Deliciously rich, moist keto red velvet cake, topped with a fluffy keto cream cheese frosting and garnished with chopped pecans, is the perfect sugar-free dessert for holidays and special occasions.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- This may be the most moist (moistest?) cake you’ll ever eat!
- It’s not red velvet cake without cream cheese frosting, and our keto frosting adds so much flavor and richness without any extra sugar.
- It’s a great way to have treats on hand! Wrap individual slices of cake in plastic wrap (or store them in an airtight container) and freeze them. If stored properly, they’ll be good for 4 to 6 months, which makes it easy to thaw out a single portion whenever you want a little something sweet. If you freeze the slices frosted, unwrap them to thaw them out.
Keto Red Velvet Cake Ingredients
Cocoa Powder – Red velvet cake isn’t the same as a chocolate cake, but it does have a subtle chocolate flavor to it. If you prefer a keto red velvet cake that’s more chocolatey, add another tablespoon of cocoa powder, and mix in some Lily’s 55% Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chips before portioning the batter into the pans. You can also use chocolate extract.
Apple Cider Vinegar – The acidity in vinegar reacts with the proteins and baking powder in the cake batter to create a super fluffy, but still moist, cake. It also helps the batter develop its trademark red hue.
How to Make Keto Red Velvet Cake
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!
Combine all of your dry ingredients in one bowl and set them aside. We’ll come back to them later.
In your primary bowl, mix butter, Swerve, and vanilla with a mixer on low speed, then add in your eggs one-at-a-time.
In a third bowl, combine the remaining wet ingredients (except heavy cream), then stir those into the butter mixture.
Now you can add in the dry ingredients and heavy cream, and mix until you’ve got a thick cake batter. Divide the batter evenly into two 9-inch pans and bake until the knife-trick (see “Chef’s Tips” section below) says your cake is ready.
Frost your layer cake with keto cream cheese frosting and garnish as desired. Slice and serve!
Chef’s Tips
- Instead of chopped pecans, garnish the cake with red velvet crumbs.
- The cake will continue to cook 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!
- Too much food coloring will make your cake batter taste like food coloring, and no one wants that. If you want a more vibrant cake batter, you can use more food coloring than the recipe calls for, but be careful how much you add. Gel food coloring will give you the boldest color.
- 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 Incredible Keto Desserts
- Keto Chocolate Pudding
- Keto Truffles
- Shortbread Cookies
- Keto Chocolate Mousse
- Keto Mug Brownie
- Copycat Keto Peanut Butter Cups
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 Red Velvet Cake
Equipment
- 2 round 9-inch pans
- 3 mixing bowls
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 4 cups almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup Swerve Granular
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 8 eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons red food coloring plus more, see Notes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
For the Frosting
- 16 ounces cream cheese at room temperature, see Notes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups Swerve Confectioners
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Garnish (Optional)
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- In one bowl, mix dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix butter, Swerve, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined, then add eggs one at a time. Set mixture aside.
- In a third bowl, combine oil, apple cider vinegar, cocoa powder, and food coloring. Stir this mixture into the Swerve mixture.
- Add in dry ingredients and heavy cream. Mix together until batter forms. For a more vibrant red, add more food coloring as desired.
- Divide batter into two round 9-inch pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until knife inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely, then remove cake from pans.
- Mix together all ingredients for frosting.
- Frost top of one cake layer, then stack second cake layer on top and frost top and sides. Garnish with chopped pecans if desired.
Notes
- To keep the cake moist while you prepare the frosting, wrap the cooled layers in plastic wrap until you’re able to frost them.
- Cream Cheese: Philadelphia Original Cream Cheese has the lowest carb content of the cream cheeses we’ve found, so we recommend this one specifically.
- Food Coloring: For a more vibrant cake, add a little more food coloring – but not too much or you’ll be able to taste it. If you’re using all-natural food coloring, the color will not be as vibrant. Keep in mind the batter will darken slightly as it bakes.
- Leftovers: Store leftover red velvet cake in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. It will keep for 5 to 7 days.
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