This delectable Keto Ding Dong Cake features tender layers of coconut flour cake with a creamy filling and a sugar-free chocolate glaze. Just like your favorite snack cakes but so much better for you!
It was high time that I gave my famous Keto Ding Dong Cake an update. But don’t panic, friends. This keto chocolate cake recipe is just as delicious and decadent as it ever was!
Okay, I admit it. I really just wanted to make it again for me and my family. In fact, I made it as my keto birthday cake this year, and it made the occasion extra special. I wasn’t sad about all the delicious leftovers, either. We feasted on this beautiful low carb dessert for several days in a row.
How can you go wrong with a giant chocolate snack cake?
Why you will love this keto cake
This recipe has long been one of my most popular cakes, and I originally created it for Swerve Sweetener using their boxed cake mix. But the company has changed a lot of their products and they aren’t as easy to find as they used to be.
I want all of my readers to be able to enjoy this delicious cake, so I have updated the recipe with my homemade coconut flour chocolate cake. I’ve also taken new photos and added tons of great tips and information.
For such a beautiful layer cake, this recipe is quite straightforward. The cake layers take only about 30 minutes to make. The filling is an easy stabilized whipped cream. And the sugar-free chocolate ganache is practically foolproof.
The resulting cake is rich and indulgent. And yet each slice has only xg net carbs per serving!
Ingredients you need
- Coconut flour: I like to make the cake layers with the same batter I use for my keto cupcakes. Check the expert tips section if you would prefer to use almond or sunflower seed flour.
- Sweetener: For the cake, you can use your favorite sweetener. Do be mindful that it may bake faster if you use allulose. For the filling and the glaze, you will need a powdered sweetener like Swerve. I like to add a little allulose to the glaze as well, to help keep it from recrystallizing.
- Cocoa powder: I always use Dutch process cocoa, as it has a deeper chocolate flavor and combines better in cake batters.
- Protein powder: You can use whey protein, egg white protein, or a plant-based protein, but collagen protein will not work well.
- Eggs: Coconut flour takes a lot of eggs so don’t skip them!
- Coffee: I often use leftover coffee as the liquid in this cake, because it enhance the chocolate flavor. But you can also use water.
- Whipping cream: You will need plenty of whipping cream for the filling and the glaze.
- Gelatin: A little gelatin helps make the filling firm enough that it doesn’t squish out between the layers.
- Unsweetened chocolate: Make sure you use entirely unsweetened chocolate for the glaze, as it will set better.
- Pantry Staples: Vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, butter.
Step by Step Directions
1. Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in the coffee about ¼ cup at a time until the batter is thick but easily scoopable.
2. Bake the cake: Divide the batter between two well-greased 8 inch round pans lined with parchment paper and spread to the edges. Bake at 350ºF for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool before flipping out onto a wire rack.
3. Dissolve the gelatin: Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Whisk to combine. Heat for about 30 seconds in the microwave and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Cool 10 minutes.
4. Whip the cream: In a large bowl, combine the cream, Swerve, and vanilla extract. Begin to beat at high speed and slowly pour in the water/gelatin mixture. Beat until the cream holds stiff peaks.
5. Assemble: Place one layer of cake on a serving platter and spread with the cream filling. Top with the second layer of cake and press down lightly so the cream comes to the edges of the cake. Place the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.
6. Prepare the glaze: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and sweetener. Bring to just a simmer, then remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate and vanilla extract. Let sit 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth.
7. Glaze the cake: Let cool another 5 to 10 minutes to thicken, then slowly pour of the cake. You can use an offset spatula to cover the sides or simply let it drip down. Let set 20 minutes before serving.
Expert Tips
Coconut flour varies brand to brand, so you may need to adjust the batter with a little less or a little more liquid. You want the batter to be on the thick side but still easily spreadable in the pans.
As with any keto cake recipe, it’s important to make sure you don’t over-bake it. Watch it carefully in your oven, testing it early. The best way to know it’s done is to touch the top of the cake. If it feels firm to the touch, remove it immediately.
If you would prefer a cake made with nut or seed flour, try making the layers with the batter from my Keto Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. Just spread the batter in two pans, rather than three, and watch it carefully. You can also use a keto cake mix, if you prefer.
