Classic yellow cake gets a healthy low carb makeover. And it’s made in miniature so it’s just the right size! Top it all off with a decadent chocolate buttercream for a special treat.
Anybody who knows me knows I can get a little obsessive about things. A little, a lot, you know, what’s the difference? It doesn’t become all-consuming, I can put whatever my little obsession du jour is away in its own compartment and manage to function pretty well. But it stays there, quietly poking and prodding me, reminding me of its existence until I am ready to let it out again. This happens a lot with recipes and recipe ideas. I may be looking you in the eye and chatting about any number of things, the weather, our kids, current events. I may seem completely present in the moment. But really I am mulling over a recipe idea in my head, thinking how to make it work, what ingredients to use, and what I want it to look like. I just can’t help myself.
Such is the case with these adorable low carb mini cakes for two. This first one, a classic yellow cake with chocolate frosting, was so fun to make and so perfectly delicious, I almost immediately embarked on making a second one of a different flavour. And now I am completely obsessed. I am already scheming what flavours I want to do for my third, my fourth, and probably my 18th too. Maybe even a 100th. There is no shortage of ideas here and I am determined to make them all. I hope you join me on my crazy mini cake journey.
I typically make large cakes that feed 12 or more because that’s what bakers do. Go big or go home, right? But I also receive a lot of requests for smaller desserts, ones that feed just one or two people. I confess, I didn’t see the attraction for a long time because if something is delicious, why wouldn’t you want MORE of it? And more and more and more? But then I realized that this is dangerous territory. If you don’t have a large family to feed or an event to go to, a large amount of delicious and very tempting food can lead you astray. It may be low carb if you have a proper serving size, but it’s no longer so if you can’t help but eat half the cake in one go. And I pride myself that my cakes and desserts are so tempting, you are always going to want seconds.
Let me be clear that this is not a mug cake in disguise. I did not cook it in the microwave, I baked it properly in the oven. Although I did my second mini cake, a seriously chocolate-y affair, in our convection/toaster oven, to avoid heating up the whole kitchen. That worked very well too. I used ceramic ramekins of a larger size (4 inches in diameter, 1 cup capacity), similar to these NorPro ramekins, and greased them well with coconut oil spray, and my little layers just fell right out perfectly. You could also use little 4-inch cake pans as well.
Now, I do call this a cake for two but it is rich enough that it could serve three to four. I ate a quarter at a time, topped with a little low carb ice cream, and it was just the right amount for dessert. But the point of these mini cakes is that if you did fall prey to temptation and found yourself eating the whole thing…you really wouldn’t do much damage in the end!
Classic Yellow Cake for Two
Ingredients
Yellow Cake:
- 7 tablespoon almond flour
- 2 tablespoon Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tablespoon unflavored whey protein powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon butter melted
- 1 large egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Frosting:
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tablespoon whipping cream room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 325F and grease 2 4-inch ramekins or mini cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, whey protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the melted butter, egg, and vanilla until well combined.
- Divide mixture between the ramekins/pans and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until center is set and edges are just golden brown.
- Remove and let cool a few minutes in the pans and then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- In a medium bowl, beat together the cocoa powder and melted butter. Beat in powdered sweetener and vanilla extract.
- Beat in whipping cream one tablespoon at a time until a spreadable frosting consistency is achieved.
- Place one layer of cake on a small plate and spread the top with about ¼ of the frosting. Top with second layer of cake and spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. Let set in fridge 20 minutes, then get your honey-pie or your friend and dig in!
Notes
Total fat: 39.72g
Calories from fat: 357
Cholesterol: 84mg
Carbohydrate: 9.91g
Total dietary fiber: 4.63g
Protein: 10.91g
Erythritol: 30g
Cathy D says
Superb! Made it for my b-day last week. Very easy, and omg, so tasty (especially the frosting, lol). And, best of all, it’s small-batch, which is great since just Hubby and I are at home.
Marissa says
Would it work to bake it in one pan and then cut it in half once it’s done to make the 2 layers?
Carolyn says
No, they won’t bake through properly. Sorry!
Mindy says
Love this recipe! I’m hoping my 85 yr old father will love it too when he tries it tonight after his low carb dinner! Trying to teach an old dog new tricks takes some tricks…but I’m able to slip in treats and meals that will lower his carb intake and hopefully remove more of his 8 or so drugs. I’m sure dad will never know this cake is KETO friendly until I tell him!!
gloria guffey says
very good and just enough for snack
KC says
Thank you for all your hard work perfecting your recipes. I’m going to try this as the base for a keto chess cake this weekend for my hubby’s birthday. When I was a kid, (the non-keto version of) chess cake was my favorite. (We misheard the name back then, thinking it was “yes cake”, because no one could ever say no to having a piece). Lol.
Dee Dee says
This is my 2nd time making this mini cake and it is so delicious!!
Athiga says
Wow these came out wonderful and were super delicious. So glad to have found your website, your recipes are simple and delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.
Elizabeth says
This was just delicious. I made this into 4 cupcakes so I could have something to enjoy at a birthday party. I followed the recipe exactly except for the vanilla. I happened to have vanilla beans so I scraped one of those in to replace the extract. The texture is so spot on and the flavor was perfect. Everyone who tried it loved it and they are not LC.
Really felt like I was having a sugary cupcake treat. Thank you for a great recipe.
Donna says
Hi, I want to use your yellow cake mix to make the McCormick Rum Cake (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mccormick.com/recipes/dessert/easy-rum-cake%3Famp%3D1) but I’m not sure if I should double or triple or more of your cake mix recipe. Do you know how your recipe compares to the size of a regular boxed cake mix? Thanks.
Carolyn says
Don’t use this recipe. Use my Kentucky Butter Cake instead. 🙂
Donna says
Ok, thank you!
Lana McQuown says
Wow, this is so delicious and reminds me exactly of a yellow birthday cake. I made this as a trial before I made the larger one in your book, I shouldn’t have doubted you. I can’t be how great this turned out and I didn’t even add frosting. I did add vanilla protein powder instead of unflavored, but I can’t image it hurt the out come any because it was so good. Thanks for another fantastic recipe. Now onto the real deal.
Dee Dee says
Love…love…love it!! It smells so good and tastes so delicious!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Barbara L Chase says
I love your dessert recipes! Can you please provide a recipe for a full size yellow cake? My whole family is following the keto lifestyle. Also, I love the texture of the chocolate cake using apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Is that possible for this cake as well?
Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!!
Carolyn says
I have a full size one but it’s in my cookbook The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking.
Maria says
Can I use vanilla protein powder?
Carolyn says
Sure.