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 tbsp almond flour
- 2 tbsp Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tbsp unflavored whey protein powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Frosting:
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 2 tbsp powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tbsp 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 tbsp 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 1/4 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
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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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.
Love…love…love it!! It smells so good and tastes so delicious!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
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!!
I have a full size one but it’s in my cookbook The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking.
Can I use vanilla protein powder?
Sure.
This recipe is fantastic and the cake size is perfect! Thanks so much for creating this.
Thank you!
Will I be able to make and then freeze this little cake for a few days?
How about the frosting?
I can wait till after de-frosting if necessary
Thanks
I frosted and froze mine and it was delicious. I chamged the frosting up a bit and used xylitol. It tasted like a Pepperidge farm freezer cake. Love this recipe!
I usually recommend frosting AFTER you thaw it.
Hey Carolyn!
What does the whey protein do for the cake? Taste or texture?
Thank you,
Helen Thompson
Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein helps baked goods rise and hold their shape.
I loved this cake. It was a perfect size and so easy to make. My only change was the sweetener because I prefer blending swerve with some sucralose. Lovely and delicious. Thank you.
I made this. It was really good. Who would think such a small cake would be so satisfying. I will definitely make it again. It tastes like the cake I remember before keto. Thanks for another great recipe.
This is so cute for a romantic night at home or to make the kids feel special on their birthdays!
What a cute little cake! We’re cutting back on carbs, so this recipe perfect for a little splurge.
This is perfect!! It really is a classic cake & always a favorite! Love that it’s the perfect size, just when you are wanting something sweet!
This cake is so so cute! I really love making the 2 portion serving and eating it all! HA!
So easy and delicious – I love that I can enjoy cake again!
I love everything about all these recipes except for Swerve. Am I the only one that thinks it’s super yucky? I like to use Trim Healthy Mama’s Gentle Sweet. It tastes like REAL honest to goodness sweetener. Swerve just has a harsh earthy taste and isn’t very sweet. I wonder what the equivilate would be for the two?
As the president of Swerve says herself… every palate is different. I get ZERO aftertaste or cooling sensation from Swerve but I don’t like the aftertaste of the gentle sweet.
OMG this is so adorable!