Low-Carb Strawberry Cake

Strawberry cake brings back so many memories of summer birthdays and backyard barbecues. But since switching to a keto lifestyle, I thought those days were behind me. Turns out, I was wrong. You can absolutely have your cake and eat it too, even when you’re watching your carbs.

This keto strawberry cake is what I make when I’m craving something sweet but don’t want to derail my diet. It’s moist, packed with real strawberries, and topped with cream cheese frosting. My kids don’t even realize it’s low-carb, which tells you everything you need to know.

The best part? It comes together with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Almond flour replaces regular flour, and a good sweetener stands in for sugar. Thirty minutes of prep, and you’ve got a cake that’ll make everyone at the table happy.

What Kind of Strawberries Should I Use?

Fresh strawberries are your best bet for this keto cake, and you’ll want to pick ones that are ripe but still firm to the touch. Look for berries that are bright red all the way through without any white or green patches near the stem, as these will give you the sweetest flavor. If fresh strawberries aren’t in season or available, frozen strawberries can work too – just make sure to thaw them completely and pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture before adding them to your batter. Whether you dice them up to fold into the cake or slice them for decoration, avoid strawberries that are mushy or have soft spots, as these can add too much liquid to your recipe and affect the texture.

Options for Substitutions

This keto cake is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options:

• Almond flour: You can use coconut flour instead, but you’ll need much less – about 1/2 cup total since coconut flour absorbs more liquid. You’ll also want to add an extra egg to keep the texture right.
• Sweetener: Any keto-friendly sweetener works here – erythritol, monk fruit, or stevia. Just check the conversion ratios on the package since they vary in sweetness levels compared to regular sugar.
• Coconut oil: Melted butter or avocado oil are great substitutes and won’t change the texture. Use the same amount.
• Strawberries: Fresh or frozen strawberries both work fine. If using frozen, thaw them first and drain any excess liquid to avoid a soggy cake.
• Cream cheese frosting: You can make your own with softened cream cheese, butter, keto sweetener, and vanilla. Or try whipped cream sweetened with your preferred keto sweetener for a lighter option.
• Eggs: Eggs are really important for structure in this cake, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting them – they help hold everything together since we’re not using regular flour.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with keto cakes is overbaking, which can make almond flour turn dry and crumbly – start checking your cake at 23 minutes and remove it as soon as a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.

Another common error is frosting the cake while it’s still warm, which will cause your cream cheese frosting to melt and slide right off, so always let it cool completely at room temperature for at least an hour.

Since almond flour is denser than regular flour, make sure you’re using finely ground almond flour (not almond meal) and don’t pack it into the measuring cup, as this can result in a heavy, dense cake instead of a light, fluffy one.

Finally, fold in your strawberries gently at the end rather than mixing them vigorously, which prevents them from breaking apart and turning your batter pink while also keeping pockets of fresh fruit throughout the cake.

What to Serve With Keto Strawberry Cake?

This cake is pretty rich and satisfying on its own, so I like to keep things simple when serving it. A hot cup of coffee or unsweetened tea makes a great pairing since the sweetness of the cake balances out the bitterness of the drinks. If you want to add something extra, a dollop of fresh whipped cream (unsweetened or lightly sweetened) on the side works nicely, or you could serve it with a handful of fresh berries like raspberries or blueberries. For a special occasion, a scoop of sugar-free vanilla ice cream turns this into a real dessert experience.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your strawberry cake covered in the fridge since it has cream cheese frosting. It’ll stay fresh for about 4-5 days in an airtight container or under a cake dome. The cake actually tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to settle in together.

Freeze: You can freeze this cake for up to 2 months, but I recommend freezing it unfrosted if possible. Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer bag. If you’ve already frosted it, freeze it uncovered for an hour first, then wrap it up so the frosting doesn’t stick.

