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World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake

★★★★★★★★★★
4.5 stars, average of 594 ratings

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Note: Based on feedback, recipe has been retested and updated. Some of our readers seemed to have an issue with the texture so we tweaked the ingredients and technique for better no-fail results.

This may be the World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake. In fact I'm so confident about it, it’s what I’ve named it. 🙂

What makes this cake so great? Firstly — it’s a cinch to make, and does not require any complicated processes. And of course it's delicious — and is actually better on days 2 or 3, rather than drying out like a regular cake might. As always, it's gluten-free ad sugar-free.

Is Dark Chocolate Keto?

We used 90% dark chocolate but any dark chocolate with at least 85% cacao is a good low-carb option. Although there is a small amount of sugar, the carb count is low and it's one of the ingredients that can be used in moderation when you follow a healthy low-carb diet. You can also use sugar-free chocolate (dark, milk or even white if you can get it) sweetened with stevia or inulin.

Please note that the type of chocolate you use matters. If you're sensitive to the bittersweet taste of dark chocolate, make sure you use the one you have tried before and liked. Alternatively, you can use sugar-free dark chocolate, which tends to be milder, or sugar-free milk chocolate.

Recipe Tips

What is the Best Low-Carb Sweetener For Fudgy Cake?

You can use Allulose or Erythritol based sweeteners or a blend of Erythritol and stevia. Just keep in mind that some sweeteners are sweeter than others so make sure to check out our sweetener conversion chart.

If your aim is a moist, fudgy cake, you'll get the best results with Allulose or Xylitol although not everyone can tolerate Xylitol. I find Erythritol dries out cakes a little quicker, but you could easily substitute a different sweetener or blend if you prefer.

How To Make Nut-Free Keto Chocolate Cake

The best alternative to almond flour in this recipe would be ground sunflower seeds. If you want to use coconut flour instead, you'll need to replace the almond flour with 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of coconut flour and add one more egg.

How To Make Dairy-Free Keto Chocolate Cake

Butter is the best option for flavor but if you can't eat dairy, you could try ghee. Ghee is made from butter but is usually well tolerated as milk solids are removed. Other than ghee, you can try virgin coconut oil or palm shortening.

Palm shortening is made from palm oil. Beware that the standard practice for harvesting palm trees to produce palm oil destroys tropical forests and habitats of endangered species! Always opt for sustainably sourced palm oil and palm shortening.

What if My Ganache Splits?

This ganache should not split as long as you follow the recipe. If your ganache splits, add a dash of warm water and stir through. You can also try placing it in a food processor and process for a few seconds until smooth.

Hands-on Overall

Serving size 1 slice

Allergy information for World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake

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

Nutritional values (per 1 slice)

Net carbs5.5 grams
Protein8 grams
Fat32.6 grams
Calories338 kcal
Calories from carbs 6%, protein 9%, fat 85%
Total carbs8.6 gramsFiber3.2 gramsSugars2.4 gramsSaturated fat15.9 gramsSodium95 mg(4% RDA)Magnesium93 mg(23% RDA)Potassium306 mg(15% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 12 servings)

Chocolate Cake:
Chocolate Ganache:

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 150 °C/ 300 °F (fan assisted), or 170 °C/ 340 °F (conventional). Line the base and sides of a 20 cm/ 8" springform pan with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Roughly chop or break the chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate and butter cut into pieces in a double boiler or a glass bowl on top of a small saucepan filled with a cup of water over a medium heat.
    Note: See recipe tips for dark chocolate or sugar-free chocolate options. World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  3. Once completely melted, remove from the heat and set aside to cool down. The chocolate should not be hot when adding to the cake batter. World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  4. In another bowl, sift the almond flour, cacao powder and baking powder (you can omit baking powder for a dense, fudgier cake). Mix to combine. (Using a sieve will help remove any clumps.) World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  5. Crack the eggs a third bowl and add the sweetener and vanilla. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, process until smooth and frothy. Reduce the speed and slowly drizzle in the cooled melted chocolate. World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  6. Keep mixing until smooth. Add the mixed dry ingredients. World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  7. Keep mixing on low until smooth and well combined. World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  8. Pour into the prepared tin and loosely cover with foil. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until firm to touch on top and a wooden skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  9. Remove the foil and allow the cake to cool completely in the tin and then refrigerate. World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  10. To make the ganache, heat up the cream until hot (do not boil) and set aside. Optionally, you can add 1 to 4 tablespoons of powdered low-carb sweetener such as Allulose or Erythritol for a sweeter ganache frosting.
  11. Add the dark chocolate broken into pieces and let it melt undisturbed for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, whisk until smooth and glossy. Do not over-mix or it may split. Set aside to cool down slightly before frosting the cake. World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  12. Remove the chilled cake from the fridge. Spread the ganache on with a knife. World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake
  13. This cake will last for up to a week in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months (slice and separate each slice with a piece of parchment.) World's Best Keto Chocolate Cake

