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Home » Keto Sour Cream Cake

Keto Sour Cream Cake

By Kim Hardesty

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Do you love serving a pretty patriotic dessert for the 4th of July? Dazzle them with this ultra-moist sour cream cake topped with a silky whipped cream cheese frosting. Made with almond flour and sour cream, this easy sheet cake cake is gluten-free, low carb, and feeds a crowd

For me, the best part of Independence day is wowing my family with a delicious red, white, and blue dessert. While traditional desserts like Blueberry Crumble Bars, Strawberry Shortcake, or Strawberry Cream Pie are always a hit, this sour cream cake festively decorated with strawberries and blueberries is as pretty as it is scrumptious!

Festive Sour Cream Cake (Keto, Low Carb)

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Keto Sour Cream Cake

Unlike other low carb cakes, this sour cream cake has minimal ingredients and is easy to prepare. Most keto dessert recipes use a blend of low carb flours but this cake only calls for almond flour. Sour cream and melted butter keep the texture moist and velvety while vanilla adds a delicious flavor.

Expect an incredibly moist almond flour cake with a delicate crumb and luscious texture. It’s topped with a light, whipped cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries and blueberries. This low carb dessert recipe is absolutely delicious and so simple to make. I promise you’ll never miss the carbs in this keto cake.

sour cream cake with strawberries and blueberries on a plate.

Sugar-free Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

This sugar-free whipped cream frosting is my husband’s favorite. You’ll find a hint of butter in the in the background and just enough vanilla to balance the tartness of the cream cheese. Starting with cold cream cheese ensures that the heavy cream will whip, producing a more stable frosting.

Erythritol based sweeteners will sometimes recrystallize after sitting in the refrigerator – especially in moist confections. We’ve all experienced “crunchy” frostings or cake fillings. To reduce this effect, I use a finely powdered sweetener like Sukrin Icing Sugar (Melis), Swerve Confectioners, Lakanto Powedered or Besti Monk Fruit with Allulose (Powdered).

To get the best results in your keto frosting recipes, make sure to beat the icing sugar with butter or cream cheese for several minutes to encourage it to dissolve. When completely dissolved, less/finer crystals form. Another trick is to use less erythritol and augment sweetness with stevia.

Tips for the perfect keto cream cheese frosting:

  • Start with cold cream cheese. This ensures that the heavy cream will whip well and produces a more stable frosting.
  • For the smoothest frosting, use a finely powdered sweetener.
  • Make sure to beat the icing sugar with the cream cheese first for several minutes so it completely dissolves. This helps prevent crystals from forming.
  • Then, beat in the softened butter.
  • Next add the heavy cream, a little at a time, whipping until the frosting is light and fluffy.

sour cream cake with strawberries and blueberries.

Low Carb Baking Simplified!

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the steps required to make a cake? I know I have. I thought it all had to be done in one day. Then, I discovered the secret of professional cake decorators – don’t do it all in one day!

I make my cakes in advance and cool them completely before wrapping well in cling film and refrigerating until needed. Make this sour cream cake a few days ahead of time and park it in the fridge until you’re ready to frost it.

If you plan to frost this sour cream cake today and serve it tomorrow, store it uncovered in the fridge overnight or at least 6 hours without the fruit. Refrigerating it uncovered, ensures that the frosting chills and forms a thin skin that won’t stick to the cling film. Add the fruit to decorate just before serving or several hours before serving and lightly cover with cling film. 

NOTE: When decorating, be sure to use the fruit sparingly. We low carb Keto dieters keep our fruit consumption to a minimum in order to keep blood sugars low. Using fresh berries as a garnish allows us to enjoy without overdoing it. And, it provides a pretty patriotic twist making this sour cream cake a winner for all the summer holidays.

Festive Sour Cream Cake (Keto, Low Carb)

Keto Sour Cream Cake

An incredibly moist almond flour cake topped with whipped cream cheese frosting and decorated with fresh berries. This Sour Cream Cake is perfect for July 4th and all summer.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 358kcal

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 3 cups almond flour (280 g)
  • 2/3 cup low carb sugar See menu bar for gram conversion
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 large eggs (I always use cold)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup salted butter, melted (4 tbsp, 2 oz)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp stevia glycerite

Frosting:

  • 6 oz cold cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup low carb powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup salted butter (very soft) (4 tbps, 2 oz)
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp stevia glycerite (or to taste)

Garnish:

  • 6 medium strawberries, halved
  • 36 small blueberries
  • 12 mint sprigs (optional)

Instructions

Cake Preparation:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in middle position. Spray a 1/4 sheet pan (small jelly roll pan) with baking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper.  

