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Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake

4.5 stars, average of 26 ratings

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I know what you're thinking... "But oranges aren't keto so how can you use them in your recipes?"

Actually, oranges aren't off limits, you just need to know how to use them. In this cake we are only using one small orange to make the whole cake, enough to add amazing flavor with none of the carbs. In fact, one generous slice of this easy keto coffee cake is less than 4 grams of net carbs and only about 150 Calories!

You can serve a slice of this grain-free cake on its own or with a dollop of whipped cream, sour cream or mascarpone for a more satisfying sweet breakfast option or dessert.

This Low-Carb Orange Drizzle cake is similar to two other coffee cakes; Low-Carb Madeira Cake, a British classic, and American-style Keto Pound Cake. Both of them are just as easy and delicious!

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The Perfect Orange Drizzle Cake

Recipe development sometimes takes a few attempts before my creations are good enough to be shared. And that's the approach I take with every single recipe I make. Sometimes it only takes one attempt but often it's two or more tries before it's ready. Sometimes I make a recipe more times even though it's a success just to be absolutely sure it works (or simply because it's so good!)

This cake took a few attempts before I got it right. I wanted a nice rise with fluffy texture that's not too dense. That's what you can see on the first cake from the left (photo below). It was my the third attempt and the best by far. In this cake I used Greek-style yogurt and a combination of low-carb flours rather than just one type. Instead of full-fat yogurt you can even use sour cream, the result will be very similar.

Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake

The other two cakes were made with melted butter and a different ratio of dry ingredients, resulting in a denser texture. They were just as delicious (and didn't go to waste!) but the texture wasn't as fluffy and they were way too flat, they were simply not shareworthy yet.

Decorating Orange Drizzle Cake

Even a simple coffee cake like this one can be decorated for a special occasion! If you want to prettify it for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Valentine's Day or any family gathering, simply add some edible flowers and/or a few fresh mint leaves.

Another way to decorate this cake would be by adding thin slices of candied oranges which can be prepared with Allulose. I made candied blood oranges with Allulose before (and dipped them in dark chocolate) and they were just as good as the real deal. No sugar needed!

To do that I used juice from 1 orange combined with a splash of water and about half a cup of Allulose. I then cooked thin slices of another organic orange in this mixture over a low heat until the sauce has thickened and slightly caramelized (do not burn or they will taste bitter). Once done, I used a fork to transfer the slices on a piece of heavy-duty parchment paper, drizzled with any remaining syrup and let them cool down. Once cool, you can use them to decorate the top of the cake, or freeze and then dip in dark chocolate like I did.

Finally, you could add simple frosting such as whipped mascarpone (sweetened or plain). I would advice against butter-based frosting with too much sweetener as the cake already has the glossy orange syrup. You want something light and simple, ideally served alongside the cake rather than spreading it on top.

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Hands-on Overall

Serving size slice

Allergy information for Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake

✔  Gluten free
✔  Nightshade free
✔  Pork free
✔  Avocado free
✔  Fish free
✔  Shellfish free
✔  Beef free
Pescatarian
Vegetarian

Nutritional values (per serving, slice)

Net carbs3.7 grams
Protein9.4 grams
Fat10.9 grams
Calories155 kcal
Calories from carbs 10%, protein 25%, fat 65%
Total carbs5.8 gramsFiber2.1 gramsSugars2.2 gramsSaturated fat2 gramsSodium107 mg(5% RDA)Magnesium47 mg(12% RDA)Potassium213 mg(11% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 10 servings)

