This moist Keto Lemon Cake is soaked in a vibrant and tangy lemon syrup, making it Keto heaven. Perfect when lemons are in season and everyone is bringing them into the office. When life gives you lemons, make Keto lemon cake!
Before you scroll to the recipe, below I’ve tried to answer any questions you may have, including storage tips, sourcing ingredients and substitutions
If you make this recipe please leave a review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Keto Lemon Cake with Syrup Summary
- Ingredient tips
- Recipe tips
- Substitutions and sweetener tips
- Storage tips
- How many carbs in Keto Lemon Cake with Syrup?
This recipe came about after craving some Greek Karidopita, which is a spiced walnut cake with a super sweet syrup.
So not keto, but I was craving that moist texture and tangy taste so this Keto Lemon Cake was born.
I live in an area with a big Greek population, and LOTS of lemon trees as a result. Every time I go for a walk around my neighbourhood I take a bag with me to collect lemons from trees over hanging the footpath!
Ingredients for Keto Lemon Cake with Syrup
Keto lemon cake with syrup is higher in carbs being a baked keto dessert, so it is important to enjoy in moderation or around a lower carb day.
Using cardamom and ginger gives it a lovely floral undertone that matches beautifully with the tartness of lemon. You could leave these out if you prefer.
You will need:
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Baking powder
- Xylitol
- Ground cardamom
- Ground ginger
- Salt
- Lemons zest and juice
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Vanilla essence
I once read an interview with a number of famous chefs, where they were asked what would be the one ingredient they could not live with out.
Every single one of them said lemons, and I completely understand.
Sweet or savoury, the acidity of lemons is to die for and can balance just about any dish.
If you are cooking anything – from cake to curry, and it just needs a little more kick, squeeze in a little lemon.
Using 3 whole lemons in this Keto Lemon Cake ensures it packs a citrus punch. My mouth is watering just looking at it again.
I’m sure my husband won’t object if I make it again. He tried to convince me the flavours weren’t balanced just so I would make it again, I disagreed though!
Substitutions and Ingredient tips
The almond meal you use is important here. You want a fine, blanched almond flour (ie. not with the brown bits in it!) to get a fluffy cake.
It isn’t fluffy like a sponge but the texture is amazing.
You can leave out the spices if you like, I find the slightly floral flavours they provide interesting and a bit different than your standard old lemon pound cake. Give it a go!
Fresh lemons are always best. There’s a funny saying here in Melbourne, Australia – if you don’t have a friend with a lemon tree, are you even from Melbourne?
So if you spot a lemon tree in your neighbour’s yard, it’s time to make friends! People with lemon trees always have too many lemons and are generally happy to share them.
Especially if you return the favour by sharing your Keto Lemon Cake!
Tips for making Keto Lemon Cake with Syrup
I think this cake is perfect for entertaining, because you can make it in advance and serve it cold with some cream.
The punchy lemon flavour is really great after a hearty meal and is bound to wow your guests.
It may not look like the prettiest cake (or maybe I’m not good at making pretty cakes?) but the flavour makes up for it.
- PREHEAT OVEN Preheat the oven to 170C / 338F and line a loaf pan with baking paper, or use a silicone pan.
- COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the cake and whisk together to break up any lumps.
- WHISK WET INGREDIENTS In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients for the cake until well combined.
- COMBINE WET INTO DRY INGREDIENTS Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix gently using a spatula. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
- BAKE Bake for 60 – 65 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and let cool for 10 minutes.
- PREP THE SYRUP Prepare the syrup by combining all syrup ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat until the xylitol is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- POUR SYRUP Pour the syrup over the cake and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
- SERVE Perfect served warm with some whipped cream, or cold on its own.
Storage tips
- Fridge: Keto Lemon Cake is a fridge-friendly dessert to prolong its life. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 7 days
- Freezer: Leftover keto lemon cake can be kept in the freezer for up to three months. Make sure it’s tightly wrapped at least two layer of plastic to prevent freezer burn.
- Other: If you don’t want to either put it in the fridge or freezer, you can wrap the lemon cake tightly in plastic wrap and store in room temperature for 3 days
How many carbs in Keto Lemon Cake with Syrup?
As you will see in the nutrition panel below, this Keto Lemon Cake with Syrup has 10 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber per serve, so only 7 gram of net carbs.
SAVE KETO LEMON CAKE WITH SYRUP TO PINTEREST FOR LATER
Other Similar Recipes You Might Like
Keto Lemon Cake with Syrup
This moist and dense Keto Lemon Cake is bursting with the vibrant freshness of lemons, soaked in a tangy syrup that creates the perfect combination.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup xylitol
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of salt
- 2 lemons zest and juice
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 2 tablespoons xylitol
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 170C / 338F and line a loaf pan with baking paper, or use a silicone pan.
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the cake and whisk together to break up any lumps.
-
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients for the cake until well combined.
-
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix gently using a spatula. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
-
Bake for 60 – 65 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and let cool for 10 minutes.
-
Prepare the syrup by combining all syrup ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat until the xylitol is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
-
Pour the syrup over the cake and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
-
Perfect served warm with some whipped cream, or cold on its own.
If you enjoyed this recipe, don’t forget to rate and review it or share on social media! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Hello from the West coast of Canada, just want to make this wonderful cake, but wondering approximately how many grams in one serving? Your slice pictured looks quite thick.bbthanks.
Hello again
Just saw your estimated slices per loaf, it’s 10, so that gives me a good idea of the carbs per slice. Thanks.
Yep spot on Dorothy! I hope you enjoyed the cake 🙂
Hi. Can the sour cream be swapped with something non dairy? Thanks
Hi Mandy, the sour cream adds a tartness and some fat content, so you could try some coconut yoghurt or coconut cream which would likely work ok!
This is very yummy and easy to prepare thanks for your post
Hello
In my experience making desserts with xylitol or eyrthritol I have found that the aftertaste or taste of the sweetener can be overwhelming when using too much or as the recipe calls for so I have had to tweet my xylitol amounts to suit my taste. For instance, my low carb ice cream recipe calls for 3/4 of a cup of xylitol but I changed it to 1/2 cup which was perfect. So my question to you is: Can I change the amount of xylitol to 1/4 cup without changing the taste?
Thank you
Hi Angie, I agree some sweeteners can really over power things! I find this particularly true with chocolate desserts so tend to wind it down. I would suggest keeping the cake recipe the same as it will affect the texture, but play with the syrup and start with very low sweetener and add more in until you like the taste. Hope that helps!