Rich and delicious low carb chocolate layer cake with whipped chocolate ganache. A heavenly keto dessert in miniature for you and a friend or two. Or just you. Sugar-free!
This is a little cake with a big name and it’s got big flavour to go along with it. I am really enamoured of these little cakes I’ve started making. This is the second in a series and there is a third one, a lemon cake, already made and waiting to be blogged. And I have many many ideas for making more. So many ideas that I think I could probably spend the rest of my life making mini cakes. Can you see it now? I could start a whole new blog: All Day I Dream About Mini Cakes.
I rather love the idea of remaking all of my best cake recipes into mini cakes for two. Which isn’t as simple as you’d think, just cutting the proportions down and throwing it altogether. It actually takes more work than that, since the proportions of larger recipes don’t always work out nicely into even amounts for a small cake. Eggs are the trickiest part, since there are usually only 3 or 4 eggs in a large cake. While I could always tell you to go and purchase pasteurized egg product and measure it out in tablespoons, where’s the fun in that? Besides which, many of these carton egg “products” aren’t real whole eggs and I typically avoid them. Instead, I use a whole egg and try to work around that to get a proper cake consistency.
This recipe is based on one of my favourite ever low carb chocolate cakes, my Chocolate Layer Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting. It’s a ridiculously chocolatey affair that I created for Swerve Sweetener a few years ago. I still look back on that cake fondly and have wanted to make it again. And now I have, except this time in miniature. Oh it’s so cute! And so delicious.
I’ve decided not to call this one a “cake for two”. I really found it rich and filling enough to amount to 3 or 4 servings. A quarter of the cake with a scoop of low carb vanilla ice cream was just perfect for dessert. While I am presenting the nutritional info for two servings, I know you can do the math if you cut it into more!
Looking for an easy chocolate cake that isn’t low carb? This Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring looks simply divine!
Chocolate Cake with Whipped Ganache Frosting for Two
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving Size | |
| Amount Per Serving | As Served |
| Calories 407 Calories from fat 321 | |
| % Daily Value | |
| Cholesterol 72mg | 24% |
| Carbohydrate 10.22 | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber 4.85g | 19% |
| Protein 10.71g | |
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:
| Calories | 2000 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fat | Less than | 65g |
| Sat Fat | Less than | 25g |
| Cholesterol | Less than | 300mg |
| Sodium | Less than | 2,400mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 300g | |
| Dietary Fiber | 25g | |
Rich and delicious low carb chocolate layer cake with whipped chocolate ganache. A heavenly little dessert in miniature for you and a friend or two. Or just you.
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 tbsp sunflower seed flour (or almond flour)
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tbsp unflavoured whey protein powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 1 ounce good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp confectioner's Swerve Sweetener
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 325F. Grease 2 (two) 4-inch ramekins or mini cake pans well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sunflower seed flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Whisk in butter, egg, and vanilla extract. If your batter is too thick to spread, whisk in a tablespoon of water.
- Divide between prepared baking dishes and bake 12 to 15 minute or until set. Let cool in pans. If your cake layers have humps, slice the tops off to make them flat and even.
Frosting:
- Place chopped chocolate and powdered sweetener in a medium bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat cream until just bubbling. Pour cream over chocolate and let sit a few minutes until melted. Add vanilla and whisk briskly to combine.
- Using electric beaters, beat several minutes on medium high until lighter coloured and fluffy.
- Place first cake layer on plate or serving dish and spread with half of the frosting. Top with second layer and spread top with remaining frosting.
Recipe Notes
Serves 2 to 4 (I find them very rich and am happy with only 1/4 of the cake). For two servings, each serving has 5.37g NET CARBS.
Food energy: 407kcal Calories from fat: 321 Cholesterol: 72mg Carbohydrate: 10.22g Total dietary fiber: 4.85g Protein: 10.71g Erythritol: 26.25g
What a cute cake! I think I’d probably eat it all myself though haha. Your frosting looks amazing too!
Fantastic…..cake for 2 to 4! My husband and I aren’t big dessert eaters and this will be about the right size for us!
