Classic Italian Cream Cake goes low carb and keto! This rich layer cake is a truly special dessert recipe, and it’s worth the time and effort.
Some recipes make me do the happy dance. And this keto Italian Cream Cake is one of those recipes. I really am quite excited to bring this one to you today as it is seriously fantastic. I rank it up there among my best cake recipes, easily.
So here’s the deal. As most of you know, I’ve been hard at work on a keto dessert cookbook. Easy Keto Desserts will be coming out on July 3rd and I am so excited about that one. Because let’s be honest, that’s where my heart lies. Creating healthy low carb desserts just makes me happy. And apparently it makes a lot of you happy too. But the recipes in that book are, obviously, on the “easier” side of things. They are delicious treats you can whip up without a whole lot of effort and without getting out every pan and whisk in your kitchen. They are still creative and innovative, but they aren’t overly complicated.
And while I know many of you will appreciate that, I actually have a bit of a thing for more complicated desserts – the kind that really do have you getting out multiple bowls and beaters and whisks. The sort that has every cupboard open and every spare surface of kitchen counter covered. When I have the time for them, I really love those recipes…just burrowing into my kitchen and losing myself in the creation of something delicious.
I’d never heard of Italian Cream Cake before I moved to the US. It’s just not a Canadian thing…and with good reason. It’s actually not really Italian at all, but instead a kind of vintage southern cake recipe. But regardless of origins, it’s an astonishingly good cake and makes for a perfect low carb makeover. I realized it was perfect as a recipe to showcase Bob’s Red Mill products, because I would not only be using almond flour, but also their unsweetened shredded coconut and a little coconut flour as well. I always rely on their low carb flours and meals, as I know they will produce excellent results. And they came through for me as always!
How to Make Keto Italian Cream Cake
One thing I would do differently for this cake, however, is use smaller 8 inch pans. At the time of creation, I only had 9 inch round pans. They worked just fine but the layers weren’t as high and impressive looking as I would have liked – the cake was rather wide and squat-looking…but the amazing flavour more than made up for it. If you choose to use 8 inch pans, the baking time will be longer, of course. My guess is anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes longer. This is a big, rich cake, so whether you bake it in 9 inch pans or 8 inch pans, it serves about 16 people.
So here’s to easy desserts and here’s to complicated desserts. They both have a place in my heart!
Want more amazing keto cake recipes? Check out my new Keto Desserts page. All recipes under 7g TOTAL carbs!
Love to bake? You need this cookbook!
Low Carb Italian Cream Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 4 large eggs, room temperature, separated
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tsp vanilla , extract
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
Garnish
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut, lightly toasted
- 2 tbsp chopped pecans, lightly toasted
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease two 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pans very well (the 8 inch pans will take a little longer to cook but the layers will be higher and I think they will look better). Line the pans with parchment paper and grease the paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sweetener until well combined. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the heavy cream and vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, whisk together the almond flour, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat into the butter mixture until just combined.
- In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they hold stiff peaks. Gently fold into the cake batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and spread to the edges. Bake 35 to 45 minutes (or longer, depending on your pans), until the cakes are golden on the edges and firm to the touch in the middle.
- Remove and let cool completely in the pans, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment from the layers if it comes out with them.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Beat in the sweetener and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Slowly add the heavy whipping cream until a spreadable consistency is achieved.
To Assemble
- Place the bottom layer on a serving plate and cover the top with about 1/3 of the frosting. Add the next layer and frost the top and the sides.
- Sprinkle the top with the toasted coconut and pecans. Refrigerate at least half an hour to let set.
Video
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 I make this cake a day in advance? Thank you
Sure!
The sweetener for the cake, should that be powdered or granulated?
Granular
I don’t own a stand mixer. Can I use a hand mixer?
May I ask why you opted not to add protein powder to this cake? (I recently watched your youtube video on the importance of protein powder, so I feel curious.) Is it just that you wanted a denser texture?
This one isn’t more dense because of the whipped egg whites.
hope this isnt a second review from myself but i love this on keto for my epilepsy <3
Thanks, Jeremiah! Glad it helps.
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but wanted to ask if there is a substitute for Swerve that can be used in your recipes? Erythritol does a number on my stomach that takes days to overcome. I do great with Monk Fruit, but I’m never sure how to make the conversion or if the conversion would even work due to moisture issues or whatever. You have so many delicious looking dessert recipes I would love to try!
You really need a granular sweetener for this. You could try allulose or BochaSweet but keep in mind that allulose will brown the cake more quickly.
The cake looks delicious! Can’t wait to make it! Is the carb count of 5.7g net carbs or do I still need to deduct the 2.4g of fiber to calculate net carbs?
5.7g is the total without counting any erythritol.
Such a treat! Yummy 😋
Only I keep replacing pecans with Hazelnuts as they are my favourite.
Thanks so much for the recipe!!
I love this cake and have made it many times using the exact recipe. However, my very favorite cake is a black walnut cake which also contains coconut. Well substituting the pecans for black walnuts is amazing. Thank you Caroline for all your recipes- you’re the best!
This cake is moist, and the frosting is creamy and delicious. I made this for my sons homecoming from his Navy deployment. I made it ahead and we cut into on day 4. It was superb!! My family raved about it and couldn’t believe it was a Keto recipe. Thanks Caroline for an excellent recipe.
Is there a different flour besides almond that I can use with this? My husband is allergic to tree nuts.
Not really for this recipe.
Oh My Gosh! This is one of the best keto deserts I have made. A little time consuming but more than worth it.
Scrumptious!! I think this is my favorite keto/low carb cake recipe so far. My husband who can eat anything – has no diet restrictions – loves this cake!!!
I’m about to make this for about the 20th time. It’s the most “real” tasting cake I’ve had on keto. I appreciate all the recipes here!
Can you use garden of life pea protein in place of whey?
Probably… I don’t use it myself. Make sure it’s not green in colour.
Can you use cashew flour instead?
See my response to your other comment! 🙂