This is the ultimate keto chocolate cake recipe! It’s moist and rich, with a deep chocolate flavor and perfect texture. Dairy free options too.
You want the best keto chocolate cake? Okay fine, you asked for it! At the request of many readers, I am finally sharing the chocolate cake from The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking.
This is the recipe that people rave about most after they purchase my book. This is the keto chocolate cake that wins everyone over, even the harshest keto critics.
This is the chocolate cake that no one can believe is low carb, sugar-free, and even dairy-free.
The secret to its fabulosity? Mayonnaise! Read on to find out more.
The Ultimate Keto Chocolate Cake
I have developed any number of low carb chocolate cake recipes in my day. There are so many wonderful ways to make it, all with little variations. Like Keto Texas Sheet Cake, or my low carb Slow Cooker Chocolate Cake.
But sometimes you want just want the classics. And what’s more classic than a moist two layer chocolate cake with creamy chocolate frosting?
When I wrote my book, I aimed for a good mix of both the classics and more unique recipes. I wanted to show people how amazing and versatile keto baking really can be. And I flatter myself that I achieved that goal.
So creating a really good keto chocolate cake was of the utmost importance. You can’t have a baking book that calls itself “The Ultimate Guide” without that, now can you?
But the response to this cake blew my mind. My readers and fans have gone nuts for it, have shared it with friends and family, and have sung its praises far and wide. And for that I am ever so grateful.
How to make Keto Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Don’t be intimidated by this cake, as it’s actually quite easy to make. Be sure to check out the video in my recipe card for all the tips and tricks!
Grease and line your cake pans
Grease two 8 inch cake pans and then line them with parchment paper circles. You can buy pre-cut circles like these ones (very useful!), or you can simply cut them out yourself. This helps keep your cake from sticking, no matter how good, or not, your cake pans are.
Whisk the dry ingredients
This is an almond-flour based recipe, but you can try substituting sunflower seed flour if you need to be nut free. And the espresso powder is optional, but it does help deepen the chocolate flavor. I promise it won’t taste like coffee in the end.
Stir in the mayonnaise
Mayonnaise takes the place of butter and creates an unbelievably moist cake. It also makes the cake easier than many, because there is no need to cream the fat with the sweetener. One less step and one less bowl to clean!
Whisk in the other wet ingredients
The only other additions are eggs, water, and vanilla. Because it’s made with mayonnaise, this keto chocolate cake it totally dairy free.
Bake until just firm
Baking is said to be a science, but knowing when your cakes are done is more of an art, in my opinion. Every oven is different, and that’s why my recipes give you a range of bake time.
Tactile and visual cues are much more accurate. So in this case, you want the cake to feel firm to the touch, and spring back when lightly pressed.
How to frost keto chocolate cake
You have lots of options here and you are not limited to the dairy free frosting recipe I included. The sky’s the limit! Here are some other delicious ideas:
- Best Keto Chocolate Frosting
- Keto Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Chantilly Cream Frosting
- Sugar Free Peanut Butter Frosting
- Caramel Frosting (you will need to make 1.5 times the amount for a two layer cake).
- Cookies and Cream Frosting
Can you make keto chocolate cake in advance?
This is a great recipe for making ahead by a day or two. I think keto frosting are always best fresh, so I recommend making the cakes and frosting it on the day you plan to serve it.
The cake layers can be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the finished cake, but the frosting may change consistency somewhat after it thaws.
More amazing keto cake recipes
- Keto Black Forest Cake
- Brownie Bottom Keto Cheesecake
- Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake
- Keto Devil’s Food Cake
- The Best Coconut Flour Cupcakes
Keto Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups (224 g) almond flour
- 3/4 cup (136.5 g) Swerve Sweetener
- 2/3 cup (57.33 g) cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp espresso powder, (optional)
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1 cup (224 g) mayonnaise
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (78.86 g) water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dairy Free Chocolate Frosting
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp coconut oil, divided
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) dairy free cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (182 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (75.33 g) full fat coconut milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment and grease the parchment.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt.
- Stir in the mayonnaise, eggs, water, and vanilla extract until well combined. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and spread to the edges and smooth the tops.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the cakes are just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for at least 20 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.
Dairy Free Frosting
- Place the chocolate and 1 tbsp of the coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Melt on high in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until smooth. Allow to cool to lukewarm. Alternatively, you can melt in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Place the remaining coconut oil in a large bowl. If it is very hard, microwave it for 15 seconds or so. It should be softe enough to beat without being melted. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the sweetener and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Drizzle in the melted chocolate and beat again until smooth. Add the coconut milk a few tablespoons at a time until a spreadable consistency is achieved.
To assemble
- Place one layer of cake on a large plate or cake platter. Top with one third of the frosting, spreading to the edges.
- Gently place the second layer of cake on top and spread the top with another third of the frosting.
- Spread the the sides with the remaining frosting.
Video
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 need a chocolate cake layer that I can split in half. Will one of these cake layers split without crumbling? Back in the day I could take a sewing thread and gently saw through the layer, place my filling, and then replace the layer – then frost. Just wondering if that is possible with this recipe?
