Published: Sep 8, 2020 by Carolyn

Keto Apple Cider Donut Cake

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This tender keto apple cake has all the delicious flavor of an apple cider donut. Dusted with cinnamon and sweetener, it’s a perfect low carb fall dessert.

Titled image of keto apple cider donut cake, in slices on a cake platter

Nothing says fall is here like the smell of an apple cider donut. Let’s be honest, they’re pretty hard to resist at this time of year. But let’s also be honest about the fact that your blood sugar won’t thank you for it.

Thank goodness it’s easy to replicate those same flavors with keto ingredients. This Apple Cider Donut Cake is like one big giant donut, just waiting for you to dig in…without the resulting sugar high.

If you’re looking for something a little smaller, be sure to check out my Keto Apple Cider Donut Bites too!

Keto Apple Cake!

Apples are not the best choice on a keto diet, as they have a surprisingly high carb content. A typical medium apple contains 25g of carbs, 19 of which are sugar.

So sitting down and eating a whole apple is not recommended. But that does not mean you have to abstain entirely from apple deliciousness.

I sometimes like to use a little bit of real apple in a recipe that contains a number of servings, like in my Keto Caramel Apple Coffee Cake. Kept to a minimum, it lends authenticity without adding much to the carb count.

Apple cider donuts don’t actually contain any apples, instead relying on apple cider for flavor. Obviously, apple cider isn’t particularly keto friendly either, but again, using a little in a cake that serves 16 boosts the flavor and authenticity in a keto apple cake.

Sprinkling cinnamon and sweetener over a keto apple cider donut cake

Baking with apple extract

Because we have to keep the apples and/or apple cider to a minimum in a keto apple cake, it’s important to use apple extract or flavoring as well.

I have this natural apple extract from Olive Nation, but One to One Flavors also sells a number of apple flavorings, including one specifically for apple cider. That might be a great choice for this keto apple cider donut cake.

I will say that no apple flavor I’ve tried is quite perfect, which is why I still added some real apple cider to this recipe. If you really want to avoid the apple cider, you can simply use more extract. It will save about 1g carbs per serving but the flavor won’t be quite the same.

A slice of apple cider donut cake on a black plate with the rest of the cake in the background

How to make Keto Apple Cider Donut Cake

This is an easy keto apple cake that looks like a giant apple cider donut. How fun is that? Here are my best tips to getting it right:

Use a bundt pan if you have one, for that fun donut shape. Bundt pans are wonderful because they add instant elegance to a simple cake recipe. But you could bake this in a 9-inch round cake pan as well.
Be sure to grease the pan well and work the grease into every nook and cranny of the pan, to avoid sticking. The regular fluted bundt pans work best, as they look more like a donut and they don’t have deep crevices where the cake might stick.
Using a good high powered blender or food processor will make this cake batter lighter and fluffier, but you can also just mix it in a bowl by hand.
Yes, the protein powder is important, as it too makes keto cakes lighter and fluffier, and more like real cake. You can sub egg white protein powder, or plant based protein powders, but please do not use collagen protein as it makes baked goods gummier and hard to cook through.
The apple cider in this recipe is just enough to boost the flavor without adding too many carbs (less than 1g per serving). If you’d prefer, you can do water and another ½ teaspoon to full teaspoon of apple extract. You can also use unsweetened applesauce instead.
Brush the cooled cake all over with melted butter to help your cinnamon “sugar” stick to the outside.
Make this an over-the-top keto apple cake by drizzling with my Keto Caramel Sauce. Absolutely heavenly!

Pouring sugar-free caramel sauce over a slice of keto apple cake

More keto cake recipes for fall

Keto Apple Cider Donut Cake

This tender keto apple cake has all the delicious flavor of an apple cider donut. Dusted with cinnamon and sweetener, it's a perfect low carb fall dessert.

5 from 11 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple cider donut cake, keto apple cake

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1

Servings: servings

Calories: 153kcal

Ingredients

Cake

½ cup sour cream
5 large eggs (room temperature)
⅓ cup Swerve Brown
⅓ cup Swerve Granular
2 teaspoon apple extract
2 cups almond flour
⅓ cup coconut flour
⅓ cup whey protein powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ to ½ cup apple cider (or unsweetened apple sauce)

Topping

2 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoon Swerve Granular
1 teaspoon cinnamon

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a 10 cup capacity bundt pan well.
In a high-powered blender or food processor, combine the sour cream, eggs, sweeteners, and apple extract. Blend until smooth. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Blend again until smooth.
Add ⅓ of the apple cider, and blend. If that batter is still quite thick, add the remaining apple cider and blend. The batter should be of a thick but pourable consistency.
Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove and let cool at least 30 minutes in the pan, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cool, brush all over with the melted butter. Stir the Swerve and cinnamon together and sprinkle all over the cake.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Apple Cider Donut Cake

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = 1/16th of cake)

Calories 153 Calories from Fat 103

% Daily Value*

Fat 11.4g18%

Carbohydrates 6.2g2%

Fiber 2.6g10%

Protein 6.9g14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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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