The cream filling requires gelatin to be firm enough not to ooze out between the cake layers. Make sure the gelatin dissolves completely in the water and the mixture cools a bit before adding it to the whipped cream.
I like to add a few tablespoons of allulose to the glaze, in addition to the powdered sweetener. This helps keep it from recrystallizing as it cools. If you cannot access allulose, that’s okay. It will work as written but you may get some grittiness in the glaze after it has been refrigerated.
I say that this cake serves 12, but it is rich enough to easily serve 16.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most Ding Dong Cakes have upwards of about 35g of carbs per slice. But this Keto Ding Dong cake has only 8.3g of carbs and 4.2g of fiber. Which means it has 4.1g net carbs per slice.
Store this cake in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week. I recommend placing plastic wrap against the cut edges to keep it from drying out. You can also freeze the cake, tightly wrapped, for several months.
More amazing keto cakes
Keto Ding Dong Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- ⅔ cup coconut flour
- ⅔ cup Swerve Sweetener or other granular sweetener
- 6 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ cup whey protein powder chocolate vanilla, or unflavored
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup leftover coffee or water more if needed
Filling
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ teaspoon grass-fed gelatin (or 1 envelop Knox gelatin)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup Swerve Confectioners or other powdered sweetener
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup Swerve Confectioners or other powdered sweetener
- 2 tablespoon allulose optional, can replace with more Swerve
- 2 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease two 8-inch round cake pans very well. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and grease the paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Stir in the coffee about ¼ cup at a time until the batter is thick but easily scoopable. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and spread to the edges.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops of the cakes are just firm to the touch. Remove and let cool before loosening the edges and flipping out onto a wire rack.
Filling
- Place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle with the gelatin. Whisk to combine. Heat for about 30 seconds in the microwave and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Cool 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the cream, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Begin to beat at high speed and slowly pour in the water/gelatin mixture. Beat until the cream holds stiff peaks.
- Place one layer of cake on a serving platter and spread with the cream filling. Top with the second layer of cake and and press down lightly so the cream comes to the edges of the cake.Place the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream and sweetener. Bring to just a simmer, then remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate and vanilla extract. Let sit 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth.
- Let cool another 5 to 10 minutes to thicken, then slowly pour of the cake. You can use an offset spatula to cover the sides or simply let it drip down. Let set 20 minutes before serving.
Erica says
Carolyn, I love this idea, and I absolutely cannot wait for the first excuse to make it! I often add a small amount of tapioca starch to recipes to improve texture. Perhaps I’m rationalizing it just a bit too much, but in an unheated form, tapioca starch is a source of resistant starch on which gut bacteria feed, so I like to think that in cooled baked goods it might be doing a bit of good in a biological context as well as a culinary one.
lisa says
This is a great option for some, but I would prefer to make it from scratch. P lease let me know if you plan to post the recipe from scratch.
Carolyn says
Lisa….I very clearly gave a link at the bottom that gives you a chocolate cake recipe. Please follow that.
Katie says
How would the macros change using your chocolate cupcake recipe over the swerve sweets box mix for the cake? Not that I’m opposed to the starch but also I don’t think it’s as available at any grocery store and would need to be ordered. Have you tested it with your recipe? I wonder if this recipe would make individual ding dongs if baked in muffin tins!
Carolyn says
you will have to run those macros yourself at the moment. Thanks!
Karen says
Four Words: Get.In.My.Belly.
Alicia says
I’m sorry if I missed it, but what are people choosing to use for the oil in the mix recipe? Would just butter or coconut oil work?
Carolyn says
yes, butter works. So does avocado oil or melted coconut oil.
Jill Kuehn says
Hey Caroly,
Love your recipes and can’t wait to try this one. I have a question though. Since it’s just me and my husband on the keto diet, and that’s a lot of servings….can you use half of the package and save the rest for another day? Or is it something that has to be made all at once?
Thank you so much for all your free recipes! I also have your first book. 😉
Jill says
Sorry I misspelled your name…. or maybe it’s a new nickname…Caroly lol
Carolyn says
You know…I think you could if you measured it out carefully enough. Also you would need to beat an egg and measure out just half.
Stacey S Storck says
Or just make the cake as instructed, slice it into slices and put it in the freezer. Pull out one when you want a piece. That is way easier than trying to divide the mix and all that mess.
