I won’t lie, I have a mild obsession with gingerbread. Particularly as the weather cools down and the leaves start to fall. There’s something old-fashioned and homey about those warm spices baked into a cake or a cookie. You almost feel like you will step out your front door into a snowy European street from times past.
And this beautiful Gingerbread Cake is the latest culmination of my obsession. I have so many gingerbread recipes, such as my popular Keto Gingerbread Men, or the gorgeous and elegant Keto Gingerbread Cake Roll. And my Gingerbread Loaf is very popular around this time of year.
Gingerbread flavors lend themselves well to so many baked goods – cakes, cookies, puddings, soufflé, scones, biscotti. This time, I took the ever popular Cream Cheese Pound Cake, and turned it into gingerbread. How can you go wrong with an extra moist, dense, rich gingerbread pound cake?
What is in traditional gingerbread cake?
It goes without saying that gingerbread contains plenty of ginger, but that’s not the only spice that adds to the classic flavor. It also contains a fair amount cinnamon, as well as cloves, nutmeg, and/or allspice.
Conventional gingerbread typically also contains lots of sugar and molasses. It’s this last addition that gives gingerbread it’s rich, dark color and flavor. Alas, molasses is hardly keto friendly and while I have used a teaspoon here and there on occasion, it’s not enough to add the kind of deep brown color for a full cake.
So how do you make Keto Gingerbread Cake?
Excellent question, my keto friend. I do have plenty of tricks up my sleeve when it comes to keto baking, to improve texture, flavor, and appearance, without increasing the carb load.
This is an almond flour cake and of course I used my trusty Bob’s Red Mill finely blanched almond flour. It never fails to produce fine-crumbed cakes that rival their high carb counterparts. But please check the recipe notes if you need to be nut-free.
Now, to get that darker color, I always add a tablespoon of cocoa powder. That’s not normal in gingerbread cake but it works and it isn’t enough to make the flavor taste at all like chocolate. With sufficient ginger and cinnamon in the mix, you don’t get any hint of the cocoa.
Speaking of the spices, you can go as heavy or as light as you like here. Inevitably whenever I make keto gingerbread recipes, someone says it’s to much spice, and someone says it’s not enough. I write my recipes for the middle of the road folks, but like many of you, I prefer lots of gingery goodness!
And now that Swerve Brown is available, I prefer that for any gingerbread recipe. It has a richer, more molasses-like flavor.
You know what takes this keto cream cheese pound cake over the top? A sprinkle of powdered sweetener and a drizzle of my sugar-free caramel sauce. It’s heavenly! But a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream would be good too.
Can you freeze keto gingerbread cake?
Heck yeah! In fact, this would be a perfect keto cake to make ahead of the holidays and freeze until you’re ready to serve.
As with all keto baked goods, let it cool completely first. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place either in a sealable freezer bag (heavy duty is best) or a large tupperware. And just freeze the naked cake, with no garnish or glaze. You can make that later.
Let it thaw at room temperature in its wrappings and then it should be perfect for serving when you’re ready. Add any powdered sweetener or caramel sauce as you serve.
Many thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for partnering with me to bring you this recipe.
Keto Gingerbread Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (136.5 g) Swerve Brown
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups (336 g) almond flour, (see notes for nut-free)
- 1 1/2 tbsp (7.61 g) ground ginger
- 1 tbsp (12.17 g) baking powder
- 1 tbsp (5.07 g) cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- Powdered sweetener
- Sugar-free caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 10 to 12 cup capacity bundt pan very well.
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until well combined. Beat in the brown "sugar" sweetener until lightened and fluffier, about 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract.
- Add the almond flour, spices, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt all at once and beat in until well combined. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan and bake 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is set and firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before flipping out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sweetener and/or drizzle with homemade sugar-free caramel sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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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I made this and we ate it with STRAWBERRIES on top – the flavor combination was amazing!
Sort of like shortcake but so much flavor!!
Would an extra egg make the cake more moist? Thanks.
It’s plenty moist as it is.
`Am I the only person who eats keto and CANNOT stand that whole “cooling effect” that all of the sugar substitutes have? I have tried them all. Even very expensive Bocha sweet does it!! I literraly am giving up on all keto sweets. Too much time and product wasted. Tired of throwing entire batches of desserts in the trash.
Sorry but I don’t get any sensation or aftertaste with Swerve or BochaSweet. Everyone is different but you really shouldn’t throw things away… someone you know will probably like it because they don’t taste the sweeteners the same way you do.
