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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowAn easy keto pound cake might not be the first thing you envision when you picture keto dessert, but maybe you’ll do a double take after you try this one. 😉 My low carb pound cake takes just 10 minutes to prep, 7 ingredients, and has ALL the flavor of a classic pound cake. Serve almond flour pound cake with a touch of whipped cream and berries for a sweet summer dessert, or with coffee at breakfast – it’s healthy enough to do both!
I have a few cakes in my collection of almond flour recipes already, but realized that a keto pound cake was a big missing piece. Time to fix that!
I used my favorite monk fruit sweetener to keep it extra moist. It makes the perfect keto pound cake.
How To Make Keto Pound Cake
My low carb sugar-free pound cake takes just 10 minutes to prep! Here’s how we make it:
- Beat together butter and Besti using a hand mixer. It’s good to go when it’s nice and fluffy.
- Add wet ingredients. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Beat in vanilla. It might not be perfectly smooth, which is okay.
- Add dry ingredients. Lower the mixer speed and beat in almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Sprinkle (don’t dump!) xanthan gum over the batter and beat until just combined.
- Prepare for baking. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top, rounding slightly.
- Bake low carb almond pound cake. Start with 25-30 minutes, until golden, then tent the top with foil and bake for 20-30 more minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let bread cool. Allow the bread to cool completely before moving or slicing. You can use the edges of the parchment paper to transfer it to a cooling rack after 10-15 minutes out of the oven.
My Recipe Tips
- Use room-temperature eggs. If you don’t, the butter may solidify too much.
- Scrape the bowl with a spatula. This ensures you got all the ingredients incorporated.
- I round the top before baking, because keto pound cake doesn’t rise as much as the regular kind with wheat flour. But it will still rise some!
- Leave some room in your pan for the keto bundt cake to rise. If you have extra batter, you can easily make a few muffins to use up the remaining batter.
- Wet center or burnt top? This recipe uses a two-step bake: first until golden, then tent with foil and continue until a toothpick comes out clean. Skipping either step can lead to a soggy center or burned top.
- Cake wet in the middle? It needed more time in the oven. You can pop it back in if it hasn’t cooled yet.
- Burned on top? The foil needed to go on sooner. You can’t fix it, but the inside is usually still good—just skip the burnt part.
- Cracked top? Totally normal! Pound cakes (keto or not) often crack because the batter is dense. I think it looks pretty!
- Want to avoid cracks? Try a tube pan instead of a loaf pan. (See above for how to adjust the recipe.)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is it called pound cake? Traditionally, pound cake calls for a pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. I tweaked the amounts a bit for my keto version, since these ingredients work a little differently, to get a very close end result.
- Do you use baking powder? Traditional pound cake does not use any baking powder – the leavening comes from creaming the butter, beating the batter, and the eggs. However, since almond flour is already so dense to begin with and does not rise as easily as white flour, we do include baking powder in this low carb pound cake recipe. Trust me, you want it in there.
- Can I use a tube or bundt pan? Yes! I used a loaf pan, but both work well. For a 10″ tube pan, multiply the recipe by 2.5 (enter 30 servings on the card). For a 10″ bundt pan, double it (enter 24 servings). Baking time may vary based on pan shape and material.
- What kind of almond flour is okay to use? It’s important to use super fine blanched almond flour for this keto pound cake recipe. Do not use almond meal or a coarse almond flour – both of these would result is a more grainy result.
- Can you use coconut flour? No, sorry. You’d need to make multiple other changes for the recipe to work. If you’re looking for something with coconut flour, try coconut flour blueberry muffins instead, or one of my other coconut flour recipes.
- Can I use a different sweetener? I highly recommend monk fruit allulose blend for the moistest sugar-free pound cake. If you don’t have it, my article on keto friendly sugar substitutes has some other options. Just know that the moisture and texture will be different if you use something else.
- Can you make almond flour pound cake dairy-free? Yes, swap out the butter for your favorite vegan butter alternative. (Check the labels on these to see if you’re okay with what they use instead.) You could use coconut oil, but this almond flour pound cake tastes best with butter flavor! While I haven’t tried it in this keto pound cake recipe, I’ve have had success with butter-flavored coconut oil for other recipes.
More Low Carb Keto Cake Recipes
If you like this keto almond flour pound cake, you might also like some of these other cakes:
- Keto Red Velvet Cake – This gorgeous cake is sure to impress – whether you’re keto or not!
- Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake – One of the first keto pound cakes I’ve made, and still one of my faves. This one is in a bundt pan.