World’s Best Chocolate Cake
Step by Step

★★★★★★★★★★
4.5 stars, average of 594 ratings
World’s Best Chocolate Cake
Deliciously rich, moist and fudgy chocolate cake topped with creamy chocolate frosting. No flour and no sugar needed!
Hands on20m
Overall2h
Servings12
Calories338 kcal
Pin it

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 150 °C/ 300 °F (fan assisted), or 170 °C/ 340 °F (conventional). Line the base and sides of a 20 cm/ 8" springform pan with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Roughly chop or break the chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate and butter cut into pieces in a double boiler or a glass bowl on top of a small saucepan filled with a cup of water over a medium heat.
    Note: See recipe tips for dark chocolate or sugar-free chocolate options.
  3. Once completely melted, remove from the heat and set aside to cool down. The chocolate should not be hot when adding to the cake batter.
  4. In another bowl, sift the almond flour, cacao powder and baking powder (you can omit baking powder for a dense, fudgier cake). Mix to combine. (Using a sieve will help remove any clumps.)
  5. Crack the eggs a third bowl and add the sweetener and vanilla. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, process until smooth and frothy. Reduce the speed and slowly drizzle in the cooled melted chocolate.
  6. Keep mixing until smooth. Add the mixed dry ingredients.
  7. Keep mixing on low until smooth and well combined.
  8. Pour into the prepared tin and loosely cover with foil. Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until firm to touch on top and a wooden skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
  9. Remove the foil and allow the cake to cool completely in the tin and then refrigerate.
  10. To make the ganache, heat up the cream until hot (do not boil) and set aside. Optionally, you can add 1 to 4 tablespoons of powdered low-carb sweetener such as Allulose or Erythritol for a sweeter ganache frosting.
  11. Add the dark chocolate broken into pieces and let it melt undisturbed for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, whisk until smooth and glossy. Do not over-mix or it may split. Set aside to cool down slightly before frosting the cake.
  12. Remove the chilled cake from the fridge. Spread the ganache on with a knife.
  13. This cake will last for up to a week in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months (slice and separate each slice with a piece of parchment.)

Nutrition (per serving, 1 slice)

Calories338kcal
Net Carbs5.5g
Carbohydrates8.6g
Protein8g
Fat32.6g
Saturated Fat15.9g
Fiber3.2g
Sugar2.4g
Sodium95mg
Magnesium93mg
Potassium306mg

Detailed nutritional breakdown (per 1 slice)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Total per 1 slice
5.5 g8 g32.6 g338 kcal
Extra dark chocolate, 90% cocoa (cacao)
2.2 g1.7 g9.4 g94 kcal
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed
0 g0.1 g7.6 g68 kcal
Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal)
0.7 g1.8 g4.4 g49 kcal
Cocoa powder, raw (cacao)
0.4 g0.4 g0.2 g4 kcal
Baking powder, gluten-free
0.1 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs)
0.2 g3.1 g2.4 g36 kcal
Allulose, natural low-carb sweetener
0.5 g0 g0 g2 kcal
Vanilla extract, sugar-free, alcohol-based
0 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Cream, heavy whipping, pouring, full-fat (30-40% fat)
0.3 g0.2 g3.8 g37 kcal
Extra dark chocolate, 90% cocoa (cacao)
1.1 g0.8 g4.7 g47 kcal

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Dearna Bond
Creator of ToHerCore.com

Dearna Bond

Dearna is a passionate foodie and food photographer, and loves sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for both via her food blog and online photography courses.