I don’t find that with xylitol but I worry my pup will find a crumb or I’ll drop the bag so I’ve ordered Swerve with Allulose as we don’t get that in Australia and hoping it’ll be as good. I don’t like erithrytol either.
I only have special dark cocoa powder. Would you use the same amount or lessen amount because of flavor and color ?
Have prepared thiw twice now & beyond delicious both times!! Serve with your delicious sugar=free caramel sauce which is nothing short of heavenly!! Looking through for more nutrition information… specifically fat, protein, carbs… yes, for CarbManager… all I see is calories.
Thank you very much, for the recipe, and the assistance?
Hi Claudia, so sometimes my recipe card plug-in requires an update and every time, it makes my nutritional panel at the end of the recipe disappear! Sorry about that. It’s all there again now.
Yes, it is!! Thank you so very much!!
I saved this recipe in November and just got around to making it last week. I made 8 mini cakes, and served them with your lemon curd. So tasty! I also piped a few of them with cream cheese icing, and topped with a smattering of chocolate chips (Lily’s of course!) and some sliced almonds. So pretty and tasty! Your pecan praline syrup would also be delicious on these. And yes, they freeze magnificently (Un-iced), and by making the smaller cakes, so convenient, too. Delish!
None of my friends cared that it was keto….they loved it because it was GOOD. I’m making it again this weekend….going to tinker with the spice mix. I love ginger with cardamom…going to see if I can hit on the right blend. Thanks for this great recipe.
I just put it into the oven! Can’t wait to try it tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving
Can I do this recipe with a 9inCh Bundt pan and keep all the measurements for the ingredients the same ?
Yes, I am just not sure how long it will take to bake so keep your eye on it!
Hi Carolyn! I’d love to try to make this, but I have a sensitivity to eggs. What do you suggest would be the best egg substitute for this recipe? I have golden flaxseed and gelatin.. do the eggs work as a binder and/or leavening agent? Thanks. 🙂
anxious to make something gingerbread……..found your loaf cake also. With the loaf cake someone made it into cupcakes…………do you recommend one or the other for cupcakes? I cant find the ingredients for the caramel sauce…..would lemon work? or even your maple frosting…. thanks
Eating a piece right now! Mmmmm….. with whipped cream AND the caramel sauce. Didn’t have a bundt pan, so I cut the recipe in half and baked in an 8×8 pan for 30 min. Probably should have taken it out at 25 min.
Hi, I have not tried this yet, but plan to in a couple of days. I know it is not what you do, but is it possible to convert this into weight? I find it so much more accurate. Or can I assume that when you say 1 cup of almond flour, you go by the metric weights on the bag? Thanks!
Hi Raisa, I don’t go by the bags because I have measured a cup in grams many times and it’s always closer to 100g for me. Anywhere between bout 100g and 110g for almond flour and right around 110g for coconut flour. The flour is the one that’s most hit or miss when it comes to weight. The sweeteners are pretty close and you can always find gram calculations for things like eggs, butter, and cream cheese online.
Hope that helps!
I made this recipe today and the taste is great but the cake is very dry. Any idea what I might have done wrong?
If anything, this cake is overly moist. I am not quite sure what it would be unless you mis-measured something. What sweetener did you use?
Think this would make good cupcakes? Logically I don’t see why not but asking for your professional advice. Plan to make this as cupcakes for my ladies Christmas lunch.
I can’t see why not either! The baking time will be a lot shorter of course.
I have a beautiful Nordic loaf pan I am chomping at the bit to use. Should I divide the batter to make two loaves? Because it is an intricate pattern, should I prep the pan for an easy release?
Definitely prep the pan! Do what I call “double greasing”, once with a solid oil like butter or coconut and once with a spray like coconut or avocado. But I don’t think you will need two pans, I think this batter will fit nicely into one. It just make take longer to bake.
Beth – I was happy to see you make a comment about the Nordic Pan – I have one I bought myself for Christmas this year with Santa in his sleigh and a reindeer. How did yours come out? With my pan came directions on how to use the pan (similar prepping as Carolyn says) and it has a Gingerbread Loaf Cake recipe. In comparing the two recipes – it looks like it will hold 1/2 of Carolyn’s recipe. Is this what you found out? I’m preparing to only use half the recipe and try my pan out! Wish me luck!