If you’re mouth is watering for a lemony cake, you’re in good company. It seems that lemon cake is beloved by just about everyone. In our house, this keto naked lemon cake was such a hit, we had to quick freeze slices of it because it was hard to stop eating!
Important: Since this post, I’ve started a home keto bakery and everything has changed. Baking thousands of cakes, I’ve learned a lot. I have changed the technique in this recipe, and I promise you, you will absolutely love this cake. I remade it last night for a friend’s birthday and 12 people got to try it. They loved it, and no one could believe this was a keto cake.
Important: I have listed BOTH versions. First one with Avocado oil – NEW version. Second One with butter (old version).
I originally made this cake for my 20th anniversary, and it has now become the special occasion cake.
You need to know how hard I worked on getting this cake right. The First time I made this cake, I squeezed 8 lemons, measured out all my ingredients and the cake was a big flop. Not just a flop. A disaster, because it had to be tossed. Two years later, and after hundreds of cakes sold in my keto bakery (including over 6,000 cupcakes), I have honed this lemon cake recipe to perfection.
Naked Lemon Lake
On my first try I used only coconut flour and that was a complete disaster.
While I had used only coconut flour, I realized that my success with citrus cakes like this orange cake was based on almond flour and this very popular lemon snack cake was also based on almond flour, so I immediately went back to the store and bought more lemons and started over and did some thinking. Obviously the coconut flour cake could not handle all that lemon juice. Every baking failure tells me something!
Bake Naked Lemon Cakes to a Golden Brown
When I saw how the three cakes baked to a beautiful golden, I knew I had the right lemon cake recipe.
The batter will be thick. Don’t worry about that. Smooth it out with an off-set spatula.
I hear over and over again about the fears of baking because of the exactness of recipes. I relish a cake baking challenge, because it’s like going on a culinary scientific adventure. Every single failure teaches me something and it’s usually the failures that bring amazing success. This is why I encourage you to keep trying, and never give up if you want to be a baker.
Originally I used all butter for the cake and you can do that, but I encourage you to use avocado oil and to use my technique, so that you get a fluffy lemon cake.
Main Ingredients for keto Lemon Cake
- Almond Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Eggs
- Fresh Lemon Juice, zest
- Sour Cream
- Lemon Extract
- Swerve (Read HERE why I use Swerve)
Decorate with lemon peels, blueberries, and if you like fresh lemon thyme.
Keto Naked Lemon Cake
Naked cakes are my favorite cake to make. You get to have more frosting in each slice, and they are so pretty.
What is a naked cake?
Basically, most naked cakes do not have icing or frosting on the sides, and are often triple layered. I lean towards them, because they are beautiful and use less frosting (or you can stuff the frosting inside the layers, which is marvelous.
What do I need to make this Keto Naked Naked Cake?
This naked cake requires three 6-inch pans. I love the idea of not having to frost the sides. The key to having good sides is make sure you cool your cakes well, and freezing them before you frost them. A broken piece of cake does not look good naked. By the way, if you don’t have six inch pans, you can use this recipe to make a 9 inch layer cake.
How many lemons make a cup of lemon juice?
Typically, it takes 8 large lemons to make a cup of fresh lemon juice. The zest is really important as almond flour is challenging to flavor. You CAN add a capful of lemon extract to up the lemon flavor.
Can you buy bottled lemon juice for this recipe?
You can, but it won’t be as lemony. If you do, at least use one fresh lemon with all the zest. Also use lemon extract.
Why did you mix coconut flour with almond flour?
Using both improves structure.
What is Swerve?
Swerve is powdered erythritol and I talk about it extensively here.
Why use xanthan gum?
Xanthan gum adds structure as alternative flours lack gluten and tend to fall apart. It’s pricy but lasts a long time because you don’t use much per recipe.
How many servings are in this keto naked lemon cake?
This is a very rich cake and can be cut into 16 servings, which yield 6 net carbs.
Nutrition Value for Keto Naked Lemon Cake: 6 Net Carbs
This cake is sold in mini versions as lala cakes in my Keto Home Bakery, which I started last July.
More Keto Desserts from Spinach Tiger
Keto Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
Keto White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake
Keto Italian Orange Olive Oil Cake
Keto Triple Layer Coconut Cake
Important Note: Make sure you see both versions for the Keto Lemon Cake One with Oil which is the new version I use in the bakery. The second one is the original recipe with butter version. Both are good. I like the oil version the best to get a fluffier cake.
Keto Naked Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting NEW VERSION
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 2/4 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups Swerve Granulated
Wet Ingredient Group
- 2 tablespoons zest from lemons reserve some for topping cake
- 3/4 cup avocado oil
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup lemon juice 8 large lemons
- 1 tablespoon lemon extract
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
Lemon Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 lemons juice and zest
- 1 1/2 cups Swerve confectioner's sugar
Garnish
- 1 cup blueberries for topping optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme for garnish optional
Equipment
- 3 Six Inch Cake Pans
- Off-Set spatula
- Julienne Peeler for Shredding Citrus
- Zester
- Parchment paper
Instructions
Use three six-inch cake pans.- Cut parchment paper to fit each round. Spray or butter on top of parchment paper and sides.
- Mix flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, together. Set aside.
