Rich keto Italian almond cake with the creaminess of ricotta cheese. This deliciously tender cake is a low carb, sugar free marvel.
Can a cake be called creamy? Because that is the word that best describes the wonderful texture of this Keto Almond Ricotta Cake.
Not creamy in a cheesecake kind of way, although I have plenty of keto cheesecake recipes if that’s what you’re up for.
No, this Italian style keto almond cake still has a proper cake-like crumb. But it has a creamy, rich mouthfeel that defies expectations. It’s an experience you will want to repeat over and over.
Ricotta Cake Inspiration
I often buy a tub of ricotta cheese without really knowing what I plan on doing with it. And then it hangs out in my fridge and I suddenly realize I’ve got about 10 seconds to use it up before it goes bad.
Of course, ricotta is delicious in lots of savory recipes, like my Keto Lasagna Skillet or this delicious Spinach Stuffed Chicken.
But it also makes for fabulous baked goods. Poking around my Pinterest boards one day, I noticed that I had saved quite a number of recipes Italian ricotta cakes like this one. So clearly it was time to keto-fy it.
Boy, I am glad I did. I was blown away by both the texture and the flavor. And since it isn’t overly sweet, it’s wonderful as a coffee cake, or as a keto dessert with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
How to make keto almond ricotta cake
You will need a springform pan for this tender, delicious cake, and I also recommend lining the bottom with a parchment paper circle. I like these unbleached pre-cut parchment circles.
Beyond that, this ricotta cake is exceptionally easy to make. Here are few extra tips for getting it right.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together first, so that you know they are well combined before adding them to the batter.
- Yes, the protein powder is a vital component of the recipe, as it helps make the cake more light and fluffy, with a traditional cake crumb. The short explanation: gluten is a protein and when you are baking gluten-free, another dry protein helps baked goods rise properly and hold their shape.
- Always have the wet ingredients at room temperature. They mix together more easily and become more creamy. And nothing is worse than carefully creaming your butter, only to add cold eggs and have it clump up again.
- Use full fat (whole milk) ricotta to get the best out of this recipe. Ricotta also often has a lot of watery whey in the container. Try to avoid that and get the good thick cheese in your cup measure.
- Patience, my friends. As with so many keto cakes and cookies, this almond ricotta cake needs to fully cool to have the ideal texture. It may crumble easily when warm.
How to store and serve your keto ricotta cake
Because of the added moisture from the cheese, this cake is best stored in the refrigerator. Let it cool completely first, and store in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
I haven’t tried to freeze it but I do believe this would freeze quite well.
I prefer the flavor at room temperature so I let it sit out on the counter for 30 minutes before serving.
It’s delicious with a light sprinkling of powdered sweetener and some fresh berries. It’s also wonderful topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
Ready to make some delicious Keto Almond Ricotta Cake?
More delicious keto recipes that use ricotta cheese
- Keto Cannoli Sheet Cake
- Keto Zucchini Lasagna
- Ricotta Lemon Scones
- Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Mushrooms
- Keto Ricotta Fritters
- Keto Ricotta Meatballs
Keto Almond Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour (about 200g)
- ⅓ cup unflavored whey protein powder (can sub egg white protein)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅔ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 1 cup full fat ricotta cheese room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- powdered Swerve Sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until creamy. Beat in the ricotta until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined, then beat in the almond extract.
- Add the almond flour mixture and beat until smooth. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with sliced almonds. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and the top is firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool 20 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan and loosen the sides. Let cool completely before slicing.
- Sprinkle with powdered sweetener before serving.
Lori says
I made the ricotta cake and I was so disappointed. I know it was something I did wrong, I just don’t know what it was. I followed the instructions, but my batter was really lumpy. Then the sides got too dark and the top never browned. It was cooked through and delicious but the edges were almost black! What can I do differently?
Carolyn says
So from your description I am going to take a guess here and say you used a different sweetener. Which one did you use? If it was mostly allulose, then that is your problem right there.
Janey Howe says
I saw a similar recipe that was not keto, but had rhubarb in it. Have you tried using rhubarb in this recipe? If so, how much?
Carolyn says
I haven’t but I imagine you’d want about the same amount as in these muffins: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-rhubarb-muffins/
VANGIE says
I made this tonight and it was delicious. I used the only whey protein powder I had on hand…strawberry flavored…and it added a very nice, light strawberry taste that went well with the ricotta and almonds. Question, do you think that adding a couple ounces of cream cheese would make this even softer? Your thoughts?
Carolyn says
Cream cheese contains a lot of additives to make it thicker. I am not sure it would make this softer. I would recommend a bit more ricotta, if that’s what you’re looking for.
Jennifer W. says
First time making this recipe, I exchanged the almond extract with vanilla, also the whey protein powder with egg white protein powder…not sure why the batter was quite dense? I mixed in 1/8-1/4 cup of water in hopes that it would be more “spreadable” in the greased pan. Baked it for the same time and checked the cake with a toothpick to be sure it was done. Felt like a pound cake. I am sure that it will taste fabulous.
I plan to pour a chocolate ganache over the top after it cools a bit – to serve after family dinner. **I will post another comment after we’ve had a taste…with ratings – but I’m confident it will be fabulous.
Carolyn says
Not sure what happened for you, as the batter should not be overly thick. The ricotta makes it quite moist.
Lynn Bates says
i just made this cake, my batter was very thick, I had to add an additional 1/2 cup of almond milk to have it thin enough to get it out of the bowl. I also had to cook it longer. it’s my least favorite of all the recipes of yours I tried. but that’s ok, it’s just not a taste I love. thanks anyway for all your hard work!! Happy Easter!🐰🐣🙏🐰🐣
Carolyn says
I really don’t understand why it would be so thick. What ricotta were you using? What almond flour? What sweetener? The batter should never be that thick.
Nikki says
Delicious! I only had 1 t. of almond extract and that was enough for me. Worked well in an 8″ pan.
Wendy says
Made today and had first piece for dessert. A little bland but texture was great. Might be better with a little chocolate drizzle and / or some strawberries. Just needs a little more flavor in the cake. Not sure what though.
Lucy says
Can I substitute collagen peptides for the protein powder?
Carolyn says
No, sadly it does not bake the same way and it will make the cake gummy and hard to cook through.
Dee says
Could I make cupcakes with recipe?
Carolyn says
I am not sure, I’ve never tried. Have fun experimenting!
Bettina C Hall says
I am allergic to almonds. Can I substitute coconut flour or 1 to 1 baking powder for the almond flour?
Carolyn says
Not in this recipe, no.
Kelly Simons says
I made this about a month ago and it was so delicious! I made it with lactose-free ricotta and butter flavored coconut oil and it worked great. It kept well for about five days in the fridge and we savored every bite.
Amy says
My sister made this for my birthday cake. Everyone loved it. Was best served with a dollop of whipping cream and fresh berries.
Susan Muller says
Beautiful cake! Followed exact recipe! Funny how good it comes out when ya do that 😊 Can’t figure out how to post the picture😥 Thanks, Carolyn💕
Carolyn says
You can’t post pictures on my blog but feel free to share on Facebook or Instagram!
Diana says
My daughter came to help me this weekend while I’m recovering from knee surgery and a sprained wrist. This morning she made your ricotta cake with raspberries from The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen cookbook (which I gave her) and it was utterly divine! I’m not sure if this is the same recipe, but I’m here to say that the ricotta cheese in the cake gives it a creamy, luscious mouthfeel, almost like a lemon pudding cake. We all loved it!
Carolyn says
It’s definitely a little different… but thanks for the lovely feedback!
Phil says
This is, by far, the best keto cake I’ve ever made. Thank you so much for this. I changed a few things: bocha sweet instead of Swerve and amaretto instead of almond extract, but that’s it. I think the ricotta is what makes it a killer recipe. Oh, and it’s a beauty, too. Great job, and thanks again. I’ll be making this on a regular basis. I can already see so many amazing options for this one.
Barbi says
So delicious!! I made it for Valentine’s dessert. it will definitely be a staple
in our home! Thank you for this!!
Nika says
I used half this recipe as a topping for a blueberry cobbler. Subbed out lemon flavor for the almond extract, and sprinkled walnuts on top. Perfect!
Carolyn says
Yum!
Debbie Archibald says
This is absolutely delicious! Thank you for all your hard work. You never disappoint!
MGD says
Hi Carolyn I’m in the process of making this now and realized I don’t have almond extract. I do have Lemon and also vanilla extract. Which would you suggest to use? Thank you!
Carolyn says
Either would be great.
Phil says
I used Amaretto. It was really good. I’m excited with trying a Lemon variety.
Vivi says
This is m favorite Keto recipe.
I have made it quite a few times and always have to make a special trip to the Food Store to buy ricotta since this is not anything I use very often.
Yesterday we were expecting snow all weekend so I went to Trader Joe’s to buy ricotta and they did not carry it.
I decided to get Cottage Cheese and in substituting this I used a stick mixer to mix the wet ingredients. It made the cottage cheese as smooth as ricotta.
I also added frozen raspberries and doubled my almond flavoring since I am a marzipan freak(all us Scandianvians are).
This ended up being quite a lot more moist than using ricotta. I have been adding raspberries all along to this cake and it turns out completely delicious. It leaves the raspberries with a very fresh taste which is a nice accent. I have used both fresh and frozen raspberries and yesterday I used frozen.
Since this worked out so great I will be using Cottage cheese for this from now on.
Sandee says
I made this cake today and it’s has been the best cake I’ve tried on Keto. I use it for a breakfast cake and I’m a new comer to Keto. Thank you for posting your creations for all of us. There’s hope out there yet👍