- Keto Chocolate Cake – So rich and moist, and made with my favorite keto chocolate frosting.
- Keto Carrot Cake – The perfect spring cake for special occasions… or any day. 😉
Tools I Use For This Recipe
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – Just two natural ingredients that taste and act like sugar. It’s the key to a super moist sugar-free pound cake.
- Hand Mixer – I love that this hand mixer can be stored all together – no more searching for missing pieces.
- Small Loaf Pan – This pan is the perfect size for this almond flour pound cake recipe, plus it never sticks. Many other loaf pans are actually too large.
Keto Pound Cake (Easy, Sweet, Buttery)
This easy low carb keto pound cake recipe with almond flour is moist, rich and buttery, with just 3g net carbs per slice and 7 ingredients.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line an 8.5x4.5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, so that the paper hangs over the 2 long sides.
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In a large, deep bowl, use a hand mixer at high speed to beat the butter and Besti together, until fluffy.
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Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
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Lower the mixer speed to medium-low. Beat in the almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt. If using xanthan gum, sprinkle (don’t dump) it evenly over the batter and beat in at low speed until just combined.
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Scrape the sides of the bowl. The batter will be thick and creamy. Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and smooth the top, rounding slightly.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Tent the top with foil, then continue baking for 20-30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool in the pan before moving or slicing.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya's Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice (between 1/2" and 3/4" thick), or 1/12 entire loaf
- Store: Keep it in an airtight container on the counter for 2–3 days, or wrap it up and refrigerate for up to a week.
- Freeze: Freeze slices (wrapped individually) for up to 6 months so you can grab one anytime. Or freeze the whole cake—it makes a great gift, so go ahead and double or triple the batch! 😉
- Thaw: Let it thaw while still wrapped, either in the fridge or on the counter.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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The Best Low Carb Keto Pound Cake Recipe
128 Comments
Zoe
0I used this recipe as a base for my sugar free strawberry shortcake. It was perfect! My boyfriend was just recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, so our style of baking has changed to mostly sugar free and grain free. Maya’s recipes have been fabulous!💕
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad my recipes have been helpful for you and your boyfriend, Zoe! Love that you turned this into a strawberry shortcake, sounds delicious.
Lili
0This is one of the first recipes l tried. I’m always on the search for the pound cake like my Belgium grandmother made. The last time I saw her was in the mid eighties. I left on the train back to Paris with her carefully packed pound cake which smelled heavenly.
Your recipe came very close, thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Awww, what a lovely memory, Lili! Thank you for sharing. I’m so honored that my recipe helped recreate that memory for you.
Liz
0Excellent taste. Topped with sugar free whip cream and a few berries.
Lili
0Turned out great! Delicious! Sharing it.
Nicole
0Hi! Can I use maple syrup in place of the monk fruit? I don’t need keto per se, but I don’t want refined sugars.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Nicole, No, sorry, it’s never a good idea to replace granulated sweeteners with liquid ones in recipes. It would throw off the ratio of the batter. I do have an almond flour banana bread that uses honey and bananas to sweeten, and you should be able to use maple syrup instead of honey if you prefer.
Teresa
0Just made this recipe and I have to tell you it turned out very good!! I made a few changes based on previews comments, about reducing the butter, and I’m gald I did, because it was already very oily (which I like!!!) but with all the butter with would’ve been too much! I understand this is a pound cake, and it does taste amazing with half the butter the recipe calls for! (I used 150g of butter) Thank you for this recipe, it will be my go to for when I’m craving cake!
Bob
0New to Keto baking and not much of a baker to start with. Not strict keto but trying for lower carbs and sugar to minimize impact on diabetes,
Tried this Keto Pound Cake because it sounded relatively simple and that is what we need. Used all recommended ingredients and cooking times as listed.
The cake looks great but is kind of bland and oily. Very dense and moist.
I suspect several problems in my preparation:
– butter was probably not softened enough?
– not sure eggs were to room temperature?
– probably did not cream the butter and sugar properly
– and from reading other comments, I suspect that overmixing might be an issue as well?
As to flavor – seems like increasing the amount of vanilla extract might be a help here?
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Bob, Sorry to hear your cake didn’t turn out as expected. It’s a pound cake, so it’s normal for it to be fairly dense and buttery, but it shouldn’t be oily or SUPER dense. Was your baking powder fresh? Other than that, the problems you listed are probably the reasons for the other issues. Regarding the vanilla, the quality matters in the flavor and I love this brand, but you can try adding more next time if yours is weaker.
