but you would be wrong. The joyous thing about chocolate cake is that there is an infinite number of ways to make it. Layer cakes and sheet cakes and cupcakes and snack cakes, oh my!
They can have other flavors or just be pure chocolate. They can have nuts or chocolate chips. They can be big enough to feed a crowd or small enough just for two.
I could go on and on, waxing poetic about chocolate cake. But I recently decided to tackle the classic Devil’s Food, that deep dark chocolatey cake, and make it over to be keto friendly.
You are going to be SO glad I did!
What is Devil’s Food Cake?
If you’ve never had Devil’s Food, get ready for one of the most chocolatey sponge cakes on the planet. It is truly divine. And it’s so named because it is the opposite of the light and airy Angel Food Cake.
I spent some time researching devil’s food cakes before attempting to make a keto version. Like any classic recipe, there are slightly different versions with slightly different ingredients, depending on who you ask.
But the common thread of this cake is that it relies on Dutched cocoa powder for its deep chocolate flavor, and baking soda for a lighter, fluffier consistency. It often also contains brewed coffee, which intensifies the chocolate flavor.
Chocolate or Vanilla Frosting?
While many recipes feature devil’s food with a chocolate frosting, others pair it with vanilla. That’s the beauty of this rich chocolate cake. It has enough deep flavor to stand up to any frosting.
I was tempted to go with chocolate, but then I came across two devil’s food cake recipes that changed my mind. This beauty from the amazing Jocelyn of Grandbaby Cakes, and one from King Arthur Flour. Two of my favorite baking sites!
I admit, I was enticed away from chocolate because of the gorgeous contrast between the dark cake and the white frosting. So I created a light and fluffy sugar-free vanilla frosting. And it was truly delectable.
But if you’re dying to go with chocolate on chocolate, try making my Keto Chocolate Frosting. I’d recommend doing 1.5x the recipe to make enough to frost this cake.
How to make Keto Devil’s Food Cake
This rich, delicious keto chocolate cake really isn’t that hard to make. Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- You want to make sure you’re using dutched cocoa here, as it results in a darker color and a richer chocolate flavor. I really like Guittard but it’s pricy. Ghirardelli sells one, and Hershey’s Dark is a less expensive choice as well.
- Yup, you need the protein powder, as it replaces gluten and helps the cakes rise and hold their shape. You can use egg white protein instead, but don’t use collagen, as it makes cakes gummy and hard to cook through.
- Don’t forget to use both baking powder and baking soda! They both help it rise but the soda helps it be lighter and fluffier. And the apple cider vinegar is the acid that creates a reaction in the baking soda.
- You don’t HAVE to use coffee, although I do recommend it for flavor. But if you really don’t want to, just use plain water instead.
- Grease those pans well and don’t forget the parchment paper circles. It helps the cakes come freely out of the pans.
- The frosting contains cream cheese because it helps make it more white in color. It also helps it have more structure without using ridiculous amounts of sweetener. It tastes like buttercream
- Whipping some of the cream before adding to the rest of the frosting makes it extra light and fluffy.
How to store Keto Devil’s Food Cake
Because of the creamy frosting, this cake is best stored in the fridge and should last 5 to 7 days. But I do recommend taking it out and letting it come to room temperature before serving.
You can also freeze this cake, both before and after frosting. I recommend flash freezing the cake first. This means allowing it to sit uncovered in the freezer until it’s firm. Then you can wrap it up tightly to store for longer, without crushing it.
Ready to make this delicious keto devil’s food cake?
More keto layer cake recipes
- Keto Berry Chantilly Cake
- Keto Margarita Cake
- Keto Ding Dong Cake
- Keto Raspberry Layer Cake
- Keto Death by Chocolate Cake
- Keto Tiramisu Layer Cake
Devil’s Food Cake – Keto and Sugar-Free
Ingredients
Devil's Food Cake
- 2 cups (200 g) almond flour, (use sunflower seed flour for nut-free)
- 2/3 cup (57.33 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Brown
- 1/2 cup (91 g) Swerve Granular
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (118.5 g) freshly brewed coffee, cooled
- 1/3 cup (76.67 g) sour cream
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Vanilla Frosting
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) cream cheese, softened (very soft)
- 3/4 cup (136.5 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream, divided
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease 2 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment and grease the parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweeteners until well combined and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Beat in the almond flour mixture, then beat in the coffee, sour cream, and apple cider vinegar until well combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the cake pans and spread to the edges. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the cakes have risen and the tops are firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pan. Then run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen and flip the cakes out.
