This Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake is over-the-top delicious. Three layers of tender low carb chocolate cake with sugar-free peanut butter frosting and a rich chocolate glaze. It’s a peanut butter lover’s dream!
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Carolyn and I have an all-consuming obsession with chocolate and peanut butter. It’s genetic and I’m pretty sure I’ve had this condition since birth.
It’s actually a very common affliction that affects many people worldwide. Chances are good that you have it too! Otherwise you probably wouldn’t even be reading this post.
You know the best cure for this affliction? Cake. A really amazing cake that tastes like eating keto peanut butter cups. Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake is almost always the answer, no matter what the question!
If this flavor combo is your obsession, be sure to check out my Keto Peanut Butter Balls too.
You will love this cake!
I originally dreamed up this beautiful Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake back in 2014. It was delicious back then but my keto baking skills have vastly improved and I decided it needed an update.
I made the cake similarly to my Keto Devil’s Food Cake, as it’s so wonderful and chocolatey. I also re-vamped peanut butter frosting by folding in whipped cream to give it lightness and structure. It was both airy and luscious, and reminiscent to Keto Peanut Butter Mousse.
Finally, I created a chocolate glaze to decorate the cake. It was the perfect consistency to drip down the sides decoratively.
The final cake is just as delicious as the original, but with even fewer carbs! It’s definitely worthy of all your special occasions.
Ingredients you need
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- Almond flour: Make sure to use a good finely ground almond flour for the best cake texture. You can also use sunflower seed flour for a nut-free version.
- Sweetener: I used granular Swerve in the cake and powdered Swerve in the frosting and glaze. I also used a little allulose in the glaze to keep it shiny and soft. See the Expert Tips section for other sweetener options.
- Cocoa powder: If you want a dark chocolate cake, use dark cocoa powder.
- Protein powder: Added dry protein like whey protein powder gives keto cakes a lighter texture and more structure. I don’t recommend skipping it, although you can also use egg white or plant-based protein. Do not use collagen as it will make the cakes gummy and hard to cook through.
- Sour cream: Full fat sour cream adds wonderful tenderness to keto cakes and muffins.
- Peanut butter: Any creamy natural peanut butter should work for the frosting. I really like the Santa Cruz brand.
- Cream cheese: Cream cheese gives the frosting more structure without having to add copious amounts of powdered sweetener.
- Whipping cream: Folding whipped cream into the frosting gives it a luscious mousse-like texture.
- Unsweetened chocolate: The chocolate drip glaze really is the perfect finish to a cake like this. Unsweetened chocolate is not the same thing as sugar-free chocolate like ChocZero or Lily’s. Those have been sweetened already.
- Kitchen staples: Eggs, butter, baking powder, vanilla, salt.
Step by Step Directions
1. Prepare the batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the water one tablespoon at a time until the batter is thick but pourable.
2. Bake the layers: Divide batter evenly among 3 greased 8-inch cake pans and bake at 325ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, or until just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool completely in the pans.
3. Prepare the frosting: In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, and butter together until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sweetener and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold into the peanut butter mixture until no streaks remain.
4. Frost the cake: Place one layer of cake on a serving platter and spread with about one quarter of the frosting. Top with another layer of cake and another quarter of the frosting. Add the remaining layer of cake and spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate for one hour to firm up.
5. Prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit a few minutes to melt. Add the sweeteners and whisk to combine. Let cool a few minutes to thicken.
6. Decorate the cake: Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake along the edges, letting it drip down the sides. Smooth the remaining glaze over the top of the cake. Top with keto peanut butter cups and sprinkles, if desired.
Expert tips
Always make sure to prep your cake pans properly. This includes greasing the pan and lining them with parchment paper circles. And then greasing the parchment as well. This ensures that your cakes flip easily out of the pans.
Don’t overbake those cake layers! It’s easy to do and they will end up dry. I touch the tops of my cakes multiple times during baking. The minute they feel dry on top with a little bounce underneath, I get them out of the oven. Watch my video for the Best Tips on Baking Keto Cakes.
Sweetener Options
You can use almost any granular sweetener in the cake layers, but the baking time may change so keep your eye on them. Additionally, any confectioners-style sweetener should work in the frosting. I do find that allulose can make things a little softer so allow it to firm up properly in the fridge before adding the glaze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not all peanut butter is created equal. Some of the commercial brands are highly processed and full of sugar and preservatives. But natural peanut butter that has no added sugar has only about 5 to 6 grams of carbs per 2 tablespoon serving. Most people find they can use it sparingly on a keto diet without issue.
Keto friendly cake like this Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake is made with alternative flours and sweeteners. In this case, almond flour forms the base of the cake, along with protein powder and sweetener.
If you want to prepare this keto cake ahead, make the cake up to the point of adding the chocolate glaze. Then wrap carefully and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Add the glaze a few hours before serving.
Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups (224 g) almond flour
- 3/4 cup (136.5 g) Swerve Sweetener, or other granular sweetener
- 6 tbsp dark cocoa powder, or Dutch process
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavoured whey protein powder, or egg white protein powder
- 2 1/2 tsp (2.5 tsp) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1/2 cup (115 g) sour cream, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 tbsp (2 tbsp) water
Peanut Butter Frosting
- 3/4 cup (193.5 g) creamy peanut butter
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (136.5 g) Swerve Confectioners, or other powdered sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup (178.5 g) heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Glaze
- 1/4 cup (59.5 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 oz (28.35 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 tbsp Swerve Confectioners
- 1 tbsp allulose, granular
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and grease three 8-inch round cake pans well. Line the bottom of the pans with circles of parchment and grease the parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in the sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the water one tablespoon at a time until the batter is thick but pourable.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared cake pans and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until just firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pans.
Peanut Butter Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese, and butter together until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in the sweetener and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Fold into the peanut butter mixture until no streaks remain.
To Assemble
- Place one layer of cake on a serving platter and spread with about one quarter of the frosting. Top with another layer of cake and another quarter of the frosting.
- Add the remaining layer of cake and spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate for one hour to firm up.
Chocolate Glaze
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Let sit a few minutes to melt.
- Add the sweeteners and whisk to combine. Let cool a few minutes to thicken, and then slowly drizzle over the top of the cake along the edges, letting it drip down the sides.
- Smooth the remaining glaze over the top of the cake. Top with keto peanut butter cups and sprinkles, if desired.
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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Could I make this as a bundt cake?
I suppose so but you would have too much frosting, I think.
I was thinking of omitting the frosting (I want to surprise my husband and he’s not the peanut butter fan that I am) and making it as a bundt cake with the ganache poured over it. Would the baking time be the same?
I don’t know if the bake time would be the same. I suspect it would be longer.
I baked it in a bundt pan for 45 minutes and made a glaze with Swerve, cream and almond milk and it came out beautifully! Thanks so much! Also I’m at about 5400 feet, baking at higher altitude can be tricky, this worked perfectly.
So glad!
I’ve had my eye on this for some time, and with my boyfriend’s birthday coming up, I finally have the perfect excuse! He’s more of a milk chocolate peanut butter guy though. Would you say both the ganache and the cake have a dark chocolate taste? Also, I noticed you didn’t use a cream and chocolate ganache. Would doing so work with this cake? I’m thinking I could get more of a milk chocolate taste that way, by using Lily’s chocolate and cream. Last question, what brand of dark cocoa did you use in the cake? Thank you so much!
Yes, both cake and ganache have dark chocolate flavours. For the cake, you can lighten it a bit by using a different brand of cocoa powder that’s not dark. And maybe reducing the amount of cocoa powder a bit. The reason I don’t do a cream ganache is because unsweetened chocolate is super-finicky and seizes every time I try to add it to hot cream. But you might have more luck with the Lily’s and cream mixture.
Thanks for the response. I’m going to try making a milk chocolate ganache using cream and Lily’s milk chocolate. As for the cake, I don’t want to risk it. I’m going to make it exactly the way you did. What brand(s) of dark cocoa powder have you had success with in this recipe? I’m wondering if the commenters who had issues with the cake not rising used a different cocoa powder. Apparently they have different acidity levels which would affect the leavener.
I suspect the cake not rising actually comes from using the wrong almond flour (using something more coarse, like almond meal). There’s also the possibility that their baking soda (or powder) was not fresh, which can kill a rise. But it could be the cocoa powder – too many variables! So I suggest you use Honeyville almond flour, if you can get it, Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour and Hershey’s Dark Cocoa powder. Those are the ones I use.
If I only have almond meal, can I pulse it in my blender to make it a finer texture?
I made this cake yesterday and was thrilled with the results! By far one of the best low carb cakes ever. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Thanks for the feedback! So glad you liked it.
Hello! I’m so excited to try out this recipe tomorrow! One question: would it be fine to replace the almond milk with diluted heavy cream? I’m a bit worried about the carb content in the almond milk.
Unsweetened almond milk has 3 g of carbs per serving. You are using less than a full serving so I don’t see how it could be an issue. However, just use water if you don’t want to use the almond milk.
Can I use gluten instead of the whey protein? How much? Thanks.
I don’t know, I don’t use it. Maybe 1/4 cup?
Can you tell me what the carb count is for just the cake? I don’t want the peanut butter frosting or ganache. Thank you!
I am sorry, I didn’t run the numbers on just the cake. I don’t have that handy at the moment. But you can run the ingredients through something like MyFitnessPal and it should give you correct results.
I am dying to try this! But there’s one teensy problem….I’m allergic to coconut (but not coconut oil thank goodness) is there anything you can suggest to safely replace the coconut flour?
Try adding another 3/4 cup of almond flour instead of the coconut flour.
Hi there, this looks soooooo awesome. Just wondering, if I have plain Collagen protein powder (Great Lakes), do you think that would work in place of whey? Thanks for all the great recipes!
