Our keto German chocolate cake might be the easiest and tastiest sugar-free dessert you’ll ever make. Moist low-carb chocolate cake topped with the perfect amount of fluffy brown “sugar” coconut frosting.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- This chocolate cake is so moist and rich. It’ll completely satisfy any chocolate cravings you’re having!
- It has all of the best textures to make your mouth happy. Crunchy pecans go beautifully with the fluffy frosting and flaky coconut.
- It’s only 7g net carbs per slice, which means you can have your cake and eat it, too!
Key Ingredients
Heavy Cream – Traditional German chocolate cake uses evaporated milk for the frosting, but heavy cream accomplishes the same goal without all those extra carbs.
Shredded Coconut – It’s not German chocolate cake without coconut! Be careful what kind of coconut you use, because a lot of brands add in unnecessary sugars which really run up your carb count. Bob’s Red Mill offers unsweetened shredded coconut that’s only 1g net carbs per serving! If you like a chunkier frosting, you can use Bob’s Red Mill coconut flakes instead.
Coconut Flour – A secret ingredient! You only need a little pinch of coconut flour here. Add it to your frosting and it’ll keep the butter from separating out, ensuring you’ve got the perfect frosting consistency.
How to Make It
The full recipe & ingredients list are below, but here you’ll find a quick overview for making this recipe perfectly, along with useful tips and info!
Whisk together all dry ingredients, then in another bowl, combine the butter and eggs. Slowly incorporate your dry-ingredients mixture into the egg mixture, alternately adding in milk, until you’ve got a rich, chocolatey cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between two round pans and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Use the knife trick to time it just right!
To make the frosting, combine heavy cream, egg yolks, butter, and brown “sugar” in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook until the mixture is good and thick. Stir in the rest of the frosting ingredients and combine everything thoroughly.
To build your cake, frost the top of the bottom layer, then stack the second layer on top. Dollop the remaining frosting on top of the second layer and spread it evenly down the sides. Congratulations! You’ve just made a keto German chocolate cake!
Chef’s Tips
- Not a fan of coconut? Make the chocolate cake as instructed, then top it with our rich keto cream cheese frosting instead! You can also just leave the shredded coconut out of this recipe for a delicious brown “sugar” frosting.
- The cake will keep cooking as it cools, so be careful not to overbake it. The best way to tell if it’s ready is to stick a knife or toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, or with just a few crumbs, it’s time to take it out of the oven!
- If you’re having trouble spreading out your frosting because it’s too thin, then it didn’t cook long enough. Be sure to cook until it’s thick!
- To cut the most perfect cake slices, use a tomato knife or another thin, serrated knife. Cut with a gentle sawing motion, and run the knife under warm water between each slice. Make sure the knife is completely dry, but still warm to the touch, before you cut again. Chilling the cake for 10 to 15 minutes first will also help your slices come out cleanly.
What Do We Mean By “Healthy?”
Our recipes focus on real ingredients and homemade elements. We try to avoid processed flour and sugar, like white flour or white sugar. Our recipes often swap less healthy options (like a commercial, deep-fried tostada) for an easy homemade version.
Our recipes are not necessarily low fat or low calorie, and we aren’t afraid of fat or carbs! Some of our recipes will be “skinny,” low carb, keto, paleo, dairy free, grain free, gluten free, Whole30, or vegan, and they will be labeled when they qualify for any of these diets. All our recipes are easy and family friendly!
More Amazing Keto Desserts
- Keto Red Velvet Cake
- Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Copycat Keto Peanut Butter Cups
- Keto Chocolate Pudding
- Keto Truffles
We hope you loved this recipe as much as we did! We’d love for you to give us a star ★ rating below, and follow us on Instagram! For more delicious, healthy recipes, be sure to check out 40 Aprons.
Keto German Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- Two 8-inch round cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Two large mixing bowls
- Medium saucepan
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups Swerve Granular
- 2 ¼ cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 4 eggs room temperature
- ⅔ cup plant-based milk divided
For the Frosting
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup Brown Swerve
- 1 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1 ½ cups pecans chopped
- 1 pinch coconut flour
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans, line pans with parchment paper, then grease parchment paper.
- In large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, Swerve, almond flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another large bowl, beat vanilla, butter, and eggs (one at a time) until combined.
- Add half of almond flour mixture to egg mixture and beat until combined, then add half of milk. Repeat until all flour and milk is combined into egg mixture. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
- Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until knife (or toothpick) inserted in center of cake comes out cleanly.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then flip cake onto cooling racks and let sit until completely cooled.
For the Frosting
- In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, yolks, Swerve, and butter. Cook until thick, approximately 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, coconut, and pecans. Sprinkle coconut flour on surface and whisk to combine.
To Assemble
- Place one cooled layer of cake on plate or stand and frost top. Stack second layer of cake on top of first and frost top and sides.
Notes
- To cut the most perfect cake slices, use a tomato knife or another thin, serrated knife. Cut with a gentle sawing motion, and run the knife under warm water between each slice. Make sure the knife is completely dry, but still warm to the touch, before you cut again. Chilling the cake for 10 to 15 minutes first will also help your slices come out cleanly.
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