Vanilla Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until very smooth. Beat in the sweetener until well combined, then beat in the vanilla. Beat in 1/4 cup of the cream until smooth.
- In another bowl, beat the remaining 3/4 cup whipping cream until it holds stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the butter mixture until well combined.
To Assemble
- Place one layer of cake on a platter and spread with about 1/3 of the frosting, all the way to the edges. Top with the second layer of cake and spread the top with about 1/3 of the frosting.
- Spread the remaining frosting over the sides. Refrigerate 30 minutes to help firm up the frosting.
- Sprinkle the top with cocoa powder and shaved dark chocolate, if desired.
Nutrition
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This cake and frosting are AMAZING!!!! I would not be able to tell the difference between this and a carb filled version! Thank you so much for all your delicious recipe I could not do Keto without you! My freezer is permanently stocked with your treats ????
So glad to hear it!
I saw cashew flour today in Walmart. Does it have the same properties as almond flour? I thought of substituting.
It’s more fatty and it’s more carbs so it’s not the best choice. I don’t bake with it so I can’t say how well it would work here.
Couldn’t wait to make this Devil’s Food cake and it is spot on! My husband and I had seconds and were over the moon eating luscious Devil’s Food cake again. A sincere and heartfelt thank you for sharing your gift of cooking and baking with cookbooks and this website.
Hi. Thanks for the recipe. If I wanted to use egg whites (not powdered) instead of whey, how many eggs should I use?
Sorry but that does not work, as it would through off the wet to dry ratio.
My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe! I used regular cocoa because it’s what I had on hand. It was so fluffy and decadent! And this was by far the best keto icing recipe I’ve tried! I’ve loved every recipe of yours so far. Thank you!
I made this into 18 cupcakes. I used a standard sized ice cream scoop to fill the cups equally. Baked for exactly 15 minutes – perfection. They REALLY do taste like devil’s food cake. I made a peanut butter frosting per my kids’ request. It pared perfectly wiith the cake. This is one of my new favorite keto treats (And I have made MANY!)
I did use Allulose (3/4 C.) and golden Lakanto (1/4 C.) in the cake. I powdered the Allulose in my grinder and used it in the frosting as well !!
This cake was DAHLICIOUS!!! I brought it in to work today and even the non-Keto people loved it!!! Thank you for all of your recipes and tips!!!
I made this today in a 9×13 pan. My hubby is not usually a fan of ‘healthy’ desserts but he actually ate it willingly!
So glad to hear it!
Hello,
I have not yet been able to find the brown swerve in my local stores yet. Do you think it would adversely affect the cake if I used just all regular swerve? Maybe a tbsp of molasses added for the texture/malt flavour?
Thanks, Kristie
P.S. You posted this on my birthday so it’s obviously a sign from above that I must make this for my birthday cake this weekend! ????
It think that should work. I think you could get away with as little as 2 tsp of molasses, as it’s very strong.
I am now having an issue with the frosting. It’s fine until I add the 1/4 cup of whipping cream to the butter mixture. It tends to not blend well. I think this is due to the cream being cold and the other fats being room temp. How do you get a smooth frosting? Do you let your cream come to room temperature first?
Yes, if it’s too cold, and if it’s the kind of cream that has stabilizers like carrageenan or any such thing, that can happen. Try warming it just a little in a ramekin in the microwave before adding.
I saw a recipe for a buttermilk chocolate cake (not Keto!) with a Earl Grey infused frosting. I LOVE Earl Grey (bergamot), would that flavor go with your cake? How would one infuse that into say the cream of your frosting recipe? Any advice or ideas please?
I’m honestly not sure how to add it but it would be lovely.
