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 may be the best scratch cake I have ever made. I loved it! I shared several pieces with friends and they loved it too. I’m kind of sad I have one piece left now. Good think I can make another. 🙂
I am so happy to hear it!
To anyone who is on the fence about trying this recipe–just do it already! This cake is amazing! It made 18 cupcakes baked in regular cupcake papers, filled about 2/3 full. They rise a bit (not too much) with perfect rounded tops. Oven was 325F and took between 20-25mins. They finish with a golden top so no guesswork about when it’s finished. However, I also did the toothpick test. Every single one came out perfect even though I’m a sloppy baker.
Haven’t tried the frosting yet. They’re good plain and would even make an excellent coffee cake with a crumb topping
I made a couple changes:
1) Instead of 1 cup Swerve, I used 1/4 cup Lakanto golden, 3/4 cup minus 2 Tbsp Lakanto Monkfruit, and 30 drops of Sweet Leaf stevia (30 drops of Sweet Leaf is equiv to the 2 Tbsp sweetener).
2) Added 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp Nutmeg.
Just made 1/2 recipe of this and didn’t put on frosting and it is yum, yum, yum.
Thanks you!
OMG, my first Keto Cake.
And we were not disappointed.
Followed your recipe to the letter, family absolutely loved it.
Will definitely make it again.
So glad!
Hello wondering if I can use the Swerve Packets, and if so how many? or could I use just 100% erythritol. Thanks so much for your time and for the delicious sounding recipe
The Swerve packets don’t hold much Swerve in them. Not sure how many you would need, but you would have to empty them out into a measuring cup to get the same amount of Swerve I use here.
This was an awesome cake. Love the flavor and will definitely use again.
I made this last night for my birthday and it was Delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect and not dry and all. Frosting tasted like cool whip. I will definitely be making this one again, thank you!
So glad you liked it!
Hi
I am making the low carb Italian Cream Cake for a friend who is doing Keto.
However, I am doing WW and I am trying to figure out how many points.
Would you happen to know?
Thank you
Angela
I am sorry, I have no idea how WW works.
My wife and I made this yesterday wow it is good. I will be bringing some to work as ive gotten some of my coworkers to try eating low carb. We love your recipes thank you
Happy to hear it!
Anyone try to make this in the InstaPot. I bake most of my cakes using Pressure Cooking. Or the Ninja Foodi. I’ve baked in that also.
This looks really good, but could we use Trim Healthy Mama baking blend in place of the almond and coconut flour? The almond flour is just really fat dense and with the cream cheese and heavy cream it just seems like a lot. I understand it’s not an every day dessert, but I was just wondering if it’s possible to lighten it up at all?
I honestly have no idea. I find THM baking blend a little too dry, personally. So you’d have to experiment.
Does I need to store it in the fridge or can it sit on the counter? Thx! Can’t wait to try!
It’s probably fine on the counter for a day or two but refrigerate after that.
Thanks for this recipe.. not dry at all like most Keto cakes turn out n the frosting was delicious <3 I used coconut cream instead of sour cream and ghee instead of butter and it turned out yumm 🙂
Great recipe! Beautiful cake! I did find that it crumbled a lot. Any ideas as to what I may have done wrong are what I could do differently?? Would adding xanthum gum help? If so, how much? Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Could have been slightly over-baked. That’s my best guess here. Sure, try adding 1/2 teaspoon xanthan next time.
This is our go to cake for all of our birthdays and other celebrations! I first made your recipe in January and it’s been a big hit with the whole family ever since!
So glad to hear it!
Oh My Goodness…the goodness!! Prior to my keto conversion I’ve made many a wedding cake and can honestly say this cake is absolutely moist and delicious! This ended a perfect keto dinner with friends. THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!
I made this cake, twice, since I thought I made a mistake. Both times the cake has turned out VERY salty…..I’m not sure why, as I have followed your directions to the mark. Thoughts? The texture and everything else (including the frosting) as perfect….but the cake itself has a salty taste.
Very strange. Are you using salted butter?