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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So Sunday I had ten minutes to get out the door to church, still hungry and needing a snack for between SS and Church when everybody else is eating High carb cakes with yummy icing. so I made a muffin in a minute, with a nod to this cake by using baking blend, baking powder, egg white, and lemon drop flavoring and stevia. it was fairly dry so when I got home wit the remnant, I broke it up in the book, melted a heaping tsp of butter and a heaping tsp of powdered Pyure. which again, YOU inspired. that remnant was delicious. you’ve taught me a new way of thinking!
Cab we use unflavored isolate whey??
That should probably work.
This is THE BEST LC cake I have ever had. It tastes like a moist pound cake. My new fave desert.
Can I use Psylliym husk insteadtammi of Whey Protein?
No I think that would make it gummy and awful. If you must, just skip the protein powder. Egg white protein is a good replacement, though.
I made this for my uncles Birthday today. All I can say is we only have 4 pieces left. No one was the wiser that it was low carb It was a huge hit. Thank you for an amazing recipe
This looks so fluffy and delicious! I haven’t made a bunt cake in years, I’ll have to try this one out!
This is such a gorgeous recipe. I’m sort of new to lower-carb baking so I was wondering if you could help me out. Can Swerve be replaced with Monkfruit? It’s my favorite sweetener and I never get an after-taste with it. I know it’s typically sweeter than sugar so I’m not sure how that replacement would work!
What brand of monk fruit are you using? And how does it equate to sugar in sweetness?
Well Carolyn I have to say I’m SMH as I read some of the rude comments readers post. I just don’t get it. The service you provide is spectacular and the price ain’t bad either.
I made this cake today. Having lived in so cal my whole life I’ve never had or known a Kentucky butter cake. Holy cow. Decadent is the word. I ate tooooo much of the batter (raw from mixing bowl) because it was smelling so darn good. Made it according to recipe, bought a new bundt pan and baked it 50 min. Flipped it over while warm and the cake came out beautiful and perfect. Sliced a piece without letting it cool and it is just perfection. Butter sauce, forget about it, pushed my cake over the edge, it’s so good. Serving as a strawberry shortcake Friday night for family. Thank you for all that you do for us! Another killer recipe!
Thanks, Anne!
Anne, you are so right. I hate reading the thoughtless comments on this blog. For all the wonderful recipes she shares with us for nothing. You said what a lot of us think!
Made this cake Saturday and took it to the family Easter celebration. No one could believe it was sugar free and low carb. Everyone loved it. Mine did stick a little to the pan (and I buttered the heck out of it!), but it still looked pretty good and tasted great! I think I should’ve let it cool another hour before trying to get it out of the pan. Anyway, won’t stop me from making it again. Absolutely delicious! Another winner, Carolyn.
I have made this cake 4 times now and every time it has received rave reviews. I will say that I thaw frozen mixed (unsweetened) berries, add a little powdered Swerve and spoon that on the cake. The syrup from the thawed berries is so good on the cake. And of course, top with whipped cream! Thanks for this easy, incredibly delicious recipe!
I feel I wanted to add bourbon, would I just replace the water in the recipe with alcohol?
Yes, that should work.
I made this today for Easter and had a bite already. OMG it is WONDERFUL!!! Thank you so much for this recipe. I do count total carbs though so this is 18g a slice for me but much much lower than an other Easter dessert normally served. 🙂
So glad you like it. As someone who tests her sugar, though, I can tell you that erythritol has virtually zero impact.
I have been looking for a way to change grandma’s rum cake to a healthy one and didn’t know how and you have done it for me! I substituted spiced rum for the water in the batter and the glaze. I love it! Thanks!
~Kristen A
Glad it worked out for you!
Oh my gosh, could some kind of coffee cake be made with this?
I am going to make this according to your recipe – but then I also would like to make choc cupcakes out of it. Could that be done by adding cocoa?
I made this yesterday. I used an angel cake (tube pan) with the removable center. There’s so much butter in this cake, it didn’t stick at all. I used Pam spray and a sprinkling of the almond flour to coat the pan. The cake seemed really dense. I loved the flavor, but my husband said there was an aftertaste. Others mentioned an aftertaste to the sweetener (used Swerve, as stated). I didn’t notice the aftertaste. I can’t wait to try it today after I sliced half of it and put the slices in a covered container. Thank you for the recipe.
Some people do have an aftertaste from Swerve and some don’t. I don’t and that’s why I use it.