Some desserts are absolutely iconic and I can say with confidence that this Keto Kentucky Butter Cake is one of them. This is the original, my friends! I first published this epic sugar-free treat back in 2017 and it became an instant success. So much so that look-alike recipes started popping up all over the internet. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, as they say!
But you’ve managed to find your way to the OG keto butter cake, and I am glad you’re here. If you love rich, buttery desserts, you’ll be happy to know I have plenty of them. You might also enjoy my recipes for Keto Gooey Butter Cake and Keto Butter Cookies.
My devoted fans know that I am a stickler for both taste and texture. So I took my time developing this recipe, and figuring out how to achieve the classic Southern butter cake experience with low carb ingredients.
This cake has the perfect density, but still comes out with an incredibly tender crumb. And the buttery syrup soaks in while the cake still warm, to make it ultra-moist. It’s really is a stunner of a dessert, so it’s little wonder that there are so many copycat recipes. But now you know where it all started!
Why Readers Adore This Recipe
- Rich, buttery flavor: Readers often tell me that when they take this to a gathering, it’s the first dessert to disappear!
- Unbelievably moist: The cake is moist enough as it is but the buttery glaze adds even more moisture.
- Elegant presentation: Bundt cakes always look so elegant, all they need is a sprinkle of powdered sweetener and a few berries.
- Crowd-pleaser: Many folks report that everyone loves this cake, from kids to grandparents.
- Make ahead recipe: You can make it several days in advance and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Keto-friendly deliciousness: No grains, gluten, or sugar makes this an epic low carb treat.
What readers are saying
“I think this cake might be my favorite, and I’ve made many of your desserts. This moist, buttery cake does not even need the glaze! It’s that good. Comes together quickly, bakes to perfection, and yields lots of servings. It’s 10 ⭐️” — Lynn
Ingredient Notes
- Keto flours: This recipe uses both almond flour and coconut flour. The coconut flour helps with structure and offsetting all the delicious butter.
- Protein powder: As always, protein powder helps the cake rise better and have more structure. I recommend whey or egg white protein. Plant-based may also work but don’t use collagen protein.
- Butter: Butter cake needs to be made with copious amounts of butter. Please don’t ask me how to make this recipe lower fat. It’s a butter cake, after all!
- Sweetener: This bakes for quite a bit of time, so I recommend using mostly erythritol based sweeteners in the cake. See the Tips for Success for more details.
- Whipping cream: I use a mix of whipping cream and water as the liquid in this recipe.
- Kitchen staples: Eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt.
How to Make Keto Kentucky Butter Cake
- Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, beat the butter and the sweetener until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Combine together: Add the almond flour mixture and beat until well combined. Transfer the batter to a large, well-greased bundt pan and bake until golden brown.
- Prepare the glaze: Melt the butter and sweetener together, whisking until combined. Whisk in the water and vanilla extract.
- Pour over the cake: While the cake is still warm, poke holes all over it with a skewer. Pour the glaze over and let cool completely in the pan.
- Garnish: Gently loosen the sides with a knife then flip out onto a serving platter. Dust with powdered sweetener.
Tips for Success
Take the time to grease the pan properly, as directed in the recipe. Bundt pans are notoriously tricky and sticky, and it can be tough to get cakes out in one piece. Particularly cakes as tender as this one! Make sure not to use pans with lots of nooks and crannies – a regular fluted pan works best.
Also let the cake cool completely but don’t let it stay in the pan much longer! I’ve noticed that keto baked goods begin to stick again if they stay in the pan much longer than that.
Use room temperature ingredients. I cannot state this strongly enough! Cold eggs will cause the nicely creamed butter to clump up again.
I don’t recommend trying to replace the coconut flour with more almond flour. Almond flour contains more moisture and it will make this cake far too soft.
Protein powder is an important part of this cake’s success so please don’t ask me if you can substitute anything.
Sweetener Options
I highly recommend using an erythritol based sweetener in the cake itself. Allulose browns more quickly and the part of the cake against the pan will darken considerably – and with a bundt cake, the majority of the cake is against the pan. It may also taste a little burnt.
That said, you are free to experiment with your preferred sweeteners. I just can’t guarantee the results.
You can use allulose-based sweeteners in the glaze, as that won’t cause any issues.
More Keto Bundt Cakes To Love
Keto Kentucky Butter Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 1/2 cups (260 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (30 g) coconut flour
- 1/4 cup (27 g) unflavoured whey protein powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (182 g) granular sweetener , erythritol recommended
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (119 g) whipping cream
- 1/2 cup (118.29 g) water
Butter Glaze
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup (60.67 g) granular sweetener, erythritol or allulose
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Garnish
- 1 to 2 tbsp powdered sweetener
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Grease a bundt cake pan VERY well and then dust with a few tbsp of almond flour. Pro Tip: double-grease your pan to help prevent sticking. Use a solid fat first, like butter or coconut oil, and then a spray like coconut or avocado.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and the sweetener together until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Beat in the almond flour mixture and then beat in the whipping cream and water until well combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until golden brown and the top of the cake is firm to the touch.
Butter Glaze
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and sweetener together. Whisk until well combined. Whisk in the water and vanilla extract.
- While the cake is still warm and in the pan, poke holes all over with a skewer. Pour the glaze over and let cool completely in the pan.