MissyWynn
0I made this keto pound cake today 5/16/2024, I added two tablespoons of bamboo fiber and 3 extra tablespoons of monk fruit sweetener. it was easy to make and the flavor was good. I tented at the beginning, half-way through, I removed the tent and just covered the edges with the same foil, so they wouldn’t get too brown. The cake browned beautifully all the way through and didn’t crack. But the cake was way too oily as the previous commenters stated. I think that the almond flour also has oil in it, and that contributed to the oiliness of the cake as opposed to wheat flour, which does not have additional oil. This is going to be my go to cake. Next time, I will only use one stick or 1/2 cup of butter, I’ll post when I make it again…MissyWynn.
Melanie Gondo
0I’ve been making this pound cake for over 9 months and it’s the perfect cake to crush my sweet tooth. I don’t use as much butter as I found it very oilly but other than that it my go to. It very easy to make and as someone who does keto, the ingredients are a staple in my cupboard. This recipe is a must have for anyone who misses cakes. Really good recipe.
Magid Shirzadegan
0Do you have recipe doe a keto Marble Cake? Thanks!!!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Magid, I don’t have a marble cake recipe, but I do have a chocolate cake and vanilla cake recipe.
Rabbitman
0There’s way too much butter in the recipe came out kind of like a Jell-O cake that was undercooked. My oven works perfectly I do believe the butter needs to be adjusted?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, Pound cake is a butter heavy recipe, so I don’t recommend changing the amount.
Kenna
0I won’t use almond flour because all my baking turns out greasy & oily from it. I think I’ll try the new tiger nut flour that’s out. I use monk fruit sweetener but the almond flour just makes everything oily & taste oily.
jeb
0Since the xantham gum must be distributed so carefully, is it possible to blend it with the flour first?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jeb, I have never tried that method.
luca
01 cup of butter is way too much, a couple of tbsp is enough.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
1Hi Luca, Pound cake recipes always have a lot of butter. A cake with just a couple tablespoons of butter would need other changes and would be a completely different kind of cake.
Marilyn D
0Thank you for this recipe. It’s easy to make and the cake taste good.
shannon jackson
0Can this be made in a kitchenaide stand mixer?
Wholesome Yum D
1Hi Shannon, Yes, you could use a stand mixer.
Linda Smith
0I’m afraid my cake didn’t turn out very well… it seemed very oily and even though I tented it half way thru, it got really brown on the ends. The only thing I did different was use just allulose that I had on hand instead of the blend… it also wasn’t sweet enough… don’t know if it was because I didn’t use the blend, but used the same amount. Ended up throwing it out… I’ll probably try it again in the future to see if it turns out better.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Linda, Allulose is not as sweet as Besti Monkfruit Allulose Blend. You will need to add more allulose to get the same results. You can use my keto sweeteners guide to get more info on this topic.
Kisha
0This is a great recipe. I have used it a few times now. I was using a different recipe for a while but I think this one yields more cake and I like how it actually has more butter like traditional pound cake. I used monkfruit sweetener and only used a 1/2 cup. It’s perfect for me! Thank you!
Andy
0Hi, I would love to make this cake but in the UK I cannot get your Allulose Monk Fruit sweetener.
I prefer to use erythritol.
Is there any way to replace some items to make this work?
Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Andy, The cake is less moist using erythritol, but it would still work.
Daina
0Great recipe! I’ve tried it with both xylitol and monk fruit, and it turned out delicious. Did not add xanthan gum. It’s definitely better if chilled since it’s quite oily otherwise. We love serving with berries and whipped cream!
Linda Smith
0Have you tried adding lemon extract instead of vanilla… lemon pound cake is so good, so was wondering.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Linda, I have a recipe for keto lemon pound cake you can check out.
Julie Dufaj
0Does reducing the amount of sweetener affect the outcome? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Julie, Yes it would I have never tried that so I can’t exactly say what the results would be.
JoAnn
0Fantastic! Most keto “cake or bread” recipes are flat and eggy. This very much, in taste and texture, ate like a real pound cake. I had about a half cup of freeze-dried raspberries folded in at the last second and that added nicely to the overall presentation.
Nicole
0Can you make this using flax egg?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nicole, Yes, that would work.
Sory
0I want to make it! if I want to make it like a pecan pound cake, How much pecan could I add? Do I need to change the ratio of the almond flour?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sory, I have not attempted to add pecans to this recipe so I am unsure of the alterations.