Cake Procedure:

  • Stir almond flour before measuring with a whisk to break up any lumps. Measure all of the dry ingredients into a medium-large bowl. Whisk to thoroughly combine. 
  • Add all of the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a hand mixer. Scrape the thick batter into the prepared sheet pan and smooth evenly with an offset spatula for best results.
  •  Bake for 20-30 minutes. The cake should spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, but still sound slightly moist. Remove from oven and let cool completely. (I place a clean tea towel over the cake while it cools to trap in the steam.)

Frosting:

  • Place the cold cream cheese in a small-medium bowl with the powdered sweetener, vanilla extract and stevia glycerite. Beat with a hand mixer until the cream cheese is completely smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides to incorporate any stray lumps. Add the soft butter and repeat.
  • Incorporate the heavy cream, 1/4 cup at a time, whipping well between additions. Beat the frosting until it resembles whipped cream and the sweetener has dissolved. 

Assembly:

  • Frost the cake. Garnish with fruit. Cut and Serve. Serves 12 at 4.5 net carbs each (including the fruit).

NOTES:

  • I always make my cakes in advance and cool completely before wrapping in cling film and refrigerating until needed. After frosting my cakes, I leave them uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This helps the frosting "crust" a bit so cling film doesn't stick to it. (If using an all whipped cream frosting, I cover loosely with cling wrap use tooth picks to prevent the wrap from marring the cake. I don't leave it uncovered.)
  • I baked this cake two days before photographing. I frosted it the night before and left it in the fridge uncovered. Then, I carefully measured and cut my pieces. Lastly, I decorated it just before photographing. The strawberries were medium sized and the blueberries were very small. The biggest blueberries were medium sized with the others the size of small peas. I used mint from my garden, but you could use a larger single leaf of mint or very small triangles of lemon, too.
  • Always let a low carb cake sit on the counter for 10-20 minutes before enjoying. The fat solidifies in the fridge causing a firm texture which some mistake as being dry. I take my dessert out at dinner time and it is ready by the time we are finished. 
  • This cake keeps well in the fridge for a week and can be frozen.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 8.6g | Fat: 34.5g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 362mg | Fiber: 2.5g

About Kim Hardesty

Kim HardestyKim is a self taught cook with over 30 years experience in the kitchen. She develops and tests low carb and keto recipes in her California home. She began her low carb journey in 2009 and at the urging of friends, started blogging in 2014. Kim shares delicious low carb and keto recipes no one would believe are sugar-free. Her recipes are featured in newsstand publications and on sites all over the internet.

View all posts by Kim Hardesty | Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

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Filed Under: Desserts

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  1. AvatarKaro

    December 4, 2020 at 6:04 am

    Hello Kim.

    Would it be better to use a steel pan, or aluminum for this cake? I’m worried about different baking times between the two options.

    Reply
    • Kim HardestyKim Hardesty

      December 4, 2020 at 6:19 am

      Hi Karo. My pans are a thick gauge aluminum which were once shiny but have since become discolored from the dishwasher. I think a dark steel pan will over-brown. My opinion is that aluminum works well with nut flours. -Kim

      Reply
  2. AvatarMartha

    May 19, 2020 at 4:05 pm

    My whole family( 6 of us) loved this cake, from 4 years old to 42. Everyone had seconds and it disappeared quickly. Definitely will be making this again!

    Reply
  3. AvatarJess

    May 17, 2020 at 4:39 pm

    I have been trying to figure out how to get almond flour cakes a less grainy and more cake like texture, any ideas?

    Reply
    • Kim HardestyKim Hardesty

      May 17, 2020 at 6:05 pm

      Hi Jess. Did you find this recipe grainy or are you just asking a question? Almond flour is a nut and therefore doesn’t dissolve like flour does. Have you tried my any of my all coconut flour recipes? You may like them better since coconut flour has a finer texture than almond flour. -Kim

      Reply
  4. AvatarKaren

    August 31, 2019 at 11:36 am

    I just made the cake but it doesn’t seem to have risen. I followed the directions exactly except that I beat the cake batter for two minutes. And I had no jelly roll pan so I used a 9 x 13 cake pan. My cake is only 1/2 inch thick.

