As many of you know, Sweet Laurel has 5 core ingredients: almond flour, coconut oil, organic eggs, Himalayan pink salt and 100% maple syrup. The one ingredient that does not pass the keto friendly test is 100% maple syrup, So I created a recipe for those of you who may be following a low carb\keto diet, but would like to have your cake and eat it too.
In honor of Sweet Laurel’s third birthday, we’re posting this delicious ketogenic friendly birthday cake. I chose Lakanto Monk Fruit sweetener, as I have found it to be the best low carb sweetener in terms of taste. It also is Dr. Gundry approved, another reason I chose it! Enjoy this delicious cake! xoxo, Laurel
To make the Chocolate Cake
3 cups almond meal
1/3 cup cacao
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
3 pastured eggs
3/4 cup monk fruit sweetener
3/4 cup water
1.5 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare 3, 6 inch pans by lining with parchment paper and greasing the sides with coconut oil.
In a bowl, combine the almond meal, cacao, baking soda, Himalayan pink salt and monk fruit sweetener. Stir.
Add the eggs, water and vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until tooth pic inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool before topping with ganache.
To make the Ganache
4 oz 100% cacao baking chocolate
4 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
2-3 tablespoons monk fruit (or more, depending on palate)
1 cup coconut milk
Over very low heat, melt coconut oil and baking chocolate. Once melted, remove from heat. Slowly whisk in sweetener and coconut milk, until consistency is smooth. You may need to add more coconut milk or water to get a smoother texture.
** if cake is refrigerated, the ganache will harden a bit. Keep finished cake at room temperature for best results
Hi! Your recipe looks AMAZING!!! I would definitely love to try it…just wondering if you might know what the approximate amount of carbs/sugar would be in the cake?
Thanks so much and thank you for sharing!!
Hi Laurel it is Rosalyne from church what could be used in place of Almond Meal? Wyatt has a nut allergy
I haven’t tested this recipe with coconut flour, but when I do, I will let you know!
Hi! I will try this recipe in the next few days. Thanks!
Do you know the amount of Swerve sweetener I should use? (I don’t do Monk Fruit)
Thanks in advance
Marta
I would use the same amount of Swerve. Happy baking!
This looks great! Is there a reason you are using Almond Meal instead of Almond Flour? Are these 2 interchangeable?
Yes! They are interchangeable. The almond meal has more fiber, that’s why I recommend it is this keto friendly recipe. xo
Why did you not substitute it with the Lakanto Maple flavored Syrup? If I did, how much would I use to make it closer to your original recipe?
I’ve never worked with it! I’m sure it would be an excellent swap!
Can you use natural maple syrup the sweeter if you don’t like monk fruit? If so, how much would I use? Thank you!
I would just follow the recipe for our Chocolate Cake that Changed Everything from the Sweet Laurel Cookbook! If you don’t have the book, you can find it here.
Everything in our cookbook is sweetened with 100% maple syrup!
Absolutely fabulous recipe!! Five stars!!
I am a long time cook/baker of Gluten Free and Keto foods and this is hands down the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had the pleasure of making. It blew everyone away.
And thank goodness for LAKANTO!! My heartfelt thanks from all Keto devotees to the Lakanto Company for making such phenomenal products. Lakanto is a game changer for those of us in the Keto world – truly a gift from the Gods!
Wish I could show you photos of my cake – BEAUTIFUL, GOOEY, and MOIST!!
Woohoo!!
I’m so happy to hear you loved our recipe!!! It is delicious!
This looks delicious! Is there a reason you have listed Almond Meal instead of Almond Flour? Could you substitute Almond Flour?
Almond meal has a bit more fiber, that’s the only reason! Almond flour works wonderfully as well.
Hi! Is cacao the same as cocoa powder? Like Hershey’s??
You can use cocoa powder!
Would almond milk be a suitable substitute if I don’t have coconut milk on hand? Or would it not be creamy enough? Also, should I increase the recipe for two 10 inch pans?
Yes, you should double the recipe if you’re doing two 10 inch pans. Almond milk will work perfectly in the ganache. Happy Baking!
Hi! Would the monkfruit substitute work in your other recipes as well? Looking to substitute maple syrup so there is less sugar.
Thanks!
Certainly! Just be sure to add equal the amount of water as liquid volume of the maple syrup in each recipe as well. It works great! You may even find you can lessen the monk fruit a bit. Also, I have only tested with Lakanto’s brand of monk fruit as noted in the recipe above, so I recommend sticking to that one. Happy Baking!
Hello!
I’m super excited to try this Saturday! I wanted to know what brand of cacoa do you use? I just bought the Monk Sweetner you recommended!
Navitas is a great brand!
Thank you, Sweet Laurel…I am looking forward to more of your recipes modified to be Keto approved. I can’t seem to get a good cookie that has a good “chew” and is not too “cakey”.
I have a special keto cookie recipe coming soon!
How would you adjust the recipe for a 2 layer 8″ cake?
Hello!
If you double the recipe, it makes two 8″ cakes. Enjoy!
Hi Laurel, I noticed you do not use coconut oil in this cake (vs the classic vanilla cake). May i ask why? I baked this cake and felt it was a little on the drier side.
Thank you!
Regards,
Palkie M.
Hi! Did you make any substitutions? With a granulated sweetener like Lakanto, it is much dryer then maple syrup, which is why I add the water alongside the Lakanto.
This is such a great recipe. We tried it without the frosting and it was so moist and tasty.
Will be making this again soon.
Which brand of 100% cacao baking chocolate would you recommend?
It seems hard to find 100% cacao baking chocolate that’s keto friendly (sugar free).
Thanks for sharing!
So happy to hear this!!! So, Sweet Laurel is about to launch our own 100% cacao bar very soon, but in the meantime Guittard is a great brand. I’ve found it at Whole Foods, and I’m sure it is on Amazon as well. Keep enjoying our Keto Cake!!! xoxoxo
Wow. That’s great! Can’t wait to try your 100% cacao bar with this exact recipe!
should i use refined or unrefined coconut oil
I like to use refined in baking because the coconut flavor doesn’t come through. Avocado oil works too. xo
Can you substitute half and half for the water or coconut milk in the cake batter
Yes!
Hi Laurel! Writing in from India. Can’t wait to get this gluten free and low carb recipe. Totally suits my life style.
Did you say to double the recipe for two 8″tins? That’s seems like quite a bit don’t you think?
That’s like 6 cups of almond meal / flour….
Hi! I just found your website/this recipe and I’m looking forward to trying it for my sister’s birthday, but I have a rather important question.
Do the T’s in the recipe stand for tablespoon or teaspoon?
Thanks!
I just edited it! Lower case t was teaspoon, uppercase was tablespoon ;).
Thank you so much!
Hi Laurel! Writing in from India. Can’t wait to get this gluten free and low carb recipe. Totally suits my life style.
Did you say to double the recipe for two 8″tins? That’s seems like quite a bit don’t you think?
That’s like 6 cups of almond meal / flour….is that correct??
Hi Laurel! Writing in from India. Can’t wait to get this gluten free and low carb recipe. Totally suits my life style.
Did you say to double the recipe for two 8″tins? That’s seems like quite a bit don’t you think?
That’s like 6 cups of almond meal / flour….
Hi Laurel!
What would you use to replace the eggs in the recipe? We don’t eat eggs but would like to try this recipe.
Hi Trami! I would replace the eggs with two flax or chia eggs. For each egg, add 1 tablespoon freshly ground chia or flax and 3 tablespoons of water per egg. Simply grind the chia and flax, mix it with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Add to the recipe when the eggs are called for.