I am not sure, I’ve never used collagen to replace the whey. But it’s worth a try!
I just made this cake but the layers didn’t rise at all. They are not even half the thickness as shown in the picture, actually no thicker than the raw dough was when I put it in the pan. I followed the recipe to a T..using the baking soda, cream of tartar & apple cider vinegar. What could be wrong that the layers didn’t rise. I also used the Swerve powdered sweetener (not the granular) as directed in the Chocolate Ganache but it doesn’t melt into the chocolate & butter to make a smooth Ganache. Any suggestions? Haven’t tasted it yet. That will happen tomorrow for our Mother’s Day dessert.
A couple of possibilities in the cake…what kind of almond flour did you use? If it was a coarser almond meal, that might be the problem. It’s also possible that your baking soda was old and had no “power”. I am sorry that happened but I can’t really pin point the issue because others have made the cake without a problem.
Not sure about the ganache as I have made that ganache many, many times and have no problems getting the swerve to mix in. It’s not as perfectly smooth as something made with sugar but it does make a great ganache.
Made this for Easter and everyone loved it! I didn’t do the ganache because I ran out of time and energy…I chopped up a Choco Perfection bar and tossed it on top. Worked great but I still want to try the ganache, good excuse to make another one!
Glad you liked it!
I made the cake into 18 cupcakes. The taste was great and they were moist, but I was disappointed they were very crumbly. I did use the baking powder (vs. baking soda, cream of tartar and vinegar). Do you think that made the difference? Is there something else I could try to make them less crumbly?
Hi Lee…it might have made a difference, I can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it. My whole layers were not overly crumbly. There are so many factors here I can’t identify the issue but it can be brand of cocoa powder, coconut flour, almond flour, etc. Maybe next time, try 3/4 tsp of xanthan gum to help bind them a bit more. I didn’t feel I needed it in my recipe but it sounds like you might?
Can I use vanilla soy protein powder instead of unflavoured? Should I reduce the amount of liquid sweetener to compensate the additional sweetness? Thanks!!
Sure, that protein should work fine. I think you will find that the cake is not overly sweet so probably no need to reduce the other sweeteners.
Hey, this recipe looks perfect for what I’m planning for my friends birthday (Low carb diet, and is diabetic), but he’s allergic to tree nuts! Is there a substitute you can recommend for the almond flour?
Not a good sub for this recipe, no. But you can use another recipe for the cake and then do the frosting and chocolate ganache. I have a coconut flour recipe here and you can use vanilla extract and coconut milk or plain milk in place of the almond milk: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2011/03/chocolate-hazelnut-crunch-cake-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html
I had the same problem as a couple of other posters. It is like the cake just didn’t rise. It was n’t smooth on the surface at all and it cracked b/c the layers were so thin. Could this simply be b/’c of the almond flour or could it be that you need the cream of tarter/vinegar mixture (I used the baking powder)….flavour was fine but not strong at all, a little on the bland side. Peanut butter frosting was great. I used coconut cream instead of heavy whipping cream and it didn’t really affect flavour at all.
No, it’s not the baking soda/baking powder at issue here because I’ve done this same recipe with both leavening agents and it’s fine. What kind of almond flour did you use?
Hi Carolyn, I am making this tonight. I just realized that his didn’t have Greek yogurt, hmmmm… I was looking at your chocolate bundt cake that had Greek yogurt and I thought I didn’t have it and wondered what I would use.
I just made the high carb black magic cake and it was delicious so I decided to make this one instead. I have to stop falling off of the wagon.
Anyway, I do have stevia extract but its not sweet enough, I really like xylitol too much. What is the conversion, the recipe above calls for 1/4 tsp of stevia.
Last question, I only have vanilla whey, can I use that instead of unflavored? Will the flavor be off too much?
I’ll follow-up to let you know how it came out, I am so excited. Thank you in advance for your response.
Go ahead and use the vanilla whey and skip the vanilla extract. And 1/4 tsp of my stevia extract is about 1/4 cup of sugar so use xylitol in whatever amount you think equals 1/4 cup of sugar.
What couldn’t I figure that out? So simple and sensible… Thank you for taking time to respond.
I made the cake last night. I used a 9×13 cake pan and baked it for 40 mins. I kept checking it every 5 mins. after 25 mins. until the toothpick was clean. It is a very yummy cake. I topped it with a whipped cream cheese frosting. I do not like coffee at all and there is really no heavy coffee taste. It reminded me of a devils food cake and like a brownie somewhat with no frosting. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you liked it!
I’ve never heard of Swerve. Went to look it up & the package doesn’t look like anything I can recall seeing on the shelves locally. Can I sub Xylitol? That is readily available here.
Also, what do you mean by a “cooling effect?” That it feels cold in the mouth?
Yes, you can sub xylitol in the cake and frosting but you really need powdered sweetener for the frosting to make it smooth. And yes, cooling effect as in mint gum.