I am not sure… probably if you’re careful! But I would recommend a knife, rather than thread.
I just made this cake & frosting. I’m new to this new way of baking so wondering if anything will taste close to normal or do I just need to get use to this new taste? I was super excited to try it but couldn’t finish the small piece I gave myself. I decided to put it in the fridge and will try it again later. I have the cookbook and need to know if any of the recipes better?
I appreciate any help or advice?
Everyone experiences the sweeteners differently so it’s likely what you are tasting. What sweetener did you use?
First of all, thank you so much for your reply. It’s greatly appreciated.
Swerve. Followed the recipe exactly. I’m not new to this way of baking/eating but have done THM mostly, and a couple other ones.
Putting it in the refrigerator did help. I just had a piece and it was better than yesterday but not good enough to serve anyone else. I just bought ALL DAY I DREAM ABOUT FOOD, Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking cookbook so I really need to figure this out.
Maybe I don’t like Swerve. 🤷🏼♀️
Hi Kathy, and welcome to the world of keto!
I am also sensitive to the aftertaste of some sweeteners, but have found that xylitol acts and tastes like sugar. It doesn’t work as well in cookies that need to be crisp, but it works perfectly most other recipes, and especially cakes. I have been a huge fan of Carolyn’s for a long time and found that I can often substitute xylitol for other sweeteners. One big caution: while xylitol has been shown to be beneficial to humans, it is actually toxic to dogs, so be very careful to keep it away from your pets. Good luck and have fun!
Help please. I was planning on making this cake but I’ve just run out of swerve granular. Can I replace it with powdered sugar in the cake?
I don’t use sugar so I can’t guide you.
Sorry, I meant swerve powdered sweetener. I don’t use regular sugar either. ☺️
OH! Okay in that case, yes!
i will be baking this tomorrow.i have made two other keto chocolate cakes the past two days each claiming to be moist! both dry! I even took them out ahread of time. do u have a gluten free White cake recipe? no vanilla please. linda
Hi Carolyn, can I use 2 of 9 inches baking pans?
Your cake layers will be much thinner and bake through faster so keep your eye on it.
Hello Carolyn thanks for all the amazing recipes. Question on this would silicone 8 inch pans work. Also does it matter on mayonnaise. I want to make this for my husbands bday. Thank you
Silicone bakes very differently than metal. YOu can use them but you want to watch them carefully. I don’t know how long they will take to bake.
Delicious! So moist too!
I don’t know what I did wrong by when I picked up the layer to turn it over it crumbled in half. I have had that happen before with baked goods using almond flour. Did anyone else have this experience?
A few possibilities… 1. You’re not allowing it to cool properly. 2. you over-baked it so it’s too dry 3. Your almond flour is not fine enough.
this is SOO yummy! i halved the recipe since i was just making it for myself on a random thursday night. i did 1 large egg and a large egg yoke so i didn’t have to split an egg the complicated way. and for the sweetener, i used 3 tbsp brown swerve and 4 tbsp allulose (since allulose is less sweet than swerve). it turned out fluffy and moist with a lovely rich chocolate flavor. i topped the whole thing with pecans and a chocolate glaze. thank you so much for sharing! mayo in this cake makes it just amazing!!
very close to my moms famous mayonnaise cake! Great recipe.
THIS IS REALLY GOOD. I put 3 to 4 tablespoons in a mug and microwaved it for 1 minute. longer if needed. also i put the batter in the fridge so i can make a fresh one each day. also didnt put icing on it. decided not to make the icing. so so good. you can also add lillys chocolate chips in it I did.
Fun idea!
Hi Carolyn, first of all thank you for sharing your amazing recipes! Can you please help me, I want to make frosting dairy free, but I can’t find the dairy free cream cheese, any sugestion? May be coconut cream? Thank you again:)
It won’t have enough structure with just the coconut cream. I am really not sure how to help.
Kit Hill makes a dairy free cream cheese – almond based – there are others out there. Go to Whole Foods or Trader Joes 🙂
Absolutely wonderful, rich, moist and you would never think it was keto
Hi Carolyn,
I bought two of your cookbooks for my daughter, who has started Keto, and she loves them. I plan to make this cake tomorrow, and am wondering if I can use regular cream cheese. I’ve never seen dairy-free cream cheese.
Try my regular chocolate frosting instead! It’s not dairy free: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-chocolate-cake/
Sorry, wrong link! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-chocolate-frosting/
Would these bake up the same way if they are cupcakes? How long do you bake them and temp?
Yes, they will make good cupcakes but I can’t guide you on time (temp will be the same) since I didn’t make mine that way. You can look at some of my other cupcakes for guidance.
Can you use sour cream instead of mayo?
It’s worth a try!
Carolyn, what can I say! Oh my stars! This cake! I made it for my birthday yesterday, this will now be my go to chocolate cake! I made it in a pan 8X10 ish one layer cake. It was as good as the Hershey’s snack cake I used to make! Thank you for making my new lifestyle such a delicious one!