Would this work if I want to use allulose instead of the Swerves? If yes, how much would I use?
Thank you so much for creating these recipes for us!
It will be fine in the cake but I cannot recommend it for the frosting.
Do you think a deep brewed chicory tea would be a good exchange for coffee?
Sure, I can’t see why not.
We have an apple cider vinegar allergy in the family (the fermentation, sadly). Can I use regular white vinegar instead? If so, should it be the same amount? Thanks again for another fab chocolate cake – you are so right, there can never be too many!
Any acid should do to make the baking soda react!
I hope I can upload my picture of this cake . Very tasty and looks good. I also had sugar free Reese’s melted and drizzled it for toppings as a design.
I made this Thursday for my husband’s birthday on Friday. I let them cool completely in the pans as directed then left them in the pans overnight, covered with plastic wrap. It worked out great, they came out of the well greased and parchment lined pans just fine. This cake is SO delicious, tender and so much lighter than many Almond Flour cakes, I then used your Chocolate Buttercream Frosting instead of the lovely one included in this recipe. I was tempted to use both, one as the filling, but the birthday man preferred all Chocolate. I love all your detectable desserts and I’m especially happy that your recipes always come out true to form. Thank you!
So glad you liked it!!!
I made cupcakes with this recipe because it helped me with portion control. I baked them for 18 minutes. I’m glad I did it this way because the recipe was so good that I might have eaten half the recipe if it was made as a cake! I did not have Dutch process cocoa powder and rather than running to the store, I used one teaspoon of the chocolate extract I had on hand and that worked very nicely. The vanilla frosting was delicious.
Nice, so glad it worked out!
How many cupcakes? Thanks!
just made it into cupcakes as well and it made 18. I used a standard sized ice cream scoop to fill the cups equally. Mine were done in 15 minutes.
Woo hoo !!! I was reading through the comments hoping that someone had made cupcakes and would give me a baking time ???? Thank you
I don’t often make layer cakes. Could this full recipe be baked in a 9×13 pan? If so, for how long? And how much should I cut the frosting recipe?
I didn’t test it in a 9×13 so you will need to just keep your eye on it. I’d do about 2/3 of the frosting.
I made it using the round pans, but I am crap at frosting. I am making it today and wonder if you made it in the 9×13 and could share baking times and results.
Is whey protein isolate the same as whey protein powder? If not, will the isolate work as well?
It will work just fine.
Can coconut flour be used instead of the almond flour. We just don’t like the texture of almond flour.
No I am afraid not. It would not make a very good devil’s food cake.
I love chocolate cake (who am I kidding, I LOVE chocolate!) and I always make myself a cake for my birthday. Recently, my husband can no longer have dairy. I was just wondering if you could substitute Coconut oil for the butter in this recipe? Thanks
Probably but I didn’t test it myself.
Hi there,
Lovely recipe and cake! That icing and flavor is to die for! Super decedent!
I have one question though, i feel the cake turned out a little gritty, it was moist but it had a grit to it. Was it just the almond flower (maybe I need a better one)
Thanks!!!!
You might… I never experience that with Bob’s but I recently tried the Whole Foods 365 brand and found it quite gritty.
Carolyn,
Is there a difference in texture when you use egg white protein powder in place of whey protein? I ran out of whey and have been using egg white powder and I’ve had a few flops lately. I think it might be the egg white protein powder.
This looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it 🙂
No, it’s the same in most cakes. Should be fine.
I was wondering if I could use egg whites since I don’t have any powders?
No, it will throw off the wet/dry ratios. You need a protein powder. You can skip it but it may not rise as well and may be more crumbly and fragile.
I do not like coffee. If I leave it 0ut, will that affect the recipe? Should I add water instead?
Carolyn has a section on Tips to bake the Devil’s Food Cake. #4 reads as follows: You don’t HAVE to use coffee, although I do recommend it for flavor. But if you really don’t want to, just use plain water instead.
You might want to read all her tips if you decide to make.
You might also try the same amount of a strong brewed tea, like a vanilla tea or earl grey… I should take my own advice!