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Comments (48)

SO easily a 5-star recipe! Thank you so much, Dearna and Martina, my husband made this for me for my birthday today, and despite being a novice baker, he found this very easy to follow. He did have a little trouble with the ganache splitting because he probably whisked it too vigorously, but we fixed it in the end by adding another thing layer of freshly made ganache to the top (the more the better, right??) He used 2 tbsp of the optional powdered erythritol for the first ganache and used 90% chocolate for everything. Absolutely marvelous! This makes an incredibly fudgy, dense, rich, and yet melt-in-the-mouth cake that will keep you coming back for more, and I think it would be perfect as brownies too, maybe with some chopped nuts, or as a chocolate orange cake with orange zest and/or extract. Or with raspberries or strawberries on the top. Goodness, I think I need to run into my fridge now for a surreptitious snack... Thank you so much for a fantastic recipe, this one is for keeps!
PS. There is a tiny error in the ganache ingredients list. It says 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (120 ml). I guess it should be 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (120 ml), right?

Awww thank you so much for the lovely review Anu! This was one of those recipes I retested just to make sure we had no issues, and it came out great, with a few tweaks which improved the texture. I'm glad you enjoyed, thanks for the tips! Will fix the error, thanks for spotting that!

This is an awesome cake. It is a grade moist, tastes fabulous to everyone and as it is keto, I can enjoy a slice with the family. This is going to become a staple take to event- chocolate cake. 5 Yums. Thank you

Thank you Karen, I'm glad you enjoyed!

UPDATE: Recipe has been retested for better, no fail results. Although I personally had no issues with the previous recipe, some of my readers had issues with the texture being too fatty/too dense. That is why I tweaked the ingredients and the technique to address those issues. The updated recipe uses 2 more eggs and baking powder, plus the ingredients are added gradually rather than being all mixed together (which on it's own can cause issues if ingredients don't get mixed properly). I also simplified the ganache which now doesn't include any butter. The previous ganache was closer to buttercream frosting (from this recipe: Chocolate Keto Blender Cupcakes). Either are good options although I find the updated ganache version more suitable for this cake.

I honestly wanted to cry when I tried this cake, it's so freaking good! everyone loved it, even non keto people!
it's fudgy, moist, super chocolaty... can't begin to say how happy I am I found you guys! ABSOLUTELLY DELICIOUS!

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback!

I have been keto for 5yrs now so am used to bitter rich cakes but this cake was next level and not in a good way.
I followed the recipe to a tee and it cooked well but it was just so rich and strong and almost inedible. To be fair I understand different ingredients yield different results so I used 85% chocolate from Aldi. The texture of the cake was nice it was just far to bitter. And then having the Icing on top which was just more bitterness well you can imagine it was just chocolate overload.  Defintiy not even close to the best keto chocolate cake I've made and won't be making again. Sorry xx

I'm sorry, that must have been so disappointing! I think this was definitely down to the chocolate. I can eat 90% chocolate from Lindt on its own and don't find it bitter - in fact that is what I use in most of my recipes. If you do use the right type of chocolate, it is divine! I'll add a note to make sure people are aware.

Hi Could I make it in a loaf pan? Do not have a spring form at hand.

Absolutely! Depending on the size of your loaf pan, this will take similar time to cook but you will need to keep checking (once or twice) with a wooden skewer.

OMG! This is the best cake I have ever made or had! Loved it! Used allulose as a sweetener and halved the receipt to make just 6 servings. It was so rich and definitely hit the spot! My 7 yo and my husband didn’t know this was keto and enjoyed it with vanilla ice cream. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!

Thank you so much Jo, I'm glad you all enjoyed! 😊

Hi, have you ever tried this recipe as cupcakes? I'm wondering what the texture is like, if it would stick to cupcake liners and if you can suggest a baking time for them?

I haven't tried making this into cupcakes but you could follow the baking tips here, it should be similar: Chocolate Keto Blender Cupcakes

This looks divine! Can the recipe be halved? Thank you! 😊

Yes, this recipe will be easy to halve if you use 2 eggs and follow the gram/ounce recommendation (half) for the remaining ingredients.

I have never left a review for anything. But I had to. Just finished making this and it's the categorically the worst thing I've ever created in a kitchen in my life. I was excited to make this for my birthday tomorrow.... The 'cake' didn't bake... After an hour in the oven it's still complete grainy oily mush. Yup the ganache split and the recipe wasn't enough to cover the cake... and that sugar substitute tastes absolutely awful and causes the worst stomach ache!  If this is the world's best Keto cake than God help us all!

That does indeed sound like a disaster. However, I'm not convinced it's this recipe that's the issue. So far it received great feedback- here and on social media - and I made it myself too (with additional baking powder for a fluffier texture - yet still fudgy and rich). It seems to me like the oven settings might have been off.
As for the ganache, if the ganache splits, there are tips to prevent that in the recipe post above. It's a common issue but can easily be fixed/prevented. The ganache only covers the top, not the sides. If you want to fully cover the cake, you do need more ganache.
Sweetener alternatives - we're using the most common option that's usually well tolerated and tastes better than stevia, but you could try Xylitol, Allulose, stevia, or monk fruit. Allulose would probably be the best option.

