Keto Red Velvet Cake

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.

Key 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 It

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.

More Incredible Keto Desserts

• Keto Chocolate Pudding
• Keto Truffles
• Shortbread Cookies
• Keto Chocolate Mousse
• Keto Mug Brownie
• Copycat Keto Peanut Butter Cups
• Fluffy Keto Chocolate Mousse
• Keto Lemon Bars