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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This is FANTASTIC ! I have been keto/low carb baking for a couple years and haven’t found much we all LOVE. This is it! Easy to put together with simple ingredients in any low carb kitchen. This is the first recipe of yours I’ve made, although I’ve been a fan for a long time. Your photos are so beautiful and I’ve always thought your baking would be too complicated for me, but this was simple and incredible. My very particular family all LOVED this cake. I skipped the powdered sweetener and served with Smuckers SF caramel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Perfection !
Hi Carolyn. I go back to Atkins’ Diet Revolution of the late 70s so I’ve pretty much seen it all from the dreadfully bitter soy flour and other equally unsavory nasty ingredients to today. You and your recipes ROCK!!! I cannot remember how I even stumbled on your site, but I’m glad I did! I’ve bought three of your cookbooks and everything I’ve tried so far has been out of this world! I’ve never had much trouble with coming up with main dishes and breakfasts, but baked goods and desserts are tricky and I am so grateful for all of your hard work!
I recently moved and my bundt pans are still packed away (translated I have no idea where they are) so I decided to try this batter in cupcake pans and they release very easily from the cupcake papers. I got 16 average sized muffins which was the same as the cake serving size and I plan on baking up another batch in my larger sized muffin tins which will probably yield a dozen. I’m going to freeze them individually and pop them into a freezer bag for my husband’s late night sweet tooth attacks!
This recipe for gingerbread is one of the best I have ever tasted! And the salted caramel sauce is a must for this as well as other dessert accents.
So glad to hear it!
I really want to make this, but do not have a bundt pan. Can you suggest an alternative please? Thank you from Scotland x
Try a 9×9 inch square pan.
Will the cake come out of the greased pan or did you use parchment paper?
You can’t use parchment paper in a bundt pan or your cake will look all weird and wrinkled. It comes out easily if it’s well greased and truly a good non-stick pan.
I didn’t have a bundt pan but a tube cake pan (for making angel food cake) worked just as well.
This looks delicious. I do not own a Bundt pan and was wondering if a silicone Bundt pan would work for this recipe and other Bundt recipes of yours or would I be better off purchasing a metal Bundt pan. Thanks as always.
I miss starbucks gingerbread loaf with lemon glaze. You have a few different gingerbread cake recipes and wondering which of those you think would resemble it the best? I would want to make the lemon glaze so I don’t know if one recipe over others would taste better with the lemon glaze??
Hi, I made this and unfortunately it was very dry. Not sure what I did wrong but used the exact ingredients in the recipe. ???
Sounds over-baked then, if you did use all the same ingredients, because cream cheese pound cake is overly moist, if anything. What brand of flours and sweetener did you use?
Hi!
I just made this tonight and it’s delicious. Just wondering if the nutrition info is including or excluding the caramel sauce?
Thanks!
Excluding.
This one is a hit with my entire family! I’m the only diabetic, but I’m also the cook, so I sometimes treat myself. They all declared it delicious! I didn’t have the powdered sweetener and didn’t make the caramel sauce. I served it to them with regular ice cream and had mine with Guilt Free Vanilla Ice Cream by Yarnells. I will definitely be making this, again! I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for providing a delicious, moist cake that is comparable to a “real” one. ( These are hard to come by!)
12/13/20
This cake came out perfect and it was delicious
Wonderful! Very moist and looks gorgeous. Super easy to make. Baked for 55 minutes, and it slid out of the pan easily after cooling.
wondering if the fat (cream cheese) in the recipe do the trick of mediating the “cooling” sensation of the sweetener?
I don’t get any cooling from Swerve so I wouldn’t know.
Made this exactly as written for a delicious Gingerbread pound cake! Would not have thought to make caramel sauce, loved this taste combination! Served with whip cream. Carolyn’s peppermint pound cake is a favorite of the family, knew this would be awesome.
I’m wondering if I can use Coconut flour in place of Almond flour. I’ve never been happy with anything made with almond flour as it tends to be dry and grainy.
No, coconut flour is not a good option in this recipe. What brand of almond flour are you using? I suspect that’s the culprit. Also I can honestly say my cakes are not dry and grainy when made to my specifications.
Hello.. have a question before I try this wonderful sounding recipe. Is the ginger used fresh grated ginger or powdered/ground dried spice?
If either can be used, would same amount be used or is there a difference in amount to use for fresh ground vs ground dried spice. Appreciate the help – thank you.
Powdered dry, as that’s what gingerbread usually uses.
Could I sub one of the cups of almond flour for 1/4 cup of coconut flour? Should I add an extra egg? I love this recipe and have made it a couple of times. But I’m looking to incorporate more coconut flour and less almond flour.
Sub 1/3 cup coconut flour for one of the cups of almond. Don’t change the eggs, add a bit more liquid as necessary. And it may take longer to bake.
Thank you for your prompt response. I’ll let you know how it turns out!