This Keto German Chocolate Cake is an ultra-moist dark chocolate cake filled with a gooey coconut keto caramel filled with crunchy pecans and shredded coconut. Bonus, the sides are covered with an extra smooth keto chocolate buttercream for a decadent keto gluten-free dessert for any occasion and celebration.
Baking lovers, this easy keto German chocolate cake recipe is for you! If you love to challenge yourself with a keto baking recipe to fix your sweet tooth, this is another great keto cake to try.
While the classic German cake recipe is not keto-friendly – it’s actually one of the highest-sugar cake recipes made of high-carb flour, sugar, and evaporated milk in the frosting bringing 40 grams of