    Reply
    • KimKim

      August 31, 2019 at 2:27 pm

      Hi Karen. A quarter sheet pan is approximately 9×13″ with 1 inch sides. You can see in the picture that even frosted, the cake doesn’t quite reach the rim of the pan. My cake rose to around 1/2″ (maybe a tiny higher? I posted this over a year and a half ago). If the cake is super dense and has no air holes, it didn’t rise. You can try using more baking powder or bumping the rise with about 1/2 tsp baking soda along with the baking powder. I hope the cake tasted nice despite not rising as much as you liked. Boosting the rising power with the baking soda or using more baking powder should resolve the problem. -Kim

      Reply
      • AvatarKaren

        September 1, 2019 at 4:13 pm

        Hi Kim. I want to thank you that dessert was delicious! The cake was light and moist. It was a big hit with my keto family. I have tried other recipes but my husband has not like them he raved over this and asked me how did you get rid of the grittiness LOL. Thanks again for taking the time to post recipes; everyone of your recipes that I have tried are wonderful.

        Reply
  5. AvatarConnie

    August 14, 2019 at 1:40 pm

    Can you substitute the Stevia glycerite for liquid Stevia?

    Reply
    • KimKim

      August 15, 2019 at 7:27 am

      Yes, Connie. Sub it to taste. I use the stevia glycerite because I find the liquid stevia very bitter. Enjoy the recipe. -Kim

      Reply
  6. AvatarLynn

    July 14, 2019 at 9:34 am

    Question- Do you think your sour cream cake would work if I added shredded Zucchini in it? I have an abundance of it and need low carb ideas of things to make. I would love some “sweet” treat recipes!
    Thanks!!

    Reply
    • KimKim

      July 14, 2019 at 9:47 pm

      I don’t know, Lynn, it might. I have a great zucchini bread recipe and an awesome chocolate zucchini muffin recipe. -Kim

      Reply
  7. AvatarJoanne

    July 4, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    We made this for the 4th of July. It was one of the best low carb cakes, ever! Where can I post a photo? Thank you.

    Reply
    • KimKim

      July 4, 2019 at 7:13 pm

      Oh, i’d love to see it! You can post it on Facebook on the Low Carb Maven page or on Instagram and tag me. I’m so happy you liked it. -Kim

      Reply
  8. AvatarKatrina Benjamin

    June 21, 2019 at 8:53 pm

    If I could give this 10 stars, I would. I baked it in a 9 x 13 pan and covered it with the frosting and berries as described. I make a lot of keto desserts, this was by FAR the best.

    Reply
  9. AvatarKiko

    January 24, 2019 at 4:44 pm

    I baked this cake for a graduation ceremony and it was a huge hit!! A few people asked me for the recipe so I gave them the URL of this page. Thank you for sharing your special recipe!!!

    Reply
    • KimKim

      January 25, 2019 at 3:16 pm

      I’m happy your cake was a success, Kiko. It feels so good when people ask for the recipe! Thanks for coming back and letting me know that it was a success. Enjoy your weekend. -Kim

      Reply
  10. AvatarRanee

    June 26, 2018 at 11:05 am

    This looks perfect for the 4th of July. I’m the only Keto/low carber in my family and I think a 9 x 13 would just be too big for me- or I’d eat too much! Can I half the recipe and make it in an 8 x 8 pan? Think that will work?

    Reply
    • KimKim

      June 26, 2018 at 3:12 pm

      Thanks, Ranee. You can absolutely make it in an 8X8 pan. I would rather you use a metal pan than a glass pan because the baking time and temp will be different leading to over baking and a dry cake. Halving the recipe may lead to a much thinner cake, which is already thin at about 3/4 of an inch. -Kim

      Reply
  11. Avatarsue

    June 25, 2018 at 9:23 am

    I am anxious to make this. I am confused as to when you cover or not the cake. I understand you bake the cake and then wrap and store in fridge. Then uncover to frost….put back in fridge to crust……..then I am lost…….. do you have the dimensions of the pan? Wondering if I could do 2 8×8? thank you

    Reply
    • KimKim

      June 25, 2018 at 7:18 pm

      Hi Sue. I’m sorry I didn’t get onto my computer until just now. I answered your question on my Facebook page. I’m sorry for the confusion. I’ll try to rewrite that section tomorrow. -Kim

      Reply
  12. AvatarDeborah

    June 25, 2018 at 4:50 am

    I can’t wait, I will make this lovely cake perfect for the 4 of July, Thank you.

