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Keto Key Lime Poke Cake

★★★★★★★★★★
4.4 stars, average of 87 ratings

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I always wanted to make keto-friendly poke cake, especially after I tried this delicious recipe from Carolyn of All Day I Dream About Food a few months ago. I'm a big fan of Carolyn's blog and admire her amazing baking skills. If you ever feel like there is no way to make sweet treats healthy and sugar-free, check out Carolyn's blog. In fact, she shared not just one but several poke cake variations, including strawberry shortcake and Boston cream pie!

In this low-carb key lime poke cake, I used my Dairy-Free Keto Condensed Milk although you could use a regular dairy-based Keto Condensed Milk to make the lime curd filling. It adds both sweetness and creamy texture.

I used less sweetener in the base and filling and skipped them altogether in the topping. I generally my treats not too sweet but you can adjust the amount and add more if needed. Not all sweeteners are equal. While Erythritol is only 70% as sweet as sugar, Swerve is as sweet as sugar so keep that in mind when substituting sweeteners.

I made this keto poke cake in my Kenwood mixer but any hand mixer will work. You could even use a hand whisk. For the cake I used a square silicon pan like this one. I used an 8-inch pan and ended up with 12 servings. If you use a 9-inch pan, you can cut the cake in up to 16 pieces.

Tip: Don't waste the egg whites and use them in other recipes. You can find tips on how to use leftover egg whites in this post: Keto Lemon Curd.

Hands-on Overall

Serving size 1 slice

Allergy information for Keto Key Lime Poke Cake

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

Nutritional values (per 1 slice)

Net carbs5.5 grams
Protein10.5 grams
Fat43.1 grams
Calories450 kcal
Calories from carbs 5%, protein 9%, fat 86%
Total carbs7.9 gramsFiber2.4 gramsSugars2.3 gramsSaturated fat26.5 gramsSodium202 mg(9% RDA)Magnesium76 mg(19% RDA)Potassium354 mg(18% EMR)

Ingredients (makes 12 servings)

Cake base:
Lime curd filling:
Cream topping:

Instructions

  1. Make the cake base. Preheat the oven to 160 °C/ 320 °F (fan assisted), or 180 °C/ 355 °F (conventional). Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper or use a silicon pan.
  2. In a bowl, using a hand whisk, mix the wet ingredients for the cake base: eggs, egg whites, coconut oil and coconut milk.
    Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  3. Add the lime zest. Add a teaspoon of the lime zest to the cake base and keep the rest for the curd and topping. Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  4. In another a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients for the cake base: almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, Erythritol, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Then pour in the wet ingredients for the cake base and mix until well combined. I used a but you can use a hand whisk too. Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is light golden and the cake base is set. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool down on a cooling rack. (Note: I left mine bake for 2 minutes more than I should have and the top almost burnt. Make sure this doesn't happen to you and keep an eye on the cake. Gluten-free flours get burnt easily.) Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  6. Meanwhile, make the lime curd. Juice the limes. Place the egg yolks in a bowl. Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  7. Mix the egg yolks with the lime juice and add a tablespoon of lime zest. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water and stir constantly; make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Keep stirring for 8-10 minutes or until the custard starts to thicken. Then take off the heat. Add the butter and mix until dissolved. (Note: If using matcha, spirulina or chlorella, mix it in the lemon juice before combining with the egg yolks.) Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  8. Add the Keto Condensed Milk and mix until well combined. Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  9. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes all over the cake base. Pour the curd all over the cake base until covered and the holes are filled. Place in the fridge to set for at least an hour. Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  10. Make the cream topping. When the cake is ready, whip up the cream (or coconut milk) with Erythritol (optional) until you get firm peaks. Spread all over the cake ... Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  11. Sprinkle with freshly grated lime zest. Refrigerate for another hour before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keto Key Lime Poke Cake
  12. Serve and enjoy! Keto Key Lime Poke Cake

Key Lime Poke Cake
Step by Step

★★★★★★★★★★
4.4 stars, average of 87 ratings
Key Lime Poke Cake
This delicious low-carb poke cake is so fluffy and moist with layers of sugar-free key lime curd and soft and pillowy whipped cream.
Hands on30m
Overall3h
Servings12
Calories450 kcal
Pin it

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Make the cake base. Preheat the oven to 160 °C/ 320 °F (fan assisted), or 180 °C/ 355 °F (conventional). Line an 8 x 8 inch pan with parchment paper or use a silicon pan.
  2. In a bowl, using a hand whisk, mix the wet ingredients for the cake base: eggs, egg whites, coconut oil and coconut milk.
  3. Add the lime zest. Add a teaspoon of the lime zest to the cake base and keep the rest for the curd and topping.
  4. In another a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients for the cake base: almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, Erythritol, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Then pour in the wet ingredients for the cake base and mix until well combined. I used a but you can use a hand whisk too.
  5. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is light golden and the cake base is set. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool down on a cooling rack. (Note: I left mine bake for 2 minutes more than I should have and the top almost burnt. Make sure this doesn't happen to you and keep an eye on the cake. Gluten-free flours get burnt easily.)
  6. Meanwhile, make the lime curd. Juice the limes. Place the egg yolks in a bowl.
  7. Mix the egg yolks with the lime juice and add a tablespoon of lime zest. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water and stir constantly; make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Keep stirring for 8-10 minutes or until the custard starts to thicken. Then take off the heat. Add the butter and mix until dissolved. (Note: If using matcha, spirulina or chlorella, mix it in the lemon juice before combining with the egg yolks.)
  8. Add the Keto Condensed Milk and mix until well combined.
  9. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes all over the cake base. Pour the curd all over the cake base until covered and the holes are filled. Place in the fridge to set for at least an hour.
  10. Make the cream topping. When the cake is ready, whip up the cream (or coconut milk) with Erythritol (optional) until you get firm peaks. Spread all over the cake ...
  11. Sprinkle with freshly grated lime zest. Refrigerate for another hour before serving. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  12. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition (per serving, 1 slice)

Calories450kcal
Net Carbs5.5g
Carbohydrates7.9g
Protein10.5g
Fat43.1g
Saturated Fat26.5g
Fiber2.4g
Sugar2.3g
Sodium202mg
Magnesium76mg
Potassium354mg

Detailed nutritional breakdown (per 1 slice)

Net carbsProteinFatCalories
Total per 1 slice
5.5 g10.5 g43.1 g450 kcal
Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal)
1.5 g3.6 g8.8 g98 kcal
Coconut flour, organic
0.4 g0.6 g0.5 g12 kcal
Whey protein powder (protein isolate, Jay Robb)
0.1 g1.6 g0 g7 kcal
Erythritol (natural low-carb sweetener)
0.2 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Baking soda, raising agent (bicarbonate of soda)
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Cream of tartar, raising agent
0.1 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Salt, sea salt
0 g0 g0 g0 kcal
Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs)
0.1 g1.6 g1.2 g18 kcal
Egg white, fresh
0.1 g0.9 g0 g4 kcal
Coconut oil, extra virgin
0 g0 g9 g81 kcal
Coconut milk (full-fat, unsweetened)
0.5 g0.4 g4 g37 kcal
Lime zest (peel), fresh
0 g0 g0 g1 kcal
Egg yolk, fresh
0.2 g0.7 g1.1 g14 kcal
Lime juice, fresh
0.8 g0 g0 g3 kcal
Keto Condensed Milk, dairy-free (KetoDiet blog)
1.1 g0.7 g7.1 g66 kcal
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed
0 g0 g3.8 g34 kcal
Cream, heavy whipping, pouring, full-fat (30-40% fat)
0.5 g0.4 g7.6 g73 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 (16)

This is SO GOOD! I can't believe this has taken me so long to make, given how much we love anything citrus, but I'm so glad I finally did. I made the full dairy version and used double cream rather than heavy whipping cream for everything, so this is much richer than the dairy free version, but we divided it into 16 portions so it felt like just the perfect summer treat. Everything worked beautifully and my cake was done in 30 minutes at 160 C in a fan-forced oven. I added tiny amounts of pure monk fruit sweetener and Stevia to the cake base and like curd, and also added the optional powdered erythritol to the cream topping. We eat this cake cold so thr sweetness seems just right this way. Thank you so much for a marvellous recipe, my taste buds are still singing!

Thank you for your lovely feedback Anu!
(I'm sorry for the delayed response, life gets busy with newborn twins!)

I get really fustrated and irritated when a nutritional facts list is listed  with the number of servings but NOT the serving size!! Has anyone seen the nutritional facts labels on those foods one buys at the store?? The serving size is ALWAYS list along with the total number of servings per package container contents. Serving size determines the number of total servings, allowing the actual nutritional facts to calculated fairly accurately. Number of servings alone just doesn't cut it! If you are going to trouble to list the ition facts, the please do all the homework!

This is a recipe - not a product you can buy in the grocery store. The recipe makes 12 servings = 12 slices of the cake. You may think that including grams/ounces per serving will make it somewhat superprecise but there is evaporation and wastage which vary and would make any weighing pointless and the differences are insignificant anyway. While precise amounts can be included in some recipes, it cannot be done with cakes.
There are step-by-step photos. As you can see, the cake in this recipe is made in a square pan - I don't think it's a big deal to cut it into 12 servings (that's 3 cuts widthwise and 2 cuts lengthwise). Please, do your homework - I did mine.

Hi..the cake looks gorgeous.Spoilt for choice for keto desserts. I was wondering if have you tried aquafaba to replace the extra egg whites in cakes? As I am not a lemon curd fan (find most versions too eggy) my yolks very often go waste. Thanks.

Thank you Sonia! I've never tried that but let me know if you do! On the other hand, I don't think this curd tastes eggy, especially when mixed with cream/ coconut milk.

It was definitely a hit at our house. So delicious.

Is there an option to avoid the egg white/whey protein or a substitute?

yes, you can skip it or just use 1/4 more cup almond flour. The cake base will not rise as well as with protein powder but it will still be tasty 😊

Have you ever considered selling baked goods such as those? I'm dying to try one but don't have the time or attentiveness to make one myself. Looks delicious

Thank you Nate, I'll consider that! 😊)

Wow, this looks fantastic!  I am going to try to adjust for a mug cake!
I prefer your single serving recipes because I have no willpower to resist eating that whole wonderful cake!

Thank you Jill, I hope you like it! 😊 You can try my mug cake recipe (skip the vanilla and use lime zest instead) and keep the curd separately in a jar and use it on top: Vanilla Keto Mug Cake

Yummy the cake looks fantastic, can't wait until I make it, Thanks

Thank you Deborah!

Wow, that looks awesome 😊