Go! Go to your kitchen right now and make this low carb Peanut Butter Sheet Cake. With a creamy layer of sugar-free peanut butter frosting, it’s a peanut lover’s dream keto dessert.
I have to confess, I was a Texas Sheet Cake virgin until I met my husband. I guess you can chalk that up to the great cultural divide known as the 49th parallel. He once waxed poetic about his mum’s Texas Sheet Cake and I looked at him with that blank expression that says “I do not understand the words that are coming out of your mouth”. I had to get a full explanation of this well-loved American dessert. And then, of course, I had to get a huge serving of it at the next big family gathering. As a lover of anything with chocolate and pecans, it got a huge thumbs up from me. I may or may not have gone back in for seconds. Possibly thirds.
There’s a lot to love about a cake like this. It’s easy to make and assemble, because you just frost it and serve it right out of the pan. What might be viewed as a gauche shortcut for other cakes is perfectly acceptable with it comes to Texas Sheet Cake. It’s also easy to feed a crowd with this low, flat cake, as you can get 20 or more servings depending on the size of your pan. But my favourite part about sheet cake is that it has an excellent frosting to cake ratio. No overly thick layers of sponge cake with a paltry thin layer of frosting here. Every bite has the perfect proportions of cake and frosting.
I know that I am totally messing with tradition by making a peanut butter version of Texas Sheet Cake. What’s really shocking is that I didn’t add any chocolate whatsoever. You know my deep and abiding love of all things chocolate and peanut butter. I was sorely tempted and the thought of drizzling some chocolate over the top did cross my mind a few times. But I wanted pure, unadulterated peanut butter flavour so I gutted it out and fought my chocolate instincts. I simply garnished the top with some chopped salted peanuts instead. And you will be so glad I did! This may have been the best cake I’ve made in a long time.
One little tip: you may want to make this in secrecy when no one is around. Because you won’t want to share the beater-licking duties with anyone else. Mine….all mine!
See what I am sharing on Instagram!
Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 ¾ cups almond flour
- ⅓ cup unflavoured whey protein powder (can sub powdered egg whites)
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup butter softened
- ⅔ cup Swerve Sweetener
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
Frosting:
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 tablespoon butter softened
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup chopped salted peanuts for sprinkling
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a 10x15 inch rimmed sheet pan well. You can use 11x17 but your cake will be thinner and will bake through much faster.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter and butter until well combined. Beat in the sweetener, and then beat in eggs and vanilla extract.
- Add half the almond flour mixture and beat until well combined and then beat in almond milk. Beat in the remaining almond flour mixture until well combined.
- Spread the batter in prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until edges are golden brown and cake is set. Remove and let cool in pan.
Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and peanut butter until well combined. Beat in the sweetener, cream and vanilla extract until mixture is smooth.
- Spread the frosting evenly over cooled cake. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Linda says
So good my non-keto family was gobbling it up!
ChapelHillBetsy says
I would love to know what brand of peanut butter you use, but when I click on the link, it takes me to Thrive Market and requires me to join, and I can’t see the product (peanut butter). Please just tell me which one you use in this recipe. Thanks!
Carolyn says
I really like the Santa Cruz organic creamy. https://amzn.to/3Zy024N
It’s hard to find sometimes, because apparently a lot of other people like it too! But I can get it at Whole Foods and New Seasons in my area.
Rastus says
In the 10 years I have been keto, this is the BEST cake I have made! Thank you.
Carolyn says
Wow, thank you so much!
Peggy Cole says
oh wow, love me some peanut butter cakes! I’ll have to try this one tomorrow. thanks bunches!!
Shirley says
Carolyn this is DELISHOUS
Kana says
It was delicious! My husband loved it! I will share this cake with my husband’s friend and church.
I used vanilla flavor whey protein powder and honey roasted peanuts because those were in hand. And I only used half of each sugar and it was still sweet enough.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Christie says
This cake is to die for! I didn’t have the right size pan (my sheet pan is way too big) so I took a chance and made this in a 9×13 cake pan. It took 29 minutes to bake and turned out beautifully. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
ChefK says
Would substituting peanut protein powder (such as PB2 of JustGreatStuff) work instead of whey powder? Thanks
Carolyn says
It’s fine as long as it has no added sugar.
Christy says
I can’t stand when people ask for changes but my Grandpa’s 86th birthday is tomorrow and he loves peanuts so this cake is just right on and the one thing I don’t have is the unflavored protein powder or egg white powder. Can I sub egg whites? If so, how many? Thanks!
Carolyn says
I would recommend skipping it, adding maybe another few tablespoons of almond flour. It helps cakes rise and hold their shape but given that this is a sheet cake, it won’t make as much of a difference. Using egg whites will throw off the wet/dry ratio.
Christy Billings says
Thanks so much! Will do!
Julie says
This recipe called my name. I still have such sweet craving. I added chocolate. I love choc/peanut butter. The whole point to making this was low or zero carbs. It wasn’t quite sweet enough so at the last munute I added honey to the frosting. I sure blew the no carbs. I also failed to see the cooking aspect. Well, needless to say i will attempt this again. It tasted a little dry but otherwise delicious!!!!
Dawnj says
We thought the Texas sheet cake was to die for, then we made this peanut butter one. OMGosh its awesome! The frosting is super creamy—could eat it all by itself. Served with a dollop of whip cream, which may be over the top, naaaa. THANK YOU for sharing these sheet cake recipes and for continuing to work over recipes to make them sugar free.
Mel Holland says
Hello! I’m looking forward to trying this and wondering how Lankanto monkfruit would be for the cake instead of Swerve- I know there’s erythritol in the monk fruit- but it seems to cut the cooling effect a lot! Have you tried this? Any thoughts?
Carolyn says
it should work, but their powdered version is 2x as sweet so cut back on it for the frosting.
DebS says
Could you please tell me what the powdered egg substitute for the protien amount is?
Thank you. DebS
Carolyn says
Same amount.