This is an insanely easy chocolate almond flour cake that is perfect for the lazy baker.
It's also gluten-free, low-carb, Keto-friendly, and refined sugar-free. It's beautifully chocolatey with a moist and lighter crumb.
Make sure also to check out my almond flour coffee cake.
I love simple, delicious dessert recipes such as Healthy Coconut Bites, tropical Mango Cookies made with almond flour, or these Healthy Coffee Dessert Recipes.
This cake strikes a nice balance between satisfying your chocolate cravings and staying within the realm of nutritional baking.
And it's fancy enough for a dinner party or a special occasion.
Before I got it right, it took a bit of testing—well, 6 cakes and a kitchen full of cacao powder dust. And now, we have a keeper!
So let's make it.
Why You'll Love This Rich Chocolate Cake
- Healthy: This whole cake serves a gluten-free, low-carb, and keto diet.
- No special equipment is needed: You can concoct this by hand with a bowl and a whisk.
- Beautifully moist: It's light with a layer of strawberries.
- It can also easily fit on a brunch table: It's one of those healthy desserts you can enjoy with your cup of coffee or homemade cold brew during Sunday brunch.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This low-carb chocolate almond cake recipe is made with simple ingredients.
- Mascarpone cheese: It adds a rich, naturally sweet component to this baked good, and its fat content helps stabilize a flourless and gluten-free cake.
- Unsalted butter: It's another source of fat that helps bake this moist chocolate cake. Count in a bit extra to grease the baking pan.
- Large eggs: Use three large fresh eggs loosely beaten with a whisk for best results.
- Almond flour: To obtain airiness in this chocolate keto cake, I recommend blanched almond flour made with almonds without the skin.
- Cacao powder: I use unsweetened cacao powder instead of dark chocolate to get that deep chocolate flavor. It also replaces regular flour. Use leftovers to make this pineapple chocolate collagen smoothie or healthy coffee smoothie.
- Baking soda: Because of its acidity, cacao powder reacts with baking soda, making this keto chocolate cake more stable.
- Sweetener: Erythritol & Monk fruit sweetener is a great low-carb sugar substitute that works well in this recipe.
- Fresh berries: Some sweet strawberries go into the baking batter. I suggest combining any extra fresh berries to garnish this flourless chocolate cake.
Variations & Notes
- Use cream cheese if you can't find mascarpone.
- You can use natural unsweetened cocoa powder instead of cacao powder.
- If you want to dress up the cake with powdered sugar, I recommend this powdered sugar replacement.
- Despite these fatty sources, this is not your typical decadent cake—It's rich and smooth but with a reasonably light structure.
Step-By-Step Instructions
For the full recipe and measurements, refer to the recipe card.
Step One (Picture 1 above): Prep the baking pan. Generously coat the inside of your baking pan with butter, then shake in a bit of cacao powder (coating all sides) and tap out any excess.
You can always line a round cake pan with parchment paper, using pre-cut round paper sheets or cutting the rounds yourself.
Step Two (Picture 2 above): Combine the dry ingredients, except the sweetener, in one large mixing bowl. It's best to combine with a whisk to loosen up any flour lumps. Set aside.
Step Three (Picture 3 above) - In a large bowl, whisk the mascarpone until smooth.
Step Four (Picture 4 above) - Then stir in the beaten eggs and sweetener.
Step Five (Picture 5 above) - Add the creamy wet ingredients to the dry flour mix. Whisk until you have a smooth brown chocolatey batter.
Step Six (Picture 6 above) -Stir in the strawberries.
Step Seven (Picture 7 above) - Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the bottom of the pan a few times against the counter to even out the cake batter and remove any major air bubbles.
Step Eight (Picture 8 above): Bake for 45 minutes or until the top feels solid. When cooled, decorate with fresh berries and powdered sugar.
Helpful Tips
- Take the mascarpone cheese out of the fridge for 15 minutes before baking to soften. For mascarpone lovers, also check out my no-bake mascarpone cheesecake.
- Take the eggs out of the fridge and leave them on the counter for about 15 minutes or until they no longer have the fridge's chill.
- Sometimes, alternative flour options can have some lumps or feel compacted if stored for a while. Loosen it up by mixing them with a whisk. If you still have a few stubborn bigger lumps left, you can disperse them with the pressure of the back of a fork.
- Always let the cake cool so that any aftertaste of low-carb sugar substitutes disappears.
- Adding berries is totally optional but highly recommended. Most strawberries will settle at the bottom of the cake, creating a lovely sweet, subtle surprise.
- When cooled, dust the top of the almond flour chocolate cake with powdered Monk fruit sweetener (optional) and garnish with fresh berries of your choice (highly recommended)
Recipe FAQs
It keeps well for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
But if it's very hot where you live, pop it in the fridge—it's good for at least 5 days.
You can serve it straight from the fridge.
Yes, it will still work. However, your cake batter will be thicker, and you might need to add some extra baking time.
Mascarpone is made from heavy cream, giving this almond flour chocolate cake recipe a richer texture.
