Lemon poppy seed cake is a classic dessert and perfect for Spring. This bundt cake recipe is low carb and grain free so it fits in well with your healthy keto diet. Now with an instructional video!
I first made this keto lemon poppy seed cake WAYYYYY back in 2013. It was delicious back then and has stood the test of time, with many copycat recipes. So I decided to give it a shiny new update, with brand new photo and a how-to video. Ready for one of the most delicious sugar-free cakes you will ever eat?
What do you think of when you think of lemon poppy seed muffins, or any poppyseed recipe really? I can’t help it, I instantly think of the episode of Seinfeld where Elaine tests positive for opium after eating poppy seed muffins.
In typical Seinfeld fashion, the scenario seems utterly ludicrous and you think it can’t possibly be true. But apparently it is actually possible to test for opiates from eating a few poppy seed-containing baked goods.
And people have been fired, suspended and denied employment because of it. So I suppose this low carb lemon poppy seed bundt cake recipe ought to come with a warning. Do not eat prior to taking a drug test! If your employment requires regular, surprise drug tests…well, I can’t help you there.
How to Make Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
I love bundt pans for their instant elegance. Bundt cakes hardly need any decoration at all, they look so perfect as is. A little drizzle of glaze or a sprinkling of powdered sweetener is all you need.
But it turns out that I have a very similar recipe in The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen. I did that one as a Lemon Poppy Seed Bread and you could easily bake this recipe in a loaf pan if you prefer. They really take about the same time to bake.
Almond flour is your best choice for a big bundt cake like this one, as it produces the finest results. You always want to choose finely ground blanched almond flour for keto cakes.
Why protein powder? I get this question all the time so I will just head it off at the pass and answer it here. Because gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein helps keto baked goods rise and hold their shape. You can use egg white protein if you prefer.
If you really are in danger of having a drug test thrust upon you, try substituting chia seeds in place of the poppy seeds. The carb count will be roughly the same.
Lemon zest is vital to the flavor. The freshly grated zest of a lemon provides so much of that tart-sweet lemony flavor, so don’t skip it!
Vanilla extract and lemon extract together. Lemon extract can be a little harsh and have a bitter flavor, but it plays really nicely with vanilla, which tones it down a bit. I like to use both in this lemon poppy seed cake recipe.
Room temperature ingredients! Remember to let your butter, eggs and water all come to room temp before proceeding. It defeats the purpose of creaming softened butter with sweetener, if you then add cold eggs. All your lovely butter will clump up again!
What about Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins? Yes, friends, you can absolutely make muffins with this recipe. Just divvy it up into your muffin cups, and try to use parchment or silicone liners. Your bake time will probably be about 25 minutes but start watching them at 20, just in case.
If you’re a lemon dessert lover, you are going to adore this low carb Lemon Poppy Seed Cake, I assure you. It’s tender and sweet, with a spectacular lemon flavor. What could be better?
More Delicious Keto Lemon Recipes
Lemon is perfect for spring and Easter, and I’ve got quite a collection of low carb lemon recipes!
Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- 3 tbsp poppy seeds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cup Swerve Sweetener, or granulated erythritol
- 3 large eggs, (room temperature)
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract , (up to 1 tsp if you like strong lemon flavor)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup water
Glaze:
- 1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener, or powdered erythritol
- Fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
- For the cake, preheat the oven to 325F and grease a bundt pan very well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until well combined. Beat in the eggs, scraping down the beaters and the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the lemon zest, lemon extract, and vanilla extract.
- Beat half of the almond mixture in, then beat in the water. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
- Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until top is deep golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For the glaze, whisk together the powdered Swerve and lemon juice until smooth. If too thin, add a bit more powdered Swerve. If too thick, at a bit more liquid (water or lemon juice).
- Drizzle glaze over the cooled cake.
Notes
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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Can you use hemp protein powder in place of the whey? Thanks
Yes, but most hemp protein is green. That will discolour your cake.
ok thanks
I made this cake last night and I love it! I substituted the poppy seeds for chia seeds, and a half cup of coconut flour fora cup of the almond flour. It came out wonderful!
I had some trouble with the glaze because I didn’t have confectioners zylitol. I used the granulated blend with lemon juice and it came out runny and not so good. I will be trying to create a lemon glaze to match this lovely cake. Nice recipe!
I just made this cake. SO GOOD. I melted some coconut oil and added lemon juice and the sugar substitute and simmered it a bit. Poured that on top so it’s slightly different from the glaze and still fantastic. Thanks for bringing a favorite flavour back to my life, grain-free.
So glad you liked it!