Cake:
Orange syrup:
  • juice from 1 small organic orange (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
  • 1 tbsp water (15 ml)
  • 1/4 cup granulated Allulose (50 g/ 1.8 oz)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 160 °C/ 320 °F (fan assisted), or 180 °C/ 355 °F (conventional) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
    Note: You can use 8 inch or 9 inch (20 or 23 cm) loaf pan. The more the batter spreads (wider, larger pan), the shorter the baking time. A smaller, deeper cake loaf pan will result in a higher rise. Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake
  2. In a bowl combine the eggs, vanilla and half of the sweetener used in this recipe (Erythritol, Swerve or Allulose). Use an electric mixer or a hand whisk to beat.
  3. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein powder. Beat to combine. Add the yogurt and orange zest and beat until smooth. Note: Instead of baking powder you can use a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar, or baking soda and lemon juice. Conversion: 1 tsp baking powder = 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or 1 tsp lemon juice added to wet ingredients) + 1/4 tsp baking soda. Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake
  4. Pour the batter into the lined loaf pan. Place in the oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, rotating the pan halfway to ensure even browning. You can test if it's done by inserting a wooden skewer into the cake. It comes out clean, it's done. Remove the cake from the oven and let the cake cool down to room temperature. Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake
  5. When the cake is baked, prepare the syrup by juicing one medium orange (about 4 tablespoons). Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake
  6. Place in a saucepan with a tablespoon of water and the remaining sweetener. This time it's best to use Allulose.
    Note: You do need Allulose if you want to make syrup. You could use Erythritol or Swerve but the syrup won't thicken so keep that in mind. Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake
  7. Cook on medium-high until it starts to boil and then reduce to low. Cook until syrupy, for a few minutes, stirring occasionally with a spatula. Once the syrup thickens (but can still be drizzled), take off the heat. Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake
  8. Use a wooden skewer to make several holes in the cooled cake. Drizzle the prepared orange syrup evenly over the top, allowing it to soak in the holes. Let it sit for a few minutes and then slice. Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake
  9. Store at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage (up to 6 months). Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake
  10. Optionally, you can decorate the cake with some edible flowers and fresh mint leaves. Low-Carb Orange Drizzle Cake

Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, slice)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs)
0.1 g2.5 g1.9 g29 kcal
Vanilla extract, sugar-free, alcohol-based
0 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener)
0.3 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal)
1.3 g3.2 g7.9 g89 kcal
Coconut flour, organic
0.3 g0.5 g0.5 g11 kcal
Whey protein powder (protein isolate, Jay Robb)
0.1 g2 g0 g8 kcal
Baking powder, gluten-free
0.1 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Yogurt, plain (full-fat, Greek style, 5% fat)
0.5 g1.1 g0.6 g12 kcal
Orange peel (zest), fresh
0.1 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Orange juice (fresh 100%)
0.6 g0 g0 g3 kcal
Water, still
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Allulose, natural low-carb sweetener
0.3 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Total per serving, slice
3.7 g9.4 g10.9 g155 kcal

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Martina Slajerova
Creator of KetoDietApp.com

Martina Slajerova

I changed the way I ate in 2011, when I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid. I had no energy, and I found it more and more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.

That’s when I decided to quit sugar, grains, and processed foods, and to start following a whole-foods-based ketogenic approach to food.

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Comments (9)

Could I replace the yogurt with sour cream or whipped cream cheese or mascarpone?

Yes, sour cream would be the next best alternative!

Do you think I could sub sunflower flour for the almond flour?

I think you could if you want it nut-free. It's not as neutral tasting but should work fine. The conversion is about 1:1 so should be quite straightforward.
(I'm sorry for the delayed response, life gets busy with newborn twins!)

Hi, Martina.
Wasn’t paying attention-didn’t click on almond flour link, until I was mid way preparing the cake. By the consistency of the batter I figured that something has to be wrong. Looked again and saw that you actually use almond meal not flour. I hope the cake will still be delish. I have another orange, so I might try this again.

Hi Gea, you should be ok as it was almond flour. Just to explain.... Like many others I use these two interchangeably as they should be the same (almond meal and almond flour are made from blanched ground almonds). Some people may refer to almond meal when using ground whole (unbalanced) almonds. There's also defatted almond flour which is different - similar consistency to coconut flour. I hope this helps!

Hello! I was wondering if the protein powder was a necessary ingredient...? Can I sub something for it? This cake sounds delicious and I have some blood oranges I need to use up, but I don't want to have to buy protein powder that I probably won't use again.

Hi Robyn, the protein powder helps keep the cake fluffy as it replaces the missing gluten. You could achieve similar results by skipping the protein powder and adding 1/4 cup almond flour plus 1/2 tsp xanthan gum. I hope this helps!

Thank you! That's very helpful. 😊