Joan says
SWERVE CAKE MIX!!!
This is truly a game changer in my dessert world. Thank you for the recipe. I can’t wait to try this.
Gwen says
Oh, Carolyn, this look wonderful! And right in time for my August birthday.
BTW, my memories of Ding Dongs as a kid is that my mom kept them in the freezer. I’d take one out and eat it while watching for the school bus. Yes, Ding Dongs for breakfast… now you know why I need to eat keto in my 50s!!
Carolyn says
Hey, you could have this cake for breakfast… 😉
Annette says
As someone who is fairly strict keto, for years, and cooks from scratch, avoids processed foods and tries to keep my family healthy…I am personally thrilled that Swerve has made such a wonderful attempt at a very challenging endeavor! That family of mine loves their sweets…and momma gets tired…so having something easy that’s 95% of the way there to being perfect keto is a win in our household. I can’t wait to try their products and this recipe. I was personally a little giddy when I saw the title and even happier that the level of work involved is pretty low! Thanks Carolyn for helping this mom out (my kids will thank you too!).
Carolyn says
Thanks, Annette. I feel much the same way you do. I love to make cakes from scratch and I will do that most of the time but on occasion, having a mix like this is perfect!
Mary says
https://swervesweet.com/recipes/ding-dong-cake
Gail Holcomb says
Never mind my comment – I see that the recipe is posted at the Swerve site and it is from a box mix!
Gail Holcomb says
Same here – no recipe
Mary C says
Not able to pull up recipe
Carolyn says
It’s there now!
Lori says
Recipe is still not there 24 hours on from your message that its out there. Getting Error “Unknown “minify” tag in “layout/_layout” at line 1.”
Carolyn says
It’s there and the link works. It’s worked since yesterday morning. I just clicked on it right now.
Hope says
It’s NOT working for me and others, not sure why it is for you but we aren’t making it up, it’s not working lol
Carolyn says
I am not suggesting anyone is making anything up. Try going directly to the Swerve website and searching for it in their search box.
Joe says
Thank you for the correction. Yes, you are right, I didn’t open the “swerve” link. I found out about you and your work from Wes Shoemaker from “Highflutinlowcarb”. Keep the recipes coming and again, Thank you.
Carolyn says
You’re welcome. Enjoy the cake, and happy holidays.
Deborah A Peters says
I have tried for a while and also found the link not working :(.
Carolyn says
It’s there now, I just clicked through! https://swervesweet.com/recipes/ding-dong-cake
Michael Krupar says
I clicked on the link to go to the recipe and all I got was “Not So Sweet.
Sorry to say that whatever you’re searching for isn’t on this page.”
Carolyn says
It’s there now, I just clicked through! https://swervesweet.com/recipes/ding-dong-cake
Kelly says
The link to the recipe doesn’t work. It gives an error message.
Carolyn says
It’s there now, I just clicked through! https://swervesweet.com/recipes/ding-dong-cake
Nancy says
Link to recipe isn’t working
Carolyn says
It’s there now, I just clicked through! https://swervesweet.com/recipes/ding-dong-cake
Nancy says
????????????????????????❤️????????
Mary says
I tried to subscribe. It let me put my email in but wouldn’t let me pull up the subscribe button
Nancy Wasserman says
I would love to make this Ding Dong Cake but the link to Swerve Sweetener tells me that what I’m looking for isn’t there.
If I use your cupcake recipe, what recipe do I use for the filling and chocolate glaze?
Carolyn says
It’s there now, I just clicked through! https://swervesweet.com/recipes/ding-dong-cake
Mary says
I clicked on the link for swerve it said sorry what you are looking for isn’t here
Carolyn says
It’s there now, I just clicked through! https://swervesweet.com/recipes/ding-dong-cake
C says
Thank you.
Clive Roberts says
The link to this doesn’t appear to exist and I couldn’t find the cake on the Swerve site.
Huge fan, keep up the great work.
Carolyn says
It’s there now, I just clicked through! https://swervesweet.com/recipes/ding-dong-cake
Claira says
Why isn’t the recipe in your pin?
Kelley says
https://swervesweet.com/search-results?q=Ding+dong+cake