But you can also make this low-carb cake with cream cheese.
The quickest way to soften the cream cheese is by microwaving it in 5 to 10-second increments until soft enough to be mixed with the rest of the ingredients.
But, if you have a stand mixer or an electric mixer, you can also beat the cream cheese straight from the fridge on medium-high until creamy—it should only take a minute.
What else can I use instead of a 6-inch round cake pan?
An 8-inch loaf pan can work. The cake's texture will be the same, but it will just have a different form.
More Almond Flour Or Chocolate Desserts
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This is a wonderful recipe for when you crave a lovely chocolate cake but want something you can feel good about eating.
📖 Recipe
Low Carb Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Mariska RamondinoEquipment
- 6-inch round cake pan OR
- 8-inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2.2 ounces mascarpone cheese 60 grams (or cream cheese)
- 4 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking pan 55 grams, melted
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup almond flour 100 grams
- ¼ cup cacao powder, plus more to prepare the baking pan 20 grams (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Erythritol & Monk fruit sweetener (130 grams) or ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered Monk fruit sweetener with erythritol
- ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries depending on their size, about 3 strawberries
- Extra fresh berries of your choice and powdered Monk fruit sweetener for decoration and garnish.
Instructions
- Before you plan to bake, take the mascarpone cheese and butter out of the fridge and leave it on the counter for about 15 minutes to soften. Do the same with the eggs until they no longer have the fridge's chill.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180°C).
- Butter the baking pan, then shake in a bit of cacao powder (coating all sides) and tap out the excess—reserve.
- Combine the almond flour, cacao powder, and baking soda in a bowl. I like to use a whisk to sift and remove any big lumps. Set aside.1 cup almond flour, ¼ cup cacao powder, plus more to prepare the baking pan, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Add the mascarpone cheese and melted butter to a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.2.2 ounces mascarpone cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking pan
- Add the lightly beaten eggs, followed by the sweetener. Whisk until you have a beautifully soft, creamy texture.3 eggs, ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Erythritol & Monk fruit sweetener
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients—you can use the same whisk or fold with a spatula.
- Lastly, stir in the chopped fresh strawberries.½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
- Pour the batter into the prepared and reserved baking pan.
- Tap the bottom of the pan a few times against the counter to even out the cake batter and eliminate any major air bubbles.
- Bake for 45 to 47 minutes, or until the middle is firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool before removing it from the baking pan. It does not have to be thoroughly cooled but enough to have settled in its form. Otherwise, the cake will break.
- Dust with powdered Monk fruit sweetener (optional) and garnish with fresh berries of your choice (highly recommended).Extra fresh berries of your choice and powdered Monk fruit sweetener for decoration and garnish.
Notes
- Flour lumps: If a whisk can't get rid of the bigger lumps, use a fork to flatten them and fluff up the flour mixture.
- Melted butter: I prefer to place the butter on the stove in a small pan and over the lowest heat setting until completely melted. You can do this while combining the dry ingredients, but keep an eye on it and remove it from the stove as soon as melted.
- Fresh berries: If fresh berries are unavailable, you can use frozen ones. Thaw them first under running water.
- Cream cheese instead of mascarpone: Mascarpone will give this cake a richer texture. If using cream cheese, soften it quickly by microwaving it in 5 to 10 seconds increments until soft enough to be mixed with the rest of the ingredients. Or use a stand mixer or an electric mixer and beat the cream cheese straight from the fridge on medium-high until creamy—it should only take a minute.
- Checking readiness of baked cake: I always suggest slowly opening the oven door (not abruptly), so you won't chock the cake with a wave of cold air. Open the oven door enough to check if the cake is done. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time if the center still feels soft. Forty-five minutes always works with my oven.
- Remove the cake from the baking pan: To remove the cooled cake, use a sharp knife to go around the edges of the pan, ensuring the cake is sufficiently loosened on all sides. Then place a large enough plate on top of the baking pan and gently turn it around. Next, gently tap the pan's bottom a few times until the cake falls on the plate. Then, place the small cake on a large spatula, and turn the cake gently around with the support of your other hand.
- Baking time: Besides the 15 minutes of preparation, count in some extra time to soften the mascarpone cheese out of the fridge and cool the cake before serving. This cake still needs to develop its flavor during cooling time.
- Layer cake: Double the recipe and bake in separate pans to turn this into a layer cake.
- Storage: Store for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. But if it's very hot where you live, pop it in the fridge—good for up to 5 days. You can serve it straight from the refrigerator.
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Nutrition (% Daily value)
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
James says
Using the slider to dcsle the recipe does NOT update the metric measurements.
Mariska Ramondino says
Hi James, thank you for stopping by. That is correct. The recipe card will not adjust the metric system, because as with every automatic system, they only provide suggestions and can sometimes be inaccurate (I've tested those results). I use a scale to test each recipe and provide you the accurate amount of metric measurements next to each ingredient so you know exactly the amount of ingredients being used (especially for baking recipes). If you should have any questions for making a smaller or larger cake, feel free to message me and I will see if I can help.