Serve: Let frozen slices thaw in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for about an hour before serving. The cake is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature, so there’s no need to reheat it.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2400
• Protein: 46-52 g
• Fat: 180-200 g
• Carbohydrates: 92-108 g

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 2 1/4 cups almond flour (I always use King Arthur for a finer crumb)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup sweetener
• 1 cup strawberries (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 320 °F oven temperature

For the frosting:

• 1 cup cream cheese frosting (I prefer Philadelphia brand for the best stability)

Step 1: Prepare Your Pan and Mise en Place

• 2 1/4 cups almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup strawberries, finely diced
• Baking pan

Preheat your oven to 320°F and grease your baking pan thoroughly with coconut oil or cooking spray.

While the oven heats, prepare all your ingredients by bringing the eggs to room temperature (this helps them incorporate more evenly into the batter and creates a lighter crumb), measuring out the almond flour, sweetener, and other dry ingredients.

Finely dice the strawberries into 1/4-inch pieces and set them aside on a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture—this prevents them from making the batter soggy.

Step 2: Combine Dry Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined and there are no lumps of baking powder.

This ensures the leavening agent is distributed evenly throughout the batter, which helps the cake rise uniformly and prevents dense spots.

Step 3: Create the Wet Ingredient Base

• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup sweetener

In a separate bowl, whisk together the room-temperature eggs, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and sweetener until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes of whisking.

I like to use room-temperature eggs because they blend more smoothly into the fat and create a lighter, more tender crumb than cold eggs.

The sweetener will start to dissolve into the mixture, helping create a uniform sweetness throughout the cake.

Step 4: Build the Batter

• dry ingredient mixture from Step 2
• wet ingredient mixture from Step 3
• 1 cup strawberries

Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 into the wet ingredient mixture from Step 3 using a spatula, stirring just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and no flour streaks remain.

Be careful not to overmix—this keeps the cake tender.

Once combined, gently fold in the diced strawberries, distributing them evenly throughout the batter so each bite has strawberry pieces.

Step 5: Bake the Cake

• batter from Step 4
• prepared baking pan from Step 1

Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula.

Bake at 320°F for 25-27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs—don’t overbake, as almond flour cakes can dry out quickly.

The cake should be golden brown on top and spring back slightly when lightly touched.

Step 6: Cool and Frost

• 1 cup cream cheese frosting

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

This resting time in the pan allows the cake to set without breaking apart.

Once completely cool, spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting over the top, and I prefer Philadelphia brand because it has the best stability and won’t weep or break down as quickly as store brands.

Low-Carb Strawberry Cake

Delicious Low-Carb Strawberry Cake recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 8 slices

Calories: 2300

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 2 1/4 cups almond flour (I always use King Arthur for a finer crumb)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 eggs (room temperature, about 70°F)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup sweetener
• 1 cup strawberries (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 320 °F oven temperature

For the frosting

• 1 cup cream cheese frosting (I prefer Philadelphia brand for the best stability)

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 320°F and grease your baking pan thoroughly with coconut oil or cooking spray. While the oven heats, prepare all your ingredients by bringing the eggs to room temperature (this helps them incorporate more evenly into the batter and creates a lighter crumb), measuring out the almond flour, sweetener, and other dry ingredients. Finely dice the strawberries into 1/4-inch pieces and set them aside on a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture—this prevents them from making the batter soggy.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined and there are no lumps of baking powder. This ensures the leavening agent is distributed evenly throughout the batter, which helps the cake rise uniformly and prevents dense spots.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the room-temperature eggs, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and sweetener until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes of whisking. I like to use room-temperature eggs because they blend more smoothly into the fat and create a lighter, more tender crumb than cold eggs. The sweetener will start to dissolve into the mixture, helping create a uniform sweetness throughout the cake.
4. Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 into the wet ingredient mixture from Step 3 using a spatula, stirring just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and no flour streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix—this keeps the cake tender. Once combined, gently fold in the diced strawberries, distributing them evenly throughout the batter so each bite has strawberry pieces.
5. Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Bake at 320°F for 25-27 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs—don't overbake, as almond flour cakes can dry out quickly. The cake should be golden brown on top and spring back slightly when lightly touched.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. This resting time in the pan allows the cake to set without breaking apart. Once completely cool, spread or pipe the cream cheese frosting over the top, and I prefer Philadelphia brand because it has the best stability and won't weep or break down as quickly as store brands.