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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When I made the cake the batter (before the egg whites) was very crumbly.
should it have been more liquid. it just crumbled like a crumble on an apple crisp. I tried to fold in the egg whites but it was very messy.
What am I doing wrong?
It sounds like it’s much to dry but I am not sure why if you used the correct ingredients at the right amounts. Any chance you used coconut flour in place of almond?
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I just stuck the cake pans into the oven.
My only question is that I didn’t have granulated swerve so I subbed with THM Super Sweet Blend (3 TBSP). Since it’s such a smaller amount, do you think the consistency will be ok? I sure hope so!
Thank you!!
Nicole
I honestly can’t tell you…any substitutions can throw signs off. Good luck!
I think I should use about half that butter, but it is very tasty
I just popped this into the oven and cannot wait to try a piece. Italian Cream Cake is one of my all time favorites and I just know this one of yours will be a winner! Thanks so much for sharing your gift with us!!! 🙂
Made this last night and it is halfway gone…It is absolutely deliciously moist and flavorful.
If I substitute the swerve for Pyure how much do I use?
Help lol my icing separated not sure why everything was at room temperature etc I still was able to spread it in as it was just for us but don’t know what happened
You over-beat it. That can happen although it’s kind of rare.
Oh ok I don’t like this new hand blender that I bought think I will look for new ones. Thank you again your recipes are amazing !
Please could you mention the amount in Gramm the next Time you do this? I have no idea for which ingredient you use which sort of cup.. I have already seen that flour / butter etc differs from One another ans am so confused 🙁
I would Love to prepare this for my moms Birthday in July
xx
Sorry but I use American volume measurements. The only thing I can tell you is that a cup of almond flour is about 100g and a cup of coconut flour is about 110g.
Can the baked and unfrosted cake be frozen for a couple of days until ready to use?
I can’t see why not!
Volumewise it seems like to make a thicker 9” cake you’d multiply the recipe by 1.25. It’s easily done since it calls for 4 eggs in a recipe.
But then you have more cake and more carbs.
I made this cake for my birthday, which is today. Thanks yet again for a wonderful, yummy dessert! My 70 year old hubby picked out and followed your recipe from your first book for the Sheet Pan Chicken And Veggies for our supper last night. It was the very first recipe he has ever followed from a cookbook and it was delicious!
Happy Birthday, Vickie!!!
Thank you. My teen grandsons loved the cake too…the oldest (19) has been a type 1 diabetic for 8 years. I loved seeing him be able to eat a wonderful dessert without having to dose. My heartfelt thanks to you for all of these awesome treats.
Says heavy cream, then below heavy whipping cream are they one and the same? Hope so as haven’t seen heavy cream here. Sounds delicious and freezable is a bonus.
Exactly the same.
I can’t wait to try this cake. I was literally just wondering what kind of keto-friendly cake to make for my husband’s birthday in a few weeks when this popped up in my e-mail. He will be thrilled. I have all your books so far and love them. I will certainly pre-order the dessert one. Thanks for being instrumental in our low-carb journey.
It’s perfect! Even my mom, who normally hates coconut, loved it! Thank you, Carolyn!
This cake makes 16 servings, but there is only one of me. Before I make it, I would like to know, can I cut this into 16 servings and freeze the pieces? I keep your scones and muffins frozen all the time, ready for instant breakfast or deserts. No big event on the horizon for me to make and take a whole cake. Cannot wait to make it!
Yes you could absolutely wrap this in individual portions to freeze.
Any ideas on how to omit the almond flour ? I’m allergic to nuts but tolerate coconut.
I’m sorry, no. This particular recipe really relies on almond flour. I do have some other coconut flour cakes but it doesn’t lend itself as well to this format.
Made this as directed – amazing. Thanks so much for posting it!