- Gently loosen the sides with a knife or thin rubber spatula, then flip out onto a serving platter. Dust with powdered sweetener.
- Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a very butter-forward recipe, so dairy-free substitutions will change the flavor and texture. Some readers have had success using high-fat plant-based butter, but the result won’t be quite as rich or classic as the original.
Because this is a large cake, I recommend using a 9-inch spring form pan or two 8-inch round cake pans. Baking time will vary, so start checking early and take it out when the top is just firm to the touch.
This keto Kentucky butter cake recipe has 5.5g of carbs and 2.5g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3g net carbs per slice.
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.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
I made this for a 2024 Kentucky Derby dinner party. My friends also eat the Keto lifestyle so we were excited to try it. Everyone loved it. I didn’t have a bundt pan so baked it in a 9×9 pan and it cooked perfectly in 50 minutes. Thank you Carolyn!
hi – can you use ghee instead of butter in this recipe?
I think that would be fine.
This is one of the absolute best keto cakes I’ve tried! Do you know if I can freeze it?
Absolutely! Make sure to wrap it up tightly so it doesn’t get any freezer burn.
Yay! I’m bringing it to a family vacation. Thank you!
Hi
I just made this cake. It’s in the oven.
I followed all instructions but my batter seemed not as thick as yours.
Wonder why?
We will have to see what happens .
Thanks
Love your recipes.
Yvonne from Newfoundland Canada
Sounds like you may not have had quite enough flour. How did it work out?
Ive made this several times as the bundt and its amazing, although difficult to keep its form as my bundts always stick a bit. I’m hoping to make in silicone cupcake size this time, since we are just going to break them up for parfait cups anyway. Has this been tried before and any suggestions for adjusting the time/temp?
I’m planning to bring this to my new Pokeno game tonight. Do you think allulose (All-u-lose brand) would work? I have it on hand and am, generally, a big fan.
No, it won’t. This cake bakes for a long time and it’s going to get overly dark with allulose.
What can be used to substitute whey protein powder? Would superfood protein powder work?
I really can’t say. Probably, but I can’t guarantee it.
Made this several times and it is awesome. Wonder if you can use chocolate whey protein powder? Think?
What went wrong? my room temperature egg mixture curdled during the beating step. I used Swerve granular. Help
No idea… but just keep adding the remaining ingredients, it should smooth out.
Carolyn,
Since I don’t have heavy cream on hand, I’ve read I could use H&H and melted butter. Or would straight H&H work for the water & Cream? Just trying to not have to make a run to the store.
Planning to bring this to New Years Eve party.
Straight half and half would be fine.
seemed to work well with the H&H. Found my “top” is a lot darker than yours in the image, and did not fully come out of the pan. Wonder if this would work in a 9×9 cut in squares. But recipe is a keeper, most LC/Keto desserts with Almond come out too dry for me.
Could this be turned into a Rum Cake? My mother is obsessed.
I can’t see why not. Add a bit to the batter and replace the water in the syrup.
I just finished making this cake. Everything worked out perfectly, except the top of the cake stuck on the bottom of the pan. It’s okay, though. I just pieced it back together and sprinkled the confectioner’s sweetener on top, and snacked on the stick cake. So good!!!! It reminds me of a cake my mom used to make years ago, called a Bacardi Rum cake. It has Rum in the cake, and Rum in the butter syrup that gets poured over to top like this one. It also has chopped walnuts in the bottom of the pan (top of the cake). I’m going to try that next time. Thank you for this recipe!
Bundt pans are tricky!
i use a silicone bundt pan inside of a metal bundt pan…slides out easily.
Would this work with granular monk fruit in order to cut the carbs down? I believe it sweeter, so I think I would have to cut the amount, correct?
What brand are you talking about? They are all formulated a little differently…
WOW! just took this cake out of the oven. It’s so crazy moist without even using the glaze. I opted to NOT put the glaze in the cake, but used a keto cream cheese glaze on top. The cake doesn’t really need any glaze or icing of any kind, but we happened to be in the mood for a cream cheese glaze.
This is amazing – just amazing!!
Sounds great!
Monkfruit in the raw (without erythritol)
If you think maltodextrin is going to save you on carbs, you are sadly mistaken. It spikes most people’s blood sugar (including mine). Whereas erythritol has carbs but the have ZERO impact on blood glucose. I test my blood sugar and can confirm that this holds true for me.
I will probably stick with swerve just to not mess up the recipe. I just asked because my daughter has an Epilepsy and she has a very specific carb allowance.
Oooooh, I get the carb allowance but I would check with her doctors because maltodextrin may be something that affects her!
Can you leave the whey protein out?
Not if you want it to rise properly.
Can you use vanilla flavored whey protein powder? Bought it for this recipe and was going to make it today and noticed it said unflavored. 🤦🏻♀️
Yes, but don’t add any other vanilla.
So YUMMO! Doesn’t seem like a keto cake! But I had trouble getting it out of the Bundt pan! Did all the pro-level tricks (solid oil/butter, spray oil/avocado, dusting of almond flour), wait until cool, still it stuck horribly!! Tasted great! But needed a LOT of whipped cream to hide the crumbles!!
Sounds to me like you might need a new pan, sadly. Bundt pans are tricky!