I have been craving a rich chocolate cake with creamy frosting!
OMG – I made this and it is off the charts amazing!! I used two 4″x2″ mini springform pans and the size is perfect and there was no sticking! The frosting is divine and my hubby and I scarfed the entire cake down in one sitting. Yeah — two servings was just perfect for us!! Thanks Carolyn – you rock!!!
Wow, that was fast!!!
I just couldn’t wait — it looked so delicious and it WAS! 🙂
The mini cakes are genius! It’s just 2 of us, so they’re perfect, plus using smaller amounts of ingredients is a money saver. I’m hoping a mini carrot cake is on your list, and, because I got 4″ springform pans, maybe mini cheesecakes?
Working on both those ideas!
WOO HOO — was hoping for both of those. Thanks for asking P.J. 🙂
These look absolutely wonderful ! I am living solo, so this is perfect…..2 servings all for me, and not 8 to tempt me.
Thank you for sweetening up our lives Carolyn. Can’t wait to make this.
Wow, your cake looks amazing and is the perfect size. I will have to save this recipe for my anniversary.
Also thanks for including the link to the sunflower seed flour! I’ve never heard of it before and as someone with a tree nut allergy I think my mind just got blown. Ordering some now.
Sunflower seed flour is very useful. Two things to know…1. it’s easy to make your own https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2015/12/how-to-make-your-own-sunflower-seed-flour.html And 2. It reacts with baking powder and baking soda and can turn green in recipes that aren’t made with cocoa powder (which hides the greenness). You can offset this weird reaction with a tbsp or two of acid like lemon juice or vinegar.
Thanks for the warning! I definitely would have freaked out if it just turned green on me.
I already ordered a bag but I’ll keep your suggestion in mind for next time.
I only have egg white protein powder. Can this be substituted for the no flavor whey powder?
Yup, sure can!
I ended up making the yellow cake for 2 instead (and used the egg white protein) and it was fantastic. My boyfriend is not into my LCHF ways and he actually liked the cake. He didn’t know it was almond flour until I told him. The only goof up was I made the chocolate frosting too strong. I forget that he loves sugar, and I’ve been off sugar so it was sweet enough to me, but not for him. It is just the perfect size for 2 people and I don’t get stuck with leftovers.
Share this sinfully delicious-looking cakelet?
…You’re adorable.
#IWillBeHidingInTheBathroomEatingTheWholeThingIfYouNeedMe
I just made this little cake and it came out perfectly. I used a few blocks of Russell Stover’s sugar free milk chocolate to make an ounce for the ganache. It was soooo good, I ate half of it.
As a fellow Canadian, thanks Carolyn for your hard work and providing these recipes. I’ve been living a low carb and sugar free lifestyle for the last year and it was sort of getting mundane until I found your site. Thanks so much!
So glad you liked it!
I forgot to ask on my previous comment, is there a special brand of unsweetened chocolate you use for this recipe? could I use unsweetened baking chocolate next time? While my cake came out great for the first time, the icing wasn’t as thick as I wanted it to be even after mixing it for 5 minutes and following the recipe to a tee. I did put it in the fridge for a few hours which really helped. I have no complaints ( it looked and tasted great) but I’m thinking maybe it was the type of chocolate I used that affected the lack of thickness for the frosting.
I always use Ghirardelli 100%. It’s just unsweetened baking chocolate but I find it works better than Baker’s brand.
This looks so deliciously decadent. I love that it’s made for two. Sounds perfect for date night!
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for a small version of chocolate cake. I’m a sugar addict working on removing refined sugar from my diet…also thanks for the intro to Swerve. I’ve tried many sugar replacements and found swerve my brand of choice…for now. Honestly they need to work on pricing as .60 cents an oz. is a bit much for sweetener (IMHO).
