Triple Layer Keto Coconut Cake Recipe
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Triple Layer Keto Coconut Cake Recipe
Triple layer keto friendly coconut cake recipe is my favorite celebratory cake. This is the cake the whole family will love and even those not following a low-carb diet. It has a seriously good coconut flavor, a moist (but not eggy) texture and doesn’t taste sugar free (no after taste).
We recently had our bathroom remodeled and the contractor saw the cake and asked for a piece. I told him that this was as sugar free cake made with coconut flour. He LOVED it. This makes me feel so good about making keto friendly desserts that are good enough to get cheers from everyone.
Spinach Tiger has a lot of coconut cake recipes here. I love them all, but I have to tell you, even Retro Rose loved this cake and she never eats anything gluten free!
I have reworked my Keto coconut cake recipe from last year by adding in the full fat coconut milk, which gives this cake flavor and a nice texture.
I make a LOT of keto friendly desserts and I get a lot of questions, especially about ingredients.
How can a cake this good be keto friendly?
It has to do with the grain free low-carb coconut flour and and sugar replacement, Swerve.
What is Swerve?
Swerve Sweetie is a small company out of New Orleans that produces it’s own brand of powdered erythritol. They make a granulated version, a confectioner’s version, and a brown sugar version. It has a net zero carb effect, does not spike blood sugar.
What’s the difference between carbs and net carbs?
Net carbs are typically carbs minus the fiber when people on a keto diet refer to their macros. In the case of erythritol, the sugar alcohols don’t make any carb impact in the body, so you can count them as zero.
I’ve often wondered about this, but I have eaten a dessert every day for over a year and have lost weight. That would not happen with a sugar-made dessert.
Where do you buy Swerve?
This is the number question people ask me. You can find it at your grocery store, or you can order it here on Amazon.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate and will earn a small commission on all sales from Amazon. I thank you for any orders, and know that your price is not changed.
What kind of pans do I use for this cake?
I love making this as a smaller triple layer cake using these six inch pans. I like this set from USA Pans. This is the only brand of baking pans that I use.
You can make this same cake as a 9 inch double layer cake. You could also cut this recipe in half and make cupcakes or a one layer cake.
What kind of coconut flour do you use?
Sometimes I buy it out of the bin at Whole Foods, but I also like Anthony’s you can buy on Amazon.
Why do I use xanthan gum in keto baking?
Xanthan gum helps hold alternative flours together by adding the elasticity you would get from gluten. You can skip this in the recipe, but the cake could be more crumblier. You can order xanthan gum here on Amazon or find it at your grocery store.
What is the difference between sweetened and unsweetened coconut?
This triple layer coconut cake recipe calls for unsweetened coconut because we are cutting the sugar. Sweetened coconut has sugar added to coconut before it dries, remaining more moist, sweeter with a stronger coconut flavor. Unsweetened coconut is dried coconut, which comes in small pieces or large coconut flakes. It has a milder coconut flavor, but adds coconut texture. I like the Anthony’s Organic Shredded Coconut (amazon).
Why are there so many eggs in this recipe?
Coconut flour absorbs liquid more than other flours. I use 2 eggs per 1/4 cup of coconut flour in my recipes. For this keto coconut cake, separating the eggs and beating the egg whites helps the cake rise and be less dense.
What is the carb content of this triple layer cake?
Calculating at 12 servings, there are 7 net carbs. This is a high calorie cake at over 600 calories per piece, and is recommended as a special occasion cake and would be wonderful at Easter time. If this concern you, make 24 cupcakes which reduces that quite a bit and is good for portion control.
More Keto Coconut Desserts from Spinach Tiger
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Triple Layer Coconut Cake (Keto, Low-Carb, Grain Free)
Ingredients
Coconut Cake Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut flour plus more for dusting pans for preparation.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup granulated swerve
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut
Wet Ingredients
- 8 eggs separated
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Keto Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cup Swerve Confectioner’s Sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut divided
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix all dry cake ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside (coconut flour, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, swerve). Set Aside.
- Prepare 3 six inch pans with parchment and baking spray.
- Separate eggs.
- Beat whites until they form soft peaks that stick to the spoon but not all the way to stiff. If using your kitchen aid mixer transfer to a cold bowl. Set aside.
- Clean mixer and mix egg yolks for two minutes on high.
- Stream in oil and melted butter while mixer is running.
- Stream in coconut milk.
- Add in liquid stevia. Mix well.
- Add in coconut extract.
- Add the dry ingredients to this mixture. Mix on low just until mixed.
- Fold in egg white with a cake spatula.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Check at twenty minutes. You want the cakes to be golden brown.
- Cool cakes prior to removing. Use a butter knife to go around each cake prior to removing.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Make sure both cream cheese and butter are at room temperature. Sometimes I'll microwave cream cheese for ten seconds to bring that temperature up. Butter should be at 70 degrees F. Soften by cutting in butter pats on a plate. Do not microwave butter.
- Mix cream cheese first until it’s very smooth.
- Add in butter, mix until really smooth.
- Add in vanilla paste or extract.
- Sift Confectioner's Swerve. Add 1/2 cup at a time.
- Add in heavy cream (or reserve some coconut cream for this).
- Add in 1/3 of the coconut. Reserve remaining coconut for topping the cake.
ASSEMBLY
- You may need to use a bread knife to make the cakes even. Do this once cakes are cool, but before freezing.
- Freeze the cakes on paper plates for about 15 minutes.
- Decide which layers will work best on top of each other.
- Frost each layer and save most for the top. You may not use all the frosting. You could use less and also make a naked cake not frosting the sides.
- Top with coconut.
- I like to refrigerate this cake several hours before serving.
Notes
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Hi.
Do you have to use Swerve or will any keto sweetener work? Do you have a dairy (butter is ok) free option for a vanilla frosting ?
Thanks!!
You can use Lakanto or any keto sweetener that is made with erythritol and it will work. I don’t know about other sweeteners. I would not use stevia. I do have a vanilla frosting. I included this frosting. Leave out cream cheese and heavy cream.
Woow, looks yummy
Is it moist?
Yes very.
Hi, the vanilla beans have 5% sugar that’s too much for keto. Can you recommend an equivalent substitute?
If you are that concerned, you might not want to be making desserts. You do realize you can skip the vanilla which at 1 teaspoon per the entire recipe is .75 carb. Honestly that’s not how keto works. The vanilla is 1/12 of .75 carbs.
Excellent coconut cake! Definitely the new favorite! Looking forward to exploring all your other recipes!
Ray, that makes me so happy. My family LOVES this one.