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!
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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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Hi, I must have done something terribly wrong because my cake came out with the look and texture of cornbread. I know it couldn’t have been the recipe but something I must have done wrong. I used 9″ pans, that’s what I had, so I’m wondering if it might have been less flat had they been 8″? Also, I baked it for 40 minutes (I split the difference of 35 – 45 minutes) and I’m wondering if that may have been too long (I have a gas oven if that makes a difference)? I want to try it again but I’m afraid to. Any suggestions of what I may have done wrong? Thanks and I do want to try some other recipes.
9-inch pans would be fine but they do sound like they got over-baked. Every oven is different and baking times give ranges not so you split the difference, but so that you watch your cakes and take them out when they are done. It could even be before that time range, if your oven runs hot.
And yes, if you read my blog post you will see my talk about them being flatter in 9-inch pans.
I baked this Italian cream cake only had 9 in pan and should have had 8 in like you said. Cake was rather dry and crumbly. Used SWerve as my sweetner and it was too sweet for our taste. Thank you for the recipe
This cake is amazing, I have made it 3 times! Do you think it would work as cupcakes?
doh I’m sorry, a ctrl f didnt fond the word and of course its right above my comment!
I’ve made this delicious recipe before and my mom requested it for her birthday, but as cupcakes. Do you think it would work well as cupcakes? I’m assuming the baking time would be slightly longer in a cupcake pan…????♀️
Yes, should be fine… baking time would be shorter or about the same. Good to keep your eye on it.
I love that it uses the same ingredients of a normal Italian cream cake, i made 18 cupcakes and added a cherry to the middle of each one. After frosting it was discovered that they wouldn’t be eaten promptly; can you freeze these or how long do you think they’ll keep in the fridge?
If they’re frosted already, it’s going to be hard to freeze them. Like any cupcakes, they will last about 5 days in the fridge.
Thank you for your answer. I don’t think there is a powdered version of Truvia. I will have to try to get Swerve.
I am planning to make this cake at the weekend. Is it possible to use Truvia instead of Swerve, Carolyn?
I don’t use Trivia so I can’t say for sure but I believe it’s 2x as sweet? And do they have a powdered version for the frosting?
My husband and daughter (8 yo) wanted to make me this for Mother’s Day. They forgot the parchment paper and had a hard time getting the cake out of the pans. My daughter had a complete meltdown. I suggested instead they mix the cake and icing together and have cake balls. She wasn’t happy but started mixing. In the end she was soooo pleased. So was I. A large ice cream scoop is perfect for cupcake liners. This is my absolute favorite keto dessert and now its even better.. its portion controlled too.
Great solution, Dawn!
My 12-year-old daughter just made this for me as a surprise on Mother’s Day and it was AMAZING!! My whole family was blown away at how good it tasted. It didn’t even taste keto. I make a lot of keto recipes in general that they won’t touch, but no one could keep their hands off this one. SO SO GOOD!!
That’s so wonderful to hear!
I’m going to try making this cake, my question? I will be omitting the coconut (not my preference), so should I add more Almond flour to create bulk? If so, how much should I add?
Also, if I may ask? I’ve found with keto baking that the crumb is often too crumbly, obviously through the lack of gluten, but this is my non-keto husband’s complaint all the time, and I don’t want to bake traditional cakes anymore, so I’m trying to perfect my attempts at creating very good, nearly normal keto cakes. So could one add 1/2tsp of Xanthan Gum or even Cornstarch? If this is suppose to help with the texture and binding of low carb cakes, and making them “feel” more like a traditional cake, shouldn’t this ingredient be added in all the time? When do you know when to or not?
I’m enjoying many of your recipes, and your photography is very eye catching.
Add more almond flour in the same amount of the coconut. You could try some xanthan if you like.
Do the kids still say, “This is sick,” meaning it’s great? If so, this cake is sick! It’s double-sick! When I read Italian Cream Cake, I started thinking cassata cake. I followed this recipe to a tee but added a dash of cinnamon to the frosting and some shaved sugarfree chocolate chips in between the layers with a dusting on top along side the toasted coconut and the toasted pecans, which for me are reminiscent flavors of my family’s cassata cake! You really hit it out of the park with this one, Miss Carolyn! This could be served at a 5-star restaurant! This is sure to become a holiday tradition! Thank you so very much! My pics turned out great, too!!
Looks great! I am having a hard time finding heavy cream around unfortunately. Is it ok for me to just use heavy whipping cream in its place or is there another alternative I could use? I would appreciate any help you can offer. Thanks!
Hi Josh – heavy whipping cream and heavy cream are really the same thing. The difference in fat content is minimal and they both work to whip into peaks.
Omg, this is SO delicious! It’s been on my list to make for awhile, and finally did it last night. Most keto-friendly cakes are dry and flat and leave an odd taste, but the crumb on this cake was perfect! Highly recommend.
Modifications: I omitted the nuts, and added just a little bit of almond extract to the cake. Soaked the coconut in half of the cream before adding. In future, I will try the frosting with half the sugar, or frost with lightly sweetened whipped cream as I found the frosting to be a bit too sweet for my taste.
Thanks for making such an amazing cake recipe!!
I’ve been looking for a Keto dessert that isn’t full a bunch of weird ingredients or over 10 carbs/serving. And, also one that isn’t overly complicated to make. This 100% fit my need! I’m truly amazed at how good this is. It’s subtly sweet & I don’t feel deprived at all. I’m so happy I stumbled across this recipe.
Glad to hear it!
So I was (one of?) the person/people who originally requested this cake many moons ago, but by the time it was published I was off the Keto bandwagon. Now with social distancing firmly in place given my health conditions, and having been back on keto for the last month, I figured it was time I tackled it! I’ll need to adjust sweeteners a little more (I did half allulose/half swerve, but the swerve was still too strong for my palate) in both the cake and the frosting, but I’m at least well versed enough in keto baking these days to be able to adjust that without screwing things up too badly. I’ll probably switch to all allulose the next time I make it since there’s no ice cream to “cut the sweet” as they say.
Anyway, just wanted to thank you super, super belatedly for putting this recipe together. It really held together beautifully and the flavor itself and texture are great and I think those of us who have been cooking and baking keto for a few years (off and on in my case) can take this fantastic base recipe and tweak it for our individual needs (within reason). All the best, and thanks again!
People, make this cake!! It’s heavenly taste is also moist. Presentation is spectacular/. This cake, the pecan bundt cake, and earthquake cake will make my non-sugar life worth living. Thank you! ????
This looked soooo good but was a bit intimidated to make it due to all the ingredients & work, &
I suck at dessert making. But I made it….it was soooo good! Difficult to stop at one piece, &
I did not. had 2. I am a sweets freak & type 2 diabetic, (Ugh!), and cake is my most favorite thing. So I
really appreciate you putting this out there. I have made so many “keto” desserts, (mostly cakes & cookies), hate all off them. Dry, artificial tasting, bland, just do not taste like dessert. This cake tastes like real dessert!
Yay!!!