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.
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I made this yesterday and it was delicious. I served it with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and Caramel sauce. So yummy. I used the baking spray to grease the bundt pan and it came right out.
Thank you so much for all your recipes. I always know they will be good.
Carolyn, is there any way to make this in a crock pot? I don’t have a lot of baking time (I’m a first time mom to a fast paced 18 month old ha!), but this looks so so good!
Thank you for all of your recipes! My little family would be lost without them!
Very possibly. I have a couple of other crock pot cakes, but this one is bigger so it would probably take longer to cook through.
I took my bundt cake pan out of hiding for this one! Followed your recipe and instructions exactly and the result was a beautifully delicious butter cake. I will take this cake to functions where there are rarely desserts for my low carb friends and my diabetic son will enjoy his birthday cake with strawberries and whipped cream later this month! It stayed moist and delicicious covered on the counter for the 3 days it lasted! I always follow your recipes exactly as you have written because I know you have worked to perfect them…why mess with success! Thank you!!
This looks like the perfect thing to go under my fresh blackberries and whipped cream!
I have an angel food cake/tube shaped pan, will it work as well as the Bundt pan?
I really don’t know, i don’t own one of those pans. I think they are deeper and narrower and I worry that you will have trouble getting it to release. Might be best in a 9×13 pan.
know this sounds completely crazy for a die hard chocolate lover, but I’ve been trying to figure out what kind of birthday cake I want this year, other than chocolate. Thank you Carolyn! This gorgeous cake, out of so many gorgeous cakes is going to be the one. For some reason, by March every year I want something with strawberries or lemon. However, until I saw this posting I couldn’t figure out how I wanted them. You’re a master baking magician!
*Also, for those having trouble with typical bundt pans, I use this one https://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Bundt-Springform-Bottoms/dp/B00004RFPR/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1488997332&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=Non+stick+cheesecake+bundt+pan+combo
It’s not as pretty as some but as long as its well greased sticking isn’t an issue.
Happy Birthday! Mine is in two days…
Carolyn, I just saw that we share the same birthday!! I’m duly honored! Although I’m sure I have a few years on you… Have been trying your recipes with abandon in the last few weeks. I took up the keto lifestyle 6 weeks ago, and my HbA1c, taken after just 5 weeks of utilizing your great recipes every day, had me doing handsprings out of my endocrinologist’s office this week! It was a full .6 point lower than my previous lowest ever, in all my 13 years of fighting this scourge of diabetes. The doctor cut back on my meds as a result. What a kick!! And all this while enjoying cookies, muffins and pancakes. I never would have thought it possible. I can definitely live with this. Even the hubs, very dubious at first, is now a convert. He dreams about your gingerbread men! My next test will be even better, as I will have been in keto for the full 3 months before. I have to thank you for playing such an instrumental part. You’ve contributed to giving me one of the best days I’ve had in many moons. Great website, phenomenal recipes. Oh – and just so you know this is no faint praise, I am a classically trained chef.
Aw, thanks, Cat! I am so glad my recipes make you happy AND keep you healthy. And the praise from a chef, that just delights me. I’m a happy home cook with no designs on culinary school but that’s high praise!
Yay! I already have this pan!!
This looks similar to something I have been craving. Could a little orange zest and fresh squeezed orange juice be added and this still be low-carb (I’m assuming so, as you don’t use much)?
Absolutely. Orange extract might help too.
about how much extract? I am thinking of trying this with lemon extract!
Thank you!
Maybe a teaspoon? More than that and I find they have can have a fake flavour, even if they are all natural extracts.
mMMmmmm, lemon extract & lemon zest in the cake. Served w/fresh blueberries and a scoop of Halo Top lemon ice cream. I know what I’m making for Sunday dessert
How much orange extract would you add? I want to make this
It depends on how strong your orange extract is but you still want a little vanilla. I’d do maybe 1/2 tsp vanilla and 3/4 tsp orange or maybe 1 tsp.
Thanks so much for all the recipes you create! Every one that I have tried has turned out amazing!!! I just made your Kentucky Butter cake and can’t wait to cut into it…. it’s in the oven baking now! Thanks again and look forward to trying more!