Hi, I just made this for my mother. But when I added the eggs it looked like all that beautiful creamed butter was separating. Should I have used room temp eggs? I hope it still comes out good and like a cake. What do you think?
It’s always best to use room temp eggs, but don’t despair. As you beat in the almond flour mixture, it should help redistribute the butter.
This looks great! I prefer muffins. Any changes you would suggest?
What is erythritol? who makes it? and where would I buy it?
Erythritol is a naturally occurring substance found in fruits and fermented foods. There are a number of brand names for it and my favorite is Swerve. You can purchase it in many stores nationwide or online http://www.swervesweetener.com/103.html
Thank you….I guess a brand name might help me find what I’m looking for….isn’t Swerve online only?
No, it’s in many stores, including Whole Foods, HEB, and Stop & Shop. Check out their store locater, that might help.
What the heck – I went ahead and did it. I used a half cup of the powdered erythritol. It didn’t really ‘cream’ with the butter, leaving a mixture that was pretty dry and granular, but I added the almond milk and the mixture creamed in the usual way. The cake turned out fine, aside from the fact that I didn’t grease the pan enough. A few chunks didn’t make it out, but hey, they have no calories when eaten above the sink, right?
This is the best comment I’ve read all day. I will eat EVERYTHING above the sink from now on.
Hi Carolyn,
I find myself out of erythritol crystals. Could I substitute with powdered? Could you give me some general guidance on this substitution, not just for this recipe? Thanks,
WOW!!! This recipe is just wonderful!! I’ve tried sooo many low carb cake recipes and this is the absolute best!!! Thank you Carolyn…I’ll be trying more of your recipes, they all look delicious!
Thanks, Lisa!
One of the most successful GF recipes I’ve made, I can actually say, you don’t have to be GF to eat this or serve it to friends. Really good. I only had vanilla whey protein so I used that, and added a little vanilla, as I am crazy for it!
Made this last night and put glaze over top this morning. I subbed hemp seed protein powder for the whey (I don’t like whey protein) and it is AMAZING! I was worried that it would stick to the bundt pan but it fell away no problem. Sticking to pans often such a pain when baking using alternative ingredients. I think this grain free, low glycemic cake is the truest to regular cake that I have ever tasted. For some reason, it tastes a lot lighter than other almond flour baked goods. Carolyn, do you find the same thing? And if so, any reason why – maybe the hemp seed? I’ve never used it in baking before.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe – my family thanks you!
Yes, they come out the pan surprisingly well and it’s not super-dense cake. I think it’s the protein, either whey or hemp or whatever you want to use! 🙂
I’m glad you posted this Carla, as I was about to ask if I could sub hemp protein for the whey. I do find the green colour of the hemp protein a bit of a challenge to use in baking..unless it’s St. Paddies Day of course 🙂
I just made this. It is AMAZING! I may have to put it under lock and key and give the key to someone to hide so I don’t eat it all. It is currently taking all my self control to not declare a lemon poppy seed bundt cake eating contest against myself and just shove my face in and chow down. Great recipe! Thanks so much!
Do you have to refrigerate this?
No, as long as it doesn’t last more than 3 days.
Hi! I was wondering if it would be ok to use Soy Protein (Isolate) instead of Whey Protein in your cake recipes?
Good question, Maria.
All I have is brown rice protein powder, and wondered if that could be used in place of the whey protein powder.
How many g of protein per 1/4 cup does the rice powder have? It will work, as long as we make sure it’s got about the same amount of protein to help give the cake structure.
This is baking in the oven as I type… I don’t know anything lemon/poppy seed flavour but it has been haunting me since I first read it! I got almost to the end before realizing I didn’t have almond milk (could I make my own by whizzing almonds with water and straining it or would that be something totally different?) so I used heavy cream in stead…. Can’t wait!!!!
Thanks for the brilliant recipes 🙂 Could you advise me on a pastry to use for savoury pies?? Am English and missing them. Thanks and best regards from dreary Amsterdam x
okay… I have but one thing to say…YUM!!! I had to go to bed last night before it was fully cooled off so I just had a piece for breakfast ^_^ delish! I do think the middle was slightly underdone (though did stand up to the poke test, knife came out clean) as it’s a lot more moist than the rest but even no-lo-carb hubby tasted it and said it was nice, high praise indeed from someone who generally doesn’t like cake. Oh, by the way, I ground my own almonds (both blanched and not) in my blender and it goes very fine, much more so than any store bought as yet. And I bought my poppy seeds at the Moroccan supermarket for around one euro fifty for a 100 grams.
What is the purpose of the stevia extract drops if using Swerve? Is Swerve not sweet enough or do they compliment each other?