    Reply
  13. AvatarTerrie

    June 24, 2018 at 8:52 pm

    What is Stevia Glycerite? Is it just regular Stevia?

    Reply
    • KimKim

      June 25, 2018 at 7:21 pm

      Hi Terrie. Stevia glycerite is a viscous, concentrated from of stevia which I do not find bitter. Many of the liquid stevia drops are very bitter to me but this one is not – unless I use too much in a chocolate recipe. I hope this helps. -Kim

      Reply
      • AvatarRita Stripling

        July 23, 2019 at 11:56 pm

        This looks like it’s really good.. I hope to try it real soon but I need to ask you a question before I do. Must all no sugar, low carb. desserts be made with the sweetener in your recipes + the almond flour? I am fairly new to cooking this way and don’t have the special flour and sweetners that you use. . Thank you for sharing your recipe; I look forward to getting your answer.

        Is the sweetener you used liquid? And could I use another sweetener such as Splenda or Equal?

        Reply
        • KimKim

          July 24, 2019 at 10:10 am

          Hi Rita, good questions. If you plan on doing low carb baking, you will find that most recipes use almond flour, coconut flour or a combination of the two. Whey protein powder is often used to provide a little structure to a recipe that may otherwise be a little mushy or dense in texture. I have two good articles about sweeteners. The first talks about natural, artificial, and natural low carb sweeteners and the second talks about some great low carb sweeteners and how to use them to the best effect.

          I found early on that Splenda for baking produces mushy baked goods. Moreover, it contains mostly dextrose and maltodextrine, both of which have higher glycemix than regular sugar. If you can find the Splenda which is an erythritol blend of erythritol and stevia, that would be fine to use. It’s best not to heat Equal (aspartame) as it breaks down in heat. It is also neurotoxic, from what I have read and should be avoided whenever possible.

          You can find almond flour at Costco now, but I often purchase mine from Amazon. Look for Welbee brand. I also like coconut flour, but more care is needed in using it in recipes. Most people say to use lots of eggs with coconut flour, but that leads to overly eggy products that stick like crazy to the pan Low carb baking is a science. The very best results are found in those recipes that use more ingredients rather than less, but that doesn’t mean that a simple recipe isn’t good.

          I could go on-and-on about low carb baking. I love it so much, but don’t often post sweet recipes because it takes me so long to test them.

          Please let me know if you have any more questions. -Kim

          Reply
  14. AvatarDeborah

    June 24, 2018 at 6:35 am

    Kim, what a gorgeous dessert this is !!!! Love the fruit decoration on the top….so inviting. This sounds delicious. Sour cream, yum. Would be so nice for a bridal shower as well…one of the prettiest low carb cakes I have ever seen, and so easy. Can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
    • KimKim

      June 24, 2018 at 12:32 pm

      Thank you, Deborah! I love the idea of serving this for a bridal shower. Thank you for taking the time to leave such a nice comment. Enjoy your week. -Kim

      Reply
  15. AvatarWalid

    June 23, 2018 at 5:23 pm

    If I did the math right, this cake had about 100 grams of carbohydrates, is that right? 60 grams from the almond flour and 30ish hands from the cream cheese.

    Reply
    • KimKim

      June 23, 2018 at 9:43 pm

      Hi Walid. I am so sorry I didn’t have the little code in place to share the nutritional information. It is there now. Each serving is 4.5 net carbs. I use Fatsecret.com to calculate the nutritional information. Make sure to weigh your ingredients in grams and to subtract the carbs from erythritol for the most accurate numbers. -Kim

      Reply
  16. AvatarCheryl

    June 18, 2018 at 6:24 pm

    This is beautiful! Perfect for Independence Day. I am so excited to try this!

    Reply
  17. Avatarjulie

    June 17, 2018 at 2:35 pm

    Are swerve and Sukrin the same?

    Reply
    • KimKim

      June 17, 2018 at 3:55 pm

      They are similar, Julie. You can sub Swerve for the Sukrin. -Kim

      Reply

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Kim HardestyHi, I'm Kim. I love coffee, steak, and love to bake. Are you looking for great Low Carb, Keto recipes that taste like the real thing? You're in the right place! Sign up for my NEWSLETTER and never miss a post!


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