Thanks, Louise!
I totally agree
One can never go wrong with one of your amazing low carb recipes
Never fails to get a lot of compliments
Thank you!
I made this yesterday and had it for dessert after supper. It is fabulous! Mine fell apart coming out of the bundt pan, I cannot seem to figure out how to keep a bundt cake intact. But regardless of it not being pretty, it was delicious! I cannot wait to serve it to my college age daughter, who has type 1 diabetes, when she comes home for spring break. Thank you for coming up with fabulous recipes that helps keep her blood sugar within the range she needs it to be.
So glad you liked it! Bundt pans are tricky indeed.
Can I add dome Bourbon? yum, lol
Of course!
Made this cake today and it is SO GOOD. I used 2/3 xylitol and 1/3 Splenda for sweetening. I sprayed the bundt pan heavily with cooking spray. When mostly cooled l flipped the pan over on a plate … and it popped right out. No sticking. This cake is a total winner. Thank you SO much. I never thought l would eat cake again. Today, l did. 🙂
Mine popped right out too! I can’t believe that people are having sticking problems with the huge amount of butter in the cake! You’d think the pans would be all lubed up!
DELICIOUS….but I couldn’t get mine out of the pan ? it looks like a pinterest fail but it tastes yummy!
It is a tricky one. Most people have been okay but a few have bundt pans with deep crevasses and those are sticking.
I just made this cake and had to try a piece right away , it was still warm so it was “wet’ so I get leaving it the 24 hours , but the taste was fantastic. I can not wait to try it when it sits till the morning. Yumm!!
Glad you like the flavour at least!
This looks delicious! My daughter’s birthday is coming up in a couple of days and I’m considering making this. She requested chocolate chip cake…Do you think I could add Lilly’s chocolate chips in the batter and have it taste okay?
Sure, that would be wonderful!
Absolutely fabulous cake!!!!!! Thank you so much for creating the recipe.
I made this today and it was glorious. I subbed the swerve with erythritol and reduced the quantity and it was fab. Only problem was I used a fancy rose patterned bundt tin and it refused to release the cake. Finally the cake broke but whatever it lacked in appearance it made up for in taste!
Oh no! Sorry yes. This one is a bit sticky so the more crevasses the bundt pan has, the more likely it is to stick.
Now I see this comment/answer! My pan is fluted as well and boy did it not want to come out. Man but was good! Even my skeptical of all things not made with reall stuff teenage niece gave it a thumbs up! Lol! She told her friends ‘Aunty broke the cake but it is good though’. Will be getting a new pan to try again! It’s an awesome cake!
How much erythritol did you use when you made it? I’m all out of swerve and have to drive over 30 min to get some!
I used two thirds the amount stated and a quarter cup for the syrup. But then I don’t have a sweet tooth so I always reduce the sugar in a recipe. Actually at two thirds I still found it a tad sweet.
Hi! I rarely buy Swerve in a store… I find it online and get it shipped to my house… I Google “Swerve,” then start looking for the cheapest prices… often Vitacost.com, Netrition.com and Luckyvitamins.com have it priced lower than $6 a bag…
I use erythritol & swerve 1:1
I thought the two were the same. I used ethritol. It’s so sweet that it hurts. And it wouldn’t come out of my Bundt either.
Anyone try freezing in slices? How would it hold up? My husband has been dying for old fashioned pound cake like my Grandma’s and this might do the trick!!
I would let it sit for a day. Then slice it up and freeze. Most of my almond flour creations freeze well.
I just made this cake today, after months of dreaming about it. I made it in an angel food pan with the bottom lined with parchment paper. It worked great, and the cake itself was heavenly. My husband was super impressed, and immediately begged me to cut it into slice-sized portions and freeze it because the temptation was too great. Like so many of your cakes, this one also freezes well in slices. I just took a slice out of the freezer and allowed it to defrost. Still delicious! Thank you for developing this amazing recipe. I am sure it will become a family favorite I make over and over again.
So glad you liked it, Linda!