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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This looks amazing! Just one question… How many servings is the nutritional info based on? I’m afraid I could easity overeat this!
Nutritional information is always for a single serving.
I missed this the first time too. Until my second read, when I caught where Carolyn states that it searves up to 16 people. So the nutritional info appears based on 1/16 of the cake.
This was amazing. My family really enjoyed it. Looking forward to your new book. Thank you. Rob
I am allergic to pecans…I think the recipe would work just fine without them. What do you think, or what would you substitute?
It would be fine without. They don’t add structure, just flavor and decoration.
Can I use THM baking blend in place of the almond and coconut flour? Thank you!
Probably but I am not sure how much. About the same, but you may need more liquid because it’s drier.
I get the cooling effect from swerve, can I sub Monk Fruit or what other sugar substitute do you recommend?
As long as you can get a powdered sweetener for the frosting, you can make a substitution.
Hi, Carolyn, been stalking your recipes for over a year but don’t think I’ve ever commented before! I’ve made your peanut butter sheet cake and shared with other low carb friends that raved. In fact, a fireman I shared it with paid me to make another for his whole team, LOL! Anyway I plan to make this, it’s one of my favorite cakes and would love to enjoy it low carb since I no longer eat sugar. Wanted to clarify on how to cool it, it says cool completely in pan, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. I’m a baker and usually turn normal sugar-laden cakes out of the pans after about 10 minutes, but haven’t yet had to turn any low carb cakes out of pans (I’ve only served ones in the pan so far), so wasn’t sure if they are more delicate and need to cool completely in pans. Thanks for your help!
This is a bit fragile…let them cool in the pan longer than 10.
Planning on making this cake this weekend! Can I sub xylitol for the swerve in equal parts?
Thanks for another amazing recipe!
The frosting may be a little different with xylitol but I think it should be okay.
Just curious will your dessert book be able to buy for kindle? And can this dessert be portioned out and frozen I am afraid I would want to eat the whole cake lol.
Yes, all my books are available on Kindle right when they come out. And maybe you should turn this into cupcakes…
And??? How was it???
What is Swerve sweetener? I’ve never heard of it.
https://amzn.to/2JZMmJv
Carolyn, I have to say officially that I’m in love with you! Anyone that can make a low carb Italian Cream cake has won my affection for life!!! I can’t wait to try this. I’ve had great success with many of your dessert recipes before, so I’m so excited about this one!
Always listen to yourself at the grocery store – I was there today and almost grabbed cream cheese, but didn’t. And wouldn’t you know it’s the ONLY ingredient in this recipe that I’m missing! Can’t wait to try this out.
Can’t wait to try it! I can only find Almond Meal in Australia will it still work?
It’s going to be heavier but it should be okay.
I used to make Italian Cream cakes for a local Little Italy Festival each Labor Day and have missed them over the years since I moved away- AND gone low carb. Today is my lucky day! Can’t wait to try this out! Thank you- love your recipes.
This is AMAZING. I made it last night and my thoughts all day today have been about that freakin’ delicious cake waiting for my in my fridge.
Swerve upsets my stomach. Is is possible to use another low carb sweetener like Pyure or Monk fruit? Can’t wait to try this. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Should be fine in the cake but you really need a proper powdered sweetener for the frosting.
I take my monkfruit sweetener and powder it in the magic bullet. You think that would be ok?
It probably won’t be fine enough for the frosting but you are welcome to try.
Monkfruit has a powdered version.
Can I use Stevia powdered sweetener?
Depends on what kind you have and whether it measure like sugar or not.
I too am excited about your dessert cookbook coming out this summer. Can we pre-order it? I hope there are both types of recipes in your cookbook, (meaning easy and more complicated), as I think you are an incredible chef,… (a fantastic baker of sweets and a great cook).
From one Carolyn to another, though I wish I had your figure and talent.
Yep, it’s available for pre-order now! https://amzn.to/2HwLNZf
I not only pre-ordered your dessert book from Amazon but I also ordered your other cookbook Easy Keto Dinners. Can’t wait to get it.
Thanks Kindly,
-Carolyn
Thank you!
The cake was wonderful! Thank you for this amazing recipe.