This Mini Keto Sheet Cake is the perfect dessert for an intimate gathering. It’s a rich almond flour chocolate cake with a delectable cocoa glaze, and has only 3g net carbs per serving.
Sometimes too much of a good thing really is too much of a good thing. Take my Keto Texas Sheet Cake, for example. It’s loved by readers far and wide, but it’s a large cake that serves 20 people.
That’s a lot of cake if you just want to enjoy a little bit of dessert with your honey. The leftovers freeze well but you may still find yourself overwhelmed.
That, my friends, is where my keto desserts for two come in handy. Mini versions of some of my most popular dessert recipes. I’ve got everything from keto banana pudding to a mini version of my Keto Ding Dong Cake.
And now I present a mini version of the classic Texas sheet cake. Easy and delicious, and only 6 servings!
Why you will love this recipe
I called this recipe “for two” but it actually makes six servings. It’s the perfect amount for a few days worth of dessert for two people. And cutting sheet cake down anymore than that isn’t easy!
Don’t let the lengthy ingredient list fool you, as this little dessert is very easy to make. I followed the traditional style of Texas sheet cake by boiling the cocoa with the butter and water. This method creates an incredible fudgy texture.
And since you pour the boiled cocoa glaze over the cake while it’s still warm, the two layers almost meld together. Absolutely heavenly.
One thing I’ve always loved about sheet cakes is the cake-to-frosting ratio. The cake layer is thin, so the frosting or glaze really stands out. And that helps lower the carb count too!
Ingredients you need
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- Almond flour: If you want to be nut-free, you can use sunflower seed flour. It’s a one-to-one replacement with almond flour.
- Swerve Sweetener: You need granular sweetener for the cake and powdered for the frosting.
- Protein powder: Protein powder helps the cake rise a little better. But it is such a small cake that you can skip it if you absolutely need to.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter in both the cake and the glaze.
- Cocoa powder: This chocolate sheet cake takes cocoa powder rather than unsweetened chocolate. I prefer Dutch process cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- Heavy cream: You need a few tablespoons of heavy cream for both the cake and the glaze.
- Glucomannan: The glaze is quite thin after cooking, so use a little keto thickener to give it more structure. You can use xanthan gum in the same amount, if you prefer.
- Chopped nuts: I love the crunch that some chopped pecans give to the finished cake.
- Pantry staples: eggs, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract
Special equipment
Small batch recipes like this one require smaller pans. I used a mini sheet pan from USA Pan that measures 9.5 inches by 6.5 inches.
But don’t fret if you don’t own such a thing. You can bake this cake in an 8×8 inch pan as well. It will be a little thinner, so watch it carefully.
Step by Step Directions
1. Prepare the cake batter: Whisk together the dry ingredients, and then bring the butter, water, and cocoa powder to a simmer. Add this to the dry ingredients along with the egg and whipping cream.
2. Spread in the pan: Transfer the batter to the pan and spread evenly. Then bake about 15 minutes, until the top is just firm to the touch.
3. Boil the glaze: The glaze for Texas sheet cake is a boiled cocoa frosting. Bring the butter, water, cocoa powder, and cream to a simmer, then add the powdered sweetener. Use a little thickening agent to get the right consistency. Pour over the warm cake and spread to the edges.
4. Sprinkle with nuts: Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and let cool 1 hour to set the frosting. Then cut into 6 servings.
Expert Tips and FAQ
This Mini Keto Texas Sheet Cake is an ideal dessert for diabetics, as it has less than 3g net carbs per serving. There are no added sugars in this recipe, and no starches or grains.
I haven’t tried this recipe with dairy-free alternatives but I think coconut oil or another oil would work just as well as butter. For the cream, try using full fat coconut milk.
The cake should be fine with any granular sweetener. However, the glaze really requires a powdered sweetener like Swerve. Using another sweetener like allulose may change the consistency and make it harder to set.