Jane
0How do I alter the recipe to make it a chocolate pound cake? And for chocolate chip, should I just add chocolate chips or do I need to alter something else?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jane, Unfortunately, I have not experimented with chocolate chips in this recipe so I am unable to give an exact amount. Other readers have added chocolate chips without altering the other ingredients and have had good results.
El
0I added chocolate chips and it was amazing. I sliced it and froze it and then reheat it in a sandwich press for a quick treat. I also tried it with blueberries. I had to cook for longer and probably should have reduced the liquids but it was still amazing for a first attempt.
Nanni
0Hi Maya! I love all of your recipes that I have made (a lot!) and especially your cakes. 🙂 I am from Germany and we make both chocolate and marbled pound cakes in addition to regular. Since your pound tastes so much like the one I used to make before Keto, I’m wondering how much cocoa powder I need to add to make a chocolate pound cake? Or is that not workable with this recipe? I look forward to more new recipes and thank you for posting all of them.
Danielle
0Hi Maya, can you use half coconut flour and half almond flour in tbis recipe?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Danielle, No, sorry. You’d need to make multiple other changes for the recipe to work. You can check out my other coconut flour recipes here.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nanni, Chocolate pound cake sounds delicious! Unfortunately, I have not experimented with cocoa powder in this recipe so I am unable to give an exact amount. If you try, please let me know the results!
Ayelet
0I found there was too much butter in it. As I was eating it, I could feel the butter separating from the rest of the cake in my mouth. Would you suggest I use less butter next time? I am sure that I didn’t overmix the batter.
It would be a great pound cake if not for the oily factor!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Ayelet, I am sorry the recipe didn’t turn out as expected. The issue could arise if the butter was melted and not softened. Perhaps try my Lemon Pound Cake for a recipe with less butter.
Rachel Smith
0Hi. All of my experience so far with keto baking have resulted in under baked goods. Is there a recommended internal temperature for a cake to reach to be properly done? I have found a recommended range for bread but haven’t found anything yet for cakes..
Janet
0Get a good oven thermometer. It makes a big difference if time adjustment is needed.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Rachel, A finished temperature for cakes could vary depending on the ingredients used and the type of cake you are baking. If you are consistently getting underdone baked goods, you can try either tenting your cake for the last 10 minutes of baking OR turn your oven off when you are ready to finish baking your cake and allow it to cool in the oven. I hope one of these tips works for you!
Ann Pierce
0I used room temp butter that melted as I creamed it with the sweetener the cake cooked well but is greasy
Is there a way to avoid that? What did I do wrong?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ann, If your cake ended up greasy, then the batter was likely overmixed. Next time, try mixing to combine and not letting your mixer run too long. I hope this helps!
Mary
0Does this have a gritty texture. Most things I make with almond flour do. What am I doing wrong?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mary, It’s possible you are using the wrong almond flour. Make sure you are using ‘fine’ or ‘superfine’ ground blanched almond flour – not almond meal. You can find my favorite almond flour here — all my recipes are tested using this one!
Nancy
0Sadly disappointed in this recipe. It was moist and looked just like the pictures, but totally lacked any flavor. I’m going back to my pound cake made with cream cheese. I did appreciate the detailed directions and video, however. Will also use the Keto sweeteners chart as I have a pantry full of different kinds.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Nancy, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations. Here is a recipe for Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake if you prefer an added flavor to your cake.
Maggie
0Thank you for great recipe ! I am in love in this pound cake . I used erythritol and was perfect. I am new in Keto and this is my first successful pound cake. My husband didn’t recognize any differences and he thought it was normal pound cake base on regular sugar and flour. Thank you for all the fantastic recipes!
bookshellz
0Hi! This pound cake looks delicious so I can’t wait to try it! I have monk fruit and I have allulose, but I don’t have the blend. How much of each should I use in this recipe? Thank you for all of the fantastic recipes! I appreciate all your hard work!
…bookshellz
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi BookShellz, You can make this recipe with pure allulose. Check out this sweetener calculator here to determine how much you would need. Enjoy!
Pam McCall
0Love this!
Denese Schellink
0This is so delicious. Moist and buttery. I added some lemon zest for flavor. I’ll be using it for a Lemon Curd Yogurt with Berries Parfait. Thanks for this.
Hannah
0I made this into 12 muffins and baked around 23 mins. They are so moist and tasty! And the ingredients are so simple. I love it. Will be my go to recipe for pound cake for sure. Thank you.
Elaine
0Loved the cake.