The main purpose for this email is to get your opinion on your favorite chocolate frosting. I’m not a fan of ganache. I did prepare your recipe here and ended up scraping off the frosting…..sister thought it was absolutely to die for. Definitely will bake again, and again (until I can’t afford the swerve anymore! jk 🙂
I had planned to make the yellow cake for two (just for me) for my birthday. Well, my day came and went. But then when I saw this recipe for choc cake, I just had to try it.
Since a lot of the ingredients between the two cakes are the same I decided to just make both cakes at the same time. I don’t have a small pan so made cupcakes for each recipe (each recipe made 3 nice sized cupcakes).
What a treat. So decadent – I felt so spoiled.
Thanks for all you do to set us in the right direction.
Well Belated Happy Birthday! Glad that worked out so well!
Homaigod! Again, u are an amazing creature Carolyn. This one taste soooooo good, who needs to buy a chocolate cake anymore? As I didn’t have 4″ ramekin dish, I used a smaller one instead and got 2 miniature size choc cake. It still takes around 15 mins to bake. Thank u once again for being a life saver. U’re undoubtedly a food genius!
Thank you!
The protein powders are so expensive, is there something I can use in place if that’s? Thanks
In the absence of gluten, which is a protein, a dry protein powder helps the baked goods rise and hold their shape. They really aren’t that expensive if you plan on doing any amount of low carb baking, since a pound can last many months. You can skip it if you must but your baked good may not rise as well.
Thank you Carolyn, I really want to try this 😊
Hi,
My youngest has type 1 diabetes & my oldest has a severe tree nut and seed allergy. Your recipes sound so delicious. Are there any other flours that would work for us?
Yes, you can use sunflower seed flower and you can even make it yourself. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2015/12/how-to-make-your-own-sunflower-seed-flour.html
Unfortunately my oldest is also allergic to sunflower, poppy & sesame seeds. 🙁 Are there any other options?
Well, not for this specific recipe. However, I do have a coconut flour based chocolate cupcake recipe that he might like, as long as he can eat coconut flour. You can replace the almond milk with plain water. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2010/10/chocolate-coconut-flour-cupcakes-with-espresso-buttercream-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html
What is the substitute for the unsweetened protein powder?
There is no substitute. You can leave it out but your cakes may not rise as well.
Thank you
What is the substitue for the protein powder ?
Wow, this was so yummy!!!! I baked it slightly too long, so it was a tad bit on the dry side… but it was delicious nonetheless. I will be making it again and again!
Hi there! Can you use xanthum gum as a replacement for protein powder?
Thanks!
No, xanthan gum is a binder but it’s not protein so it won’t help things rise. You can leave it out if you need to.
The first dessert I made from your blog was the chocolate cake with whipped ganache. It was love at first bite. By far the best dessert! (coconut poke cake a close second) I make the full sized cake, slice it, and wrap the slices in saran wrap and freeze them. When you want one, pop it out of the freezer and let it thaw for 30 minutes. HEAVEN!
So glad you like it!
Can granulated Swerve ground in a coffee grinder be substituted for the confectioner’s Swerve?
You might not get it quite as fine but it’s worth a shot!
I see in the recipe that it calls for “Swerve” but in the Notes it says erithritol? Is Swerve erithritol?
Also, if I only have vanilla protein powder will it still work?
Kirsten Low carbing but missing my cake and frosting.
Yes, Swerve is erythritol (mostly) and yes, vanilla should work. Just leave out any additional vanilla.
It seems my cake comes out really dry regardless of how long I cook it. It tends to get done much quicker on outside edges while the middle is still gooey. Do you have a tip on how I can get it done all the way through without it being dry? Can I add more liquid? Love the cake!
Hi. Can i ask about whey protein. What role does it play in the recipe?. I’ve noticed it being used a lot, especially in low-carb baked goods. Just wondering. Thanks. (The cake will be a HUGE hit with the hubby!!)
Gluten is a protein and in its absence, you need a dry powdery protein to help baked goods rise and hold their shape.
hi… just a littlg thing, your nutritional values chart is based on the high carb low fat approach 🙂 wants people to eat 300 gr of carbs a day …
Yes, I realize that. It’s not something I can change, it comes with the recipe card.