Hi there,
I followed  the recipe exactly, and triple checked the ingredients. It was extremely dense before putting in the oven, and seemed off, but I did and used exactly what you listed.
Cake is an oily mess like the person above said. I cooked it at the proper temp as well. I'm also a long time home cook and have never had this issue.
Any suggestions  for rehabbing this thing please? This was a ton of high end chocolate  that I really hate to waste.
Thank you

Hi Lucy, I'll be making this cake for a friend of mine soon so I'll use that opportunity to try and figure out what might be going wrong. It seems that this recipe is tricky for some of my readers so I'm sure there's something going on. I made it once before with no issues - my suspicion is the type of chocolate as not all dark chocolate is the same. I'll try this with my usual Lindt 90% and will report back!

Can allulose be substituted 1:1 for erythritol here and in any recipe?

I think you may need to use a little less as Allulose is as sweet as sugar. Erythritol is about 70% as sweet as sugar. I'd use 1/2 cup (100 g/ 3.5 oz) of allulose in the cake and about the same amount in the frosting (just 1 tbsp).

Made  today.
Best keto chocolate cake I have made or tasted.
Had all ingredients in the cupboard.
Easy and yummy.

Thank you for your kind words, glad you enjoyed! ❤

How long should I bake for if I only have a 12 in spring pan?

That will make a relatively flat cake. I'd only be guessing but I'd say 30 minutes? I'd start testing after 20 minutes just to be sure.

Sorry, just seen that someone has already asked about freezing. Thanks! 👍🏼

No problem at all! I'll add it i the recipe to make it easier to find 😊

I made it and it’s DELECTABLE. I can only really have a slice per day so considering freezing it....Can I freeze it??

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed!

Sounds delicious! Would I be able to use 100% ghirardelli chocolate? It’s what I have on hand...would I just add a touch more sweetener?

Yes you can use 100% dark chocolate. Just keep in mind you may need to add sweetener - always use to taste 😊 I'd personally keep the 3/4 cup in the base but would add about 3 tablespoons in the ganache.

Love the recipe and can't wait to give it a try soon. I just wonder about baking powder which is not in the recipe....Wouldn't it give a cake rise better combined with Dutch cocoa powder? Thanks!

Hi Iva, yes that would make it rise more. Without it the cake is more dense/rich. Someone else asked on Instagram so I'll add a note 😊

Your direction (step 9) say "To serve, remove the chilled cake from the fridge".  I do not see any prior instruction about needing to refrigerate the cake. Is it preferable to do that?

Thank you Debra, I realised step 8 was merged with step 7 so it wasn't obvious. Fixed! No need to refrigerate though, you can serve it at room temperature too.

Make the cake on Friday night officially enjoying the last slice now alone 😊, magnificent, amazing

Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed!

Love this cake made it today so easy and tasty. My ganache split any advise how to make it successfully? Thank you

Hi Viviane, that can happen and it happens to me too. I'll add my own note for making the ganache as it always works and it's so easy! You can still fix it if it splits. I do that by placing it in a food processor for a few seconds - it will be super smooth again!

Thanks so much!

Thank you, Dearna, for a fun and easy chocolate cake recipe that can be whipped up quickly. The taste is deep smooth chocolate and the texture and crumb are somewhat delicate, it is dense not so much like a brownie, but more like a coffee cake. The ganache topping was a perfect addition, so creamy and smooth. One slice with one scoop of sugar free strawberry ice cream was so satisfying to my need for a chocolate dessert tonight. Not one ingredient nor step  should be changed. My cake looked slightly moist on the middle top after baking and removing the foil, but after cooling it was beautiful and perfectly cooked.

Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! I'm happy you enjoyed!

Also, if you wanted to bake into two smaller cakes, what size of pan would you recommend and how long would you recommend baking them?

I'd love to help but I would only be guessing since I don't know the size of the pans. Depending on the size of the pan and how much the dough spreads, the baking time will decrease. As with any chocolate cakes, you will have to keep an eye on the cake as you won't be able to see if it burns - and as always this can happen with nuts. Start testing with a toothpick after about 30 minutes (if using smaller pans).

Does the cake freeze well?

Hi Amber, yes, this kind of cake will freeze well.