Paul Gardner
0I’ve been making this pound cake for months now and it always comes out great. I’ve amazed friends who come over for coffee when I tell them it’s low carb. Thank you for developing this recipe
One question if I may. I want to increase my intake of fiber and wondered what the result would be if I added a cup of flax seed meal. I would assume I would have to increase the egg and other moisture to compensate. Have you done any experiments with flax? Thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Paul, I don’t recommend doing this. A cup of flaxseed meal would make this recipe very dry and change the texture to be more like bread.
HB
0This was amazing. I can’t believe how moist it was. I’m shocked a keto dessert could be such a close approximation of a cake. It was just delicious. Thank you so much for this!
I followed the recipe to the letter, though I’m not sure of the brand of almond flour I used. Also, I mixed in the Xanthan gum too much I think. But it was still great and the texture was fantastic.
Note: I cooked mine near the minimum amount of time and it sank in the middle. I probably didn’t cook it long enough. I stuck in a cake tester and it came out moist but clean. Maybe it needs to come out more dry and clean? I am no baker so I have no idea.
The pound cake was made to be cubed for dipping in some keto fondue, so no one cared that it sank (or even knew).
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi HB, Glad you enjoyed the recipe! If it sank in the middle, it probably could have used the extra time in the oven.
Tashima
0It can out very oily and I followed the recipe. How can I fix that?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tashima, I am sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. The texture will turn out oily if the batter has been overmixed.
Sandy
0Great recipe Maya, You listed vanilla extra, but not when to add it. I
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sandy, Vanilla goes in at step 3 😉
Linda Hill
0Tried the almond flour pound cake. The recipe was easy to follow and had a personal touch to it. My additions to the loaf was whipping cream, the flour was sifted (looking to create finer texture), and lemon flavoring.
Even though I altered it, the pound cake turned out moist with a texture that was good.
Ankita
0So I tried this recipe but it sunk after I removed from oven otherwise everything was just fine.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ankita, Did you do the toothpick test on your pound cake? It may have needed a few extra minutes in the oven.
Josephine
0Just made this. Made it for 8 servings. Used a texas muffin tin and made 5 muffins. Delicious. Ate it straight out of the oven. Missed a real cake taste. Thanks.
Lee Bricker
0I made this recipe last night for my birthday and topped it with purred strawberries. People couldn’t say enough. The only change I made (and I do this with all cakes) is that I substituted 1/4 cup of oat fiber for 1/4 cup of almond flour. That seems to cut the almond taste. I also sifted all the dry ingredients together. It rose and cracked right down the middle just like a pound cake and the flavor and texture was right. Thank you.
Paul Gardner
0I just baked this cake with only 1 variation. It calls for large eggs and all I have are medium so I added an extra egg to make up the possible difference. The cake baked up well, didn’t fall and make a crater. Just sort of leveled out. Texture was light, flavorful and just sweet enough. I used Costco almond flour and Winco bulk monkfruit sweetener. I am diabetic, and this just became my go to dessert! I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes. THANK YOU!!!
Dana
0Just made this and it came out soooo good! Thank you! I didn’t have a pound cake container so i used a muffin tin which created 6 perfect keto pound cakes. Will cut them in half to keto with the serving size. I also used monkfruit sweetner because that’s what i had on hand.
Andi
0I made this recipe and it turned out good with exception of being too oily. I read other reviews with similar results. The texture is perfect though. I will try not over-mixing but I believe it separated when adding the eggs. I put in 2 eggs then was interrupted. It was several minutes before I could continue. The mixture got lumpy but after adding the flour it looked normal. I will definitely try it again.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Andi, It definitely sounds like it was overmixed. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Karen Dalton
0I experienced an oily result, too. I used Besti monk fruit/erythritol, granulated, since it was what I had on hand. Could the granulated texture have caused the problem? I used a stand mixer instead of a hand-held model. Could that have resulted in over mixing?
I have been a baker for years but am new to Keto. I am just learning how to get good results with all these new ingredients! Thanks for all the great recipes. The Keto bread is marvelous.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Karen, I am sorry the recipe didn’t turn out as expected. Likely the problem is one of two possibilities. 1. The butter was melted and not softened or 2. The batter was overmixed. Try to combine the dry ingredients into wet with as efficiently as possible. Overmixing can cause fat separation and ultimately an oily cake. I hope this helps!
Carole
0I made this yesterday and it is fantastic. I am thinking of changing it up next time and adding Mango or Pineapple extract and then making a flavored whipped cream as well. Thank you for a fantastic and easy recipe.