For those craving a classic dessert while adhering to a ketogenic or low-carb lifestyle, this keto sour cream pound cake recipe offers a satisfying solution. This recipe recreates the beloved pound cake experience with a moist, tender crumb and a delightful vanilla flavor, all while keeping the carbohydrate count low. This recipe uses a few of the same ingredients you’ll find in a traditional pound cake, with several adjustments to make it low carb and keto friendly.
The Secret Ingredient: Sour Cream
One of the key ingredients in this recipe is sour cream. It’s what keeps the cake incredibly moist and makes the crumb very tender and light. The addition of sour cream is a game-changer, ensuring a moist and tender texture that rivals traditional pound cake. Some recipes also use Greek yogurt for extra moisture and a tender crumb.
Key Ingredients and Their Roles
This keto pound cake recipe utilizes a combination of ingredients to achieve its unique texture and flavor profile:
- Almond Flour: Blanched almond flour, not almond meal, forms the base of the cake, providing a gluten-free alternative to traditional flour. Superfine almond flour is recommended for a smoother texture.
- Coconut Flour: Coconut flour complements almond flour, contributing to the cake's structure and absorbing excess moisture.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the ingredients together and add richness to the cake. Always use large grade A eggs, as it's the standard in most recipes.
- Butter: Softened unsalted butter adds flavor and contributes to the cake's tender crumb.
- Sweetener: Granular erythritol, Lakanto Monk Fruit, or Swerve are used as sugar substitutes to provide sweetness without the added carbs. The best keto pound cake has to have a perfect balance of sweetness, without it overpowering the vanilla base. To do this we include a blend of erythritol and liquid stevia in our recipe.
- Baking Powder: Baking powder helps the cake rise, resulting in a lighter texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract enhances the cake's flavor, adding a touch of warmth and sweetness.
- Milk: Milk adds moisture to the batter, ensuring a smooth and consistent texture.
- Salt: Sea salt is best, but regular table salt also works.
Essential Equipment
- 8×4” or 8.5 x 4.5 inch Loaf Pan: This is the standard size for pound cakes. Alternatively, a 9x5 loaf pan or a 10x5 inch loaf pan can be used. You can also use a bundt pan.
- Parchment Paper: Lining the loaf pan with parchment paper prevents the cake from sticking and makes removal easy.
- Large Bowl: A large bowl is needed for mixing the batter.
- Whisk: A whisk is used to combine the wet and dry ingredients.
- Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer: A mixer can be used for creaming the butter and sweetener.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper, setting it aside. Spray a 8.5 x 4.5 bread loaf with oil of choice. Can also line with parchment paper for easier removal.
Mixing the Wet Ingredients:
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- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, Greek yogurt or sour cream, softened butter, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. In a large bowl, add butter, eggs, sour cream, milk, vanilla. Whisk until evenly combined and smooth.
Combining the Dry Ingredients:
- In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, erythritol, and baking powder. In a medium bowl add almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Combine using a hand mixer until fluffy and incorporated.
Creating the Batter:
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well until combined. Add in almond flour, coconut flour, erythritol, baking powder. Whisk until batter is smooth.
- Do not overbeat the batter. Over mixing will lead to crumbles in the cake.
Baking:
- Transfer the cake batter into the lined pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until cake is done.
- Place the cake in the center of the oven. Keep the door closed.
- Oven temps vary so be sure to check on the pound cake starting at 40 minutes.
- If your keto pound cake is getting too brown in the oven don’t worry! Almond flour tends to brown much faster than coconut flour or white flour. Simply place some aluminum foil on top to protect it from the direct heat.
Cooling and Frosting:
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before frosting. Remove from the oven and let it cool briefly, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Let the cake cool for about 2 hours before removing it from the pan.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes for the frosting to firm up before slicing.
Icing (Optional):
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- While cake is cooling, make your icing. In a small bowl, combine all icing ingredients. Whisk until smooth. If needed, add a little more milk to thin out icing to your desired consistency. Drizzle onto cake once cooled.
Frosting Options
The vanilla icing is optional but it does add a little more sweetness to the cake. If you prefer icing across the entire surface of the cake, you can double or triple the icing recipe.
- Vanilla Icing: A simple vanilla icing can be made by combining powdered erythritol, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Keto Powdered Sugar Glaze: Combine keto powdered sugar with vanilla extract and milk until the desired texture is achieved.
- Whipped Cream: Top the cake with whipped cream made from heavy whipping cream, keto confectioners sweetener, and vanilla extract.
- Lemon Glaze: For a quick glaze mix some water, confectioners erythritol, and lemon extract.
Tips for the Perfect Keto Pound Cake
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use room temperature ingredients for better emulsification and a smoother batter. Make sure the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature. Set those items out on the counter at least an hour before you start baking.
- Sifting Almond Flour: Sifting almond flour can result in a finer crumb.
- Don't Overmix: Avoid overmixing the batter to prevent a tough cake.
- Parchment Paper: Use parchment paper to line the loaf pan for easy removal.
- Cool Completely: Let the cake cool completely before frosting to prevent the icing from melting.
Variations and Add-Ins
- Lemon Pound Cake: Add lemon juice and lemon zest for a zesty twist.
- Blueberry Walnut Pound Cake: Fold in blueberries and chopped walnuts for added flavor and texture.
- Coffee Cake Pound Cake: Add cinnamon and keto brown sugar to the batter, and create a crumb topping with cinnamon, sweetener, and almond flour.
- Chocolate Chips: Add keto chocolate chips to the batter.
- Pb&J Pound Cake: Swirl in melted peanut butter and sugar-free jelly.
Serving and Storage
- Serving: Slice the cake and serve it plain or with your favorite keto-friendly toppings, such as whipped cream, fresh berries, or a drizzle of sugar-free syrup.
- Storage: Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. The cake can also be stored on the counter or at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Freezing: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. Slice the cake into individual portions, wrap in parchment paper and a freezer-safe bag, and freeze.
Nutritional Information
The estimated nutrition carbohydrates count excludes sugar alcohols. The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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