Other keto mini cake recipes
- Mini Yellow Cake
- German Chocolate Cake for Two
- Strawberry Cheesecake For Two
- Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Dirt Cake
Mini Keto Texas Sheet Cake
Equipment
- 1 mini sheet pan 9.5 x 6.5 inches
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup Swerve Granular
- 1 ½ tablespoon whey protein powder or egg white protein powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 ½ tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tbsp heavy whipping cream
Glaze and Garnish
- 2 ½ tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon cocao powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ tablespoon water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ⅛ teaspoon glucomannan or xanthan gum
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 325ºF and grease a mini sheet pan (9.5 x 6.5 inches) very well. You can also bake this cake in an 8×8 inch metal pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt. Break up any clumps with the back of a fork.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, water, and cocoa powder, stirring until melted. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Add to the bowl.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and cream, and stir until well combined. Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan.
- Bake about 15 minutes until the top of the cake is just firm to the touch.
Glaze
- In the same saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, cream, and water. Bring to a simmer, stirring until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the powdered sweetener and whisk vigorously to dissolve any clumps. Whisk in the glucomannan and let cool a few minutes to thicken.
- Pour over the warm cake and sprinkle with the pecans. Let cool until the glaze is set, about 1 hour.
Kaye Hodges says
This is a great replica of the original sugar version. Next time I’m going to try substituting some peanut butter for the butter in the frosting. I’ve made this a few times for church and family picnics and potlucks. It’s always been a hit. Thank you for all you do!
Sherry Corson says
I loved this recipe so much that I purchased the USA mini sheet pan for it. Do you have any other recipes where this size pan can be used?
Linda Law says
Love your recipes. Really appreciate these that are for smaller servings. Thank you!
Lori in Portland says
I made the Mini Texas Keto Sheet Cake for Mother’s Day for me and my husband. We both loved the flavor and texture – I’m glad/sorry I didn’t make the full sized one! I promised hubby that next time I’ll try to come up with a sugar free boiled peanut butter frosting to top it!
Nicole says
Made this and absolutely loved it! I am confused by the servings though. The recipe says 6 servings but the nutritional info says 1/8 of the cake, so shouldn’t a serving be 1/6 of the cake? Just curious how to calculate that?
Carolyn says
I think you are misreading that. It says one-sixth. It’s a 6, not an 8.
Linda says
I notice so many of your recipes contain “whey protein powder”. Just wondering what this does/add to recipes?
Carolyn says
Gluten is a protein and in its absence, another dry protein powder helps baked goods rise properly and hold their shape. That’s why my cakes are lighter and fluffier, with real cake texture, compared to most keto cakes.
Cynthia says
I’m not a fan of almond flour. Can coconut flour be substituted?
Carolyn says
No, this recipe is formulated for almond flour. Using coconut flour would require changing all of the other ingredients as well.
Linda says
I love that you’re doing more mini desserts. I’m cooking for one and it’s so wonderful to have desserts already scaled down. Thanks!
Sandy says
So easy to make, I enjoy the small size desserts for me and my husband,I’ve made many of your recipes, thank you for making our life better and healthy.
melissa says
I have been looking for a recipe like yours! Delicious and great for keto!
Agnes says
I love the idea of scaling down a dessert! So perfect when the sweet tooth strikes but you don’t want to be left with almost an entire cake after satisfying it. Thank you!
cate` says
This was the perfect cake for us. I love how absolutely good it turned out.
Monica says
I’ve been craving an ice cream sandwich, and this was perfect for that! Thank you for all your work developing awesome recipes!
Marla says
Thank you Carolyn for taking the time to make this smaller! I’ve been wanting to make one but they are just too big for one person. This is perfect for me and to share with my parents! I’m making it tonight!
Gail Ouellette says
Wow, this was FANTASTIC! I made this tonight for my dad’s 86th birthday and it was a huge hit. Loved by both the keto and non-keto. The non-keto family kept insisting it was the best tasting brownie they ever had. LOL. The chocolate glaze with the nuts on top really made it special. Thank you Carolyn!!!
Kate says
maybe you could make a mini version of your black forest sheet cake too.
Jo says
Just made this with double the frosting and a mix of Allulose and erythritol. Delicious !! Thank you Carolyn
Carolyn says
Excellent!
gjeanieg says
Made it last night. We loved it, and it was easy. Great idea to cut it down in size. Thank you, Carolyn!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Katherine says
This cake is to make and tasted delicious. It was the first mini Texas sheet cake I have ever made. Well done, Carolyn
Betsy says
Gee, can I eat this for dinner? My recipe software, Plan To Eat, categorized it as “Main Course”, lol. Sounds good to me!
Carolyn says
That’s weird! Hahaha.