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 (210 g) almond flour, (about 200g)
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder, (can sub egg white protein)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (121.33 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 1 cup (246 g) full fat ricotta cheese, room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup (59.15 g) 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.
Video
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 recipe is fantastic! I had to improvise a little… I was 1/2 cup short on almond floor so I used lupin flour to make it up… I also am not a fan of nuts in our on my baked goods so I put choczero chocolate chips in…
thank you for this fabulous recipe!
This is another incredible recipe from Carolyn and ADIDAF!
THANK YOU so much Carolyn, for creating such outstanding recipes. I’m blown away by all you can do with sweetener, butter, and almond flour. I have a sweet tooth, too, and these recipes have helped me maintain KETO for a year and a half.
I served this Italian Almond Cake to non-KETO company a few months ago and they asked for the recipe! I can’t give higher praise than that. It freezes well, too, which is great, or else I’d eat the entire cake in 3 days. 🙂
Kudos – it’s just incredible.
Robyn, I will have to cut into equal slices and freeze all but 2 servings or the cake will disappear within an hour
I made this for my children for Thanksgiving, we are all keto. This was my first experience at making a keto baked good and it came out amazing. Everyone complimented the taste and enjoyed it. My son in law said it tasted like a canolli. Thanks for a recipe that will be made numerous times
I’m allergic to both whey (casein, too) and egg white which is a real bummer for me. Any chance I can sub a plant based protein here?
Yes, many plant based proteins can work too!
I made the ricotta cake. I only used egg white but I would prefer more chopped almonds in the batter. It was absolutely delicious thanks. Will keep this in my recipe bc it’s a sweet treat for my keto diet
I haven’t made this one….. yet. :). Just curious is you think using only egg whites makes it lighter?
You don’t want a ricotta cake to be lighter in texture. Do you mean lighter in calories?
I have followed for years on Facebook,always great recipes
Thanks!
This is one of my favourite cakes and a regular go to. It is quite unassuming but it is so delicious. Tender, lightly sweet, nice almond flavour. My non keto family loves it and asks for it. It is quick and easy to make which is a huge plus. Absolutely delicious. Thank you again for another fabulous recipe!
I love this cake! Has anyone made this into cupcakes instead for easier portion control?
I can’t imagine it wouldn’t work… I just don’t know the bake time so keep your eye on them.
I used silicone muffin top pans. I did them for about 22 minutes and they were perfect! it made 12. I also didn’t have almond extract so I used lemon and some cinnamon 😋 I also put a few blueberries on top instead of almonds. It is very good❤️❤️
Want to make this today. Of course I only have 8” or 10” spring form pan. Leaning toward 8” and cooking a bit longer. What do you think? Love your recipes!
I would do that too.
Great! 8 and 10 is my situation also. I am going for the 8in.
Could I sub low carb vanilla whey powder for the non flavored whey? That’s all I have. Thanks for all your great recipes!
Sure but it will give it a distinct vanilla flavor.
I don’t have whey protein powder or egg white protein, what can I use in it’s place?
What purpose is the whey used for?
Please read the blog post as I discuss this already.
can you please share the link to the blog post? thank you
This is the blog post. All of the writing prior to the recipe is the blog post.
Can’t wait to try this. Does it matter if I use powdered Swerve or should it be granulated Swerve? Thanks!
Sharon
You can use either.
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?
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.
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?
I haven’t but I imagine you’d want about the same amount as in these muffins: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-rhubarb-muffins/
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?
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.
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.
Not sure what happened for you, as the batter should not be overly thick. The ricotta makes it quite moist.
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!🐰🐣🙏🐰🐣
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.