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.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
My mom and I love this recipe. Can the unfrosted cake be frozen?
Absolutely! Wrap it up tightly.
Thank you! What about frosted?
This cake is so delicious! It’s every bit as good or better than it’s sugary, glutinous predecessor. Thank you for this recipe!
This is hands down my favorite keto cake and pretty close to my favorite of all cakes. I have made plenty of times for people who are not low carb and they wouldn’t have known if I didn’t tell them. The process is worth it and the consistency and flavors are on point. I’ve never made a recipe from Carolyn that I didn’t like, which I greatly appreciate as the ingredients can be expensive so having confidence in these recipes is amazing. Try this one out, you won’t regret it!
Amazing! Your recipes always deliver! I can count on them turning out and are all very good.
Made this for a birthday in 3@6” pans and it looked and tasted so delicious.
I made this recipe as 18 cupcakes. Yummy portion control. As usual, your recipe was spot on. I didn’t change anything. Thank you for your hard (expensive) work to give us amazing options.
Would you mind sharing your baking time for the cupcakes, please? TIA!
16 slices from an 8″ cake pan?
Yup. Please google “how many people does an 8-inch cake serve” and you will see it is anywhere between 12 and 24 portions. If that seems small to you, you may want to consider the fact that American portions served at restaurants are part of what is contributing to the obesity epidemic.
At 16 slices, each slice is over 300 calories. Don’t you think that’s enough for dessert? 🙂
Swerve- is this using their new or old product?
This is the old version as this recipe is quite old… you can still use it in the frosting but I might use something else in the cake
can i use something other than heavy cream, like 1/2 and 1/2 maybe?
Do you have to use coconut. Any substitute suggestions
Unfortunately, it’s pretty integral to the texture and consistency.
I have made this twice. First time it came out amazing! But this second time it did not rise for some reason? I used 8inch pans, added every ingredients and followed the directions. Not sure what happened? It still taste good but it just isn’t what I remember it looking like when I made it last time. They are really flat.
Do you know what could possibly have happened to not make it rise?
Could be your brand of almond flour or baking powder… or the pans. Or the weather! Welcome to the wonderful world of baking, where every single element is an issue. Did your egg whites whip up properly? Did you use the cream of tartar? They may have deflated when you folded everything together…
Hello! I am allergic to almonds. Can another type of flour be substituted? I love your recipes! Thank you!
Yes, but… 🙂 So you can try sunflower seed flour but I need to walk you through it a bit. The chlorophyll in sunflower seeds reacts with baking powder to have a green reaction, so that as the baked goods cool, they turn green. Weird but true. But you can offset this with a little acid. Try adding 2 tbsp of lemon juice to the batter if you use sunflower seed flour.
It was so delicious. My daughter made this, and all of her guests were quite impressed.
Great to hear!
Hello,
Could Greek yogurt or mayo or sugar free instant pudding mix be added to boost moisture for the cake?
Should it be stored in fridge? Or, is it ok at room temp?
Sorry I did not see your message in time. Fridge is best.
What is the cooking time if I wanted to bake this in 6 inch pan instead of 8 inch. I’d like to use 3-6 inch pants instead of 2-8 inch.
Sorry, I really can’t say since I didn’t make mine that way. You will need to keep your eye on it.
Hi Carolyn. Do you think I can use Coconut Chips instead of shredded?
It won’t have the right texture. But you could try to make them finer by grinding them up first.