This delicious keto lemon cake is a low carb copycat of the famous Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake. Delicious layers of almond flour cake with a lemony cream filling and a tender crumb garnish. How can you resist?
I am absolutely delighted to re-introduce you to my Keto Lemon Cream Cake. It’s been a long time coming, but trust me, the wait was worth it!
I created this recipe back in the good old days, when keto was hardly a twinkle in people’s eyes. While I was firmly low carb at the time, I hadn’t even heard the word ketogenic. And it certainly wasn’t the wildly popular diet it is now.
But 10 years ago, a reader asked for a low carb version of Olive Garden’s Lemon Cream Cake. It was no longer on their menu but I was able to find other copycat recipes upon which to base my sugar free version.
And it quickly became on of my most popular keto cake recipes.
Keto Lemon Layer Cake
This really is a perfect cake for lemon lovers. It features two tender layers of vanilla sponge cake, with a creamy lemon filling and a lemon scented crumb pressed into the sides.
For the updated version, I simplified the cake layers, eliminating some unnecessary ingredients like xanthan gum and stevia extract. I also baked it in two 8-inch cake pans so that I could skip the step of splitting one layer with a knife. I’ve never been very good at that and my layers always end up uneven.
The filling is similar to my original recipe as well. But this time, to stay true to the original Olive Garden version, I put my crumb garnish around the outside of the cake and sprinkled the top with powdered sweetener.
It really is the perfect keto lemon cake!
How to make keto lemon cream cake
This cake isn’t difficult to make, although it does have several individual components and dirties more than a few bowls. It’s a great baking project for a day off. Here’s how it’s done:
- Bake the cake layers. This is an almond flour vanilla cake, and the execution is quite simple. I used only egg whites so that the cake would be lighter in both color and texture.
- Prepare the lemon cream filling. The filling is a combination of cream cheese frosting and whipped cream to make it light and airy. It uses both lemon zest and lemon juice for flavor.
- Prepare the crumb garnish. The crumbs on the outside of the Olive Garden cake is what makes it so unique. I used lemon zest to give them a little more tanginess.
- Assemble the cake. Make sure to reserve some of the cream filling to spread on the sides of the cake so that the crumbs stick. The dust the top of the cake with some powdered sweetener.
- Slice and serve!
Tips for the crumb garnish
Use your hands when adding a garnish like sprinkles, nuts, or crumbs to the sides of a cake. Set the cake on a serving platter over a clean work surface.
Turn the cake as you gently press handfuls of the crumbs into the frosted sides. If you happen to have a cake turntable, you can use that to help you turn the cake evenly.
Scoop up any crumbs that fall onto the work surface and gently apply those to the sides of the cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you would prefer to use coconut flour, try making the cake layers with my Keto Chantilly Cake. Simply spread the batter in two cake pans, rather than three. It will take a little longer to bake through.
Yes, you can but your cake will be a little more dense and yellow in color. Use only 3 eggs to replace the 4 egg whites.
The cake layers will work with any granulated sweetener but do be forewarned that allulose can make them very dark on the outside. The frosting requires a powdered sweetener, and some of them are 2 times as sweet so please read your labels.
You can make this cake a day or two ahead of serving it, but I wouldn’t recommend any longer than that. The cream filling is best when fresh.
I can’t see why not! It will make 10 to 12 cupcakes.
Storage instructions
Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve, as the cream filling softens easily.
Store any leftovers in the fridge and cover the cut sides with plastic wrap to keep the cake from drying out.
More delicious keto lemon recipes
- Sugar Free Lemon Curd
- Easy Keto Lemon Muffins
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Keto Lemon Cream Pie
- Sugar Free Frosted Strawberry Lemonade
- Keto Lemon Sugar Cookies
Keto Lemon Cream Cake
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 2 1/4 cups (240 g) almond flour
- 1/3 cup (36 g) unflavored whey protein powder, or egg white protein powder)
- 2 1/2 tsp (2.5 tsp) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (136.5 g) Swerve Granular
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup (59.15 g) water
Lemon Cream Filling
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup (136.5 g) powdered Swerve Sweetener, divided
- 1 1/2 tbsp (1.5 tbsp) grated lemon zest
- 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 cup (178.5 g) heavy whipping cream
Crumb Garnish
- 1/3 cup (35 g) almond flour
- 3 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp) butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) vanilla extract
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease 2 round metal 8-inch cake pans. Line with parchment and grease the parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until lightened and fluffy. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla until well combined.
- Beat the almond flour mixture into the butter mixture in two additions, alternating with 1/4 cup water. If the batter is very thick, beat in the additional water.
- Divide between the prepared cake pans and spread to the edges. Smooth the tops and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown and the tops are firm to the touch.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pans.
Lemon Cream Filling
- Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in 1/2 cup of the powdered sweetener, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice and until well combined.
- In another bowl beat the cream with the remaining sweetener until it holds stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until well combined.
Crumb Garnish
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, and lemon zest. Add the melted butter and toss until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
To assemble
- Place 1 layer of cake on a serving platter. Set aside 1/2 cup of the cream filling and spread the remaining filling over the cake.
- Top the filling with the second cake layer, then spread the 1/2 cup of reserved cream filling over the sides of the cake.
- Using your hands, gently press the crumb garnish over the sides of the cake. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sweetener and refrigerate 1 hour to firm up.
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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So delicious! I love all these deserts you create that are healthy and/or keto friendly! It’s so satisfying to be able to have a dessert I can actually enjoy without feeling so guilty! Your desserts are always so good. Love this lemon cream cake!
I had a package of Swerve in my pantry that I wanted to use so I was happy to find this recipe. Though I have to say, I was even happier when it turned out SO good. The lemon flavor was just subtle and worked perfectly with the almond flour. Thank you.
This is so yummy!
Thank you!
I used the cake part of this to cook on top of some rhubarb and strawberries that I had cooked down with some alluose … we had it with fresh whipped cream last night and it was fanbtastic.
I’ll make the lemon cake some time in the future.
Totally exquisitely delicious!! Made this today and every bite was scrumptious! The moist sponge cake texture with the perfectly sweet and tart lemon cream filling, accompanied by the crumb mixture was over-the-top outstanding! Rather than putting the cream filling on the sides, I used it as a topping crowned by the crumb mixture since the side application,requires more dexterity than I have patience for. Not as pretty as yours, but it did not detract from the taste at all. This is another BIG winner for a delectable dessert! I am curious if you think this could work if switched out with orange juice and zest? I am missing orange cake on Keto. Regardless, the lemon cream is superb!
This is my favorite cake recipe, and my printout of the original recipe is well stained! The only tweak I do is to add lemon zest to the cake, too.
Can’t wait to try the new version, and not having to slice the cake horizontally will be a godsend. But really, who can be satisfied with 1/12 of a cake this good? If I did my math correctly, 1/8 of the cake is 6.45 net grams of carbs, in case anyone besides me is interested. But even if you don’t care, this dessert can proudly be served to non keto eaters, and they will be impressed.
Thanks, Eric. I think you will love the updated version.
Your original Lemon cream recipe in 2016 (which had rave reviews) used to have yogurt, almond milk, baking soda, and about half the amount of butter in the ingredients listed for the cake part….may I know the reason why recipe has now been drastically changed ??
Because this is much better, less dense, more cake-like.
Beautiful slice, amazingly arranged ! This is a keeper for all the lemon lovers !
How many grams of sugar per serving?
No idea. But I am sure you can find an online calculator for that.
Delicious!!!! Made this today. Used some of the “icing” on top as well in lieu of powdered sugar. Oh so good! Will be a family repeat recipe now!
So glad you like it! It was fun to update the old cake.
Where do you get the crumbs from?
You make them. Please read the recipe carefully and you will see.
I wanted to make this, but could not find UNFLAVORED whey protein. I would have tried vanilla, but at $27.99 for the smallest container, I didn’t want to chance it. Could the whey protein be omitted? Or, will vanilla change it much?
Vanilla will change it too much. Your best bet is Amazon… https://amzn.to/3lRxXSa
This cake is a smash hit every time I make it. Everyone loves it, even folks who don’t do low carb! Thank you for this and all the other FANTASTIC recipes you share, Carolyn!
I actually made this twice today and both times it sunk minutes after taking it out of the oven. Do u know why this keeps happening? Is this normal?
It’s not fully baked through. Are you using the protein powder?
I used Isopure Protein powder (unflavoured). Baked it 35 mins exactly. It was browned on the top, dry inside (no wet batter). Should I bake longer?
And yes, I made no substitutions… Followed exactly as written:). Would love to get this cake down cuz its really really delicious!
I chose this cake recipe to make for our weekly Domino game night and I got rave reviews. It was delicious and made a grand appearance covered in almond. and lemons slices. This has been added to our favorite desert recipes.
When I was a child my mom’s friend made an oatmeal cake with a broiled icing on top (like the German chocolate frosting, pecans and coconut). It is an all time favorite of mine and would love to have a thm version!!!