- Zest all lemons. Reserve some zest for topping cake later.
- Rub zest into swerve with your fingers to release the lemon oil. Set aside
- Beat eggs on medium high for a good five minutes until frothy.
- Slowly stream in avocado oil.
- Mix lemon juice with sour cream and extract.
- Stream into batter.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in mixer.
- Mix just until incorporated. Batter will be thick.
- Microwave a teaspoon of batter for 20-30 seconds. Taste for sweetness and lemon flavor.
- Evenly divide in three six inch pans.
- Bake at 325 degrees. Make sure to check at 25 minutes. You may need to bake ten more minutes. You may need to put foil over cake if it's browning too much and not done. Use thermometer to test inside center of cake. It will need to be 207 degrees F.
- Cool completely in pan before removing, as this cake is tender.
- Once cooled, remove from pan, and apply cream cheese frosting.
Frosting Instructions
- Beat cream cheese until very smooth. Beat butter separately for five minutes.
- Add together. Beat again until very smooth.
- Add juice and lemon zest.
- Add confectioner's sugar a little at a time.
- Beat until very smooth. Taste for lemon flavor and sweetness.
- To apply frosting, decide how your cake will stack. Use a piping bag to apply frosting to the two centers in concentric circle, which ensures an even layer.
- Smooth all frosting out on sides.
- Add optional fresh lemon thyme on top with remaining lemon zest.
- Add blueberries or raspberries if desired.
- This cake is rich. Cut into 16 thin slices.
- It's best served cold.
Notes
Nutrition
Please follow me on instagram. If you make this recipe, please tag me #spinachtiger.
If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo
Butter Version: Keto Naked Lemon Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Wet Ingredient Group
- 2 tablespoons zest from lemons reserve some for topping cake
- 1 1/2 cups Swerve Granulated
- 3/4 cup butter can use avocado oil
- 7 large eggs
- 1 cup lemon juice 8 large lemons
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
Lemon Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 lemon (for juice and zest)
- 1.5 cups Swerve confectioner's sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Garnish
- 1 cup blueberries for topping optional
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme for garnish optional
Equipment
- 3 Six Inch Cake Pans
- Off-Set spatula
- Julienne Peeler for Shredding Citrus
- Zester
- Parchment paper
Instructions
Use three six-inch cake pans.- Cut parchment paper to fit each round. Spray or butter on top of parchment paper and sides.
- Mix flours, salt, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum together. Set aside.
- Zest all lemons. Reserve some zest for topping cake later.
- Rub zest into swerve with your fingers to release the lemon oil.
- Cream butter in your mixer or in a bowl, using a hand mixer. Add sweetener and beat until fluffy, about two minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time. Mix each well.
- Add lemon juice.
- Add heavy cream or milk to batter if it appears too thick.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in mixer.
- Mix just until incorporated.
- Bake at 350 degrees, 180 C, Gas 4, for 25 to 30 minutes. Make sure to check at 25 minutes.
- You want to bake to golden brown.
- Cool completely in pan before removing, as this cake is tender.
- Once cooled, remove from pan, freeze for at least one hour before frosting cake.
- You can freeze each cake separately, wrapped in plastic and frosted at another time.
- If you're only freezing cake to frost, no need to cover.
Frosting Instructions
- Beat cream cheese until very smooth. Beat butter separately for five minutes.
- Add together. Beat again until very smooth.
- Add juice and lemon zest.
- Add confectioner's sugar a little at a time.
- Beat until very smooth.
- To apply frosting, decide how your cake will stack. Even out with serrated knife if necessary.
- Put a third of frosting on first layer. Smooth out with an offset spatula. Repeat on next layers.
- Smooth all frosting out on sides.
- Add optional fresh lemon thyme on top with remaining lemon zest.
- Add blueberries or raspberries if desired.
- This cake is rich. Cut into 16 thin slices.
- It's best served cold.
Notes
Nutrition
Please follow me on instagram. If you make this recipe, please tag me #spinachtiger.
If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo
This took a longer to make than many cakes, but the result was out of this world delicious, as well as beautiful. My non-Keto taste testers gave this cake 10 stars and declared it one of the best cakes they’d ever tasted. This is worth the time to make – you won’t be disappointed!!
This also happens to be my friends favorite cake at parties.
is the whipping cream supposed to be in the cake part too or just the frosting or what? I see someone else commented about this back in 2020, please fix this.
Prep time took forever, how the heck did you get it in 20 minutes?
Mine’s baking right now. I did a “microwave test” to make sure it was going to bake correctly and it tastes pretty good but doesn’t really have much of a lemon taste to it but I’ll just make sure the frosting helps balance it. Not a terrible texture considering almond flour can be pretty grainy in my experience.
There are two times the heavy cream in mentioned. The first in in the batter. Use if batter appears too thick. The second time is for the frosting. I guess it took me twenty minutes because I have a bakery. Cutting and juicing lemons does take extra time.
Hi ! This was great ! Cakes came out great. I would say 20 minutes for prep time is like severely underestimated. Took me closer to an hour, possibly more. There is mention of heavy whipping cream in both the wet ingredient list and frosting list, and directions never call for when to add it. So I fear both my cakes and frosting were missing it and not sure if they’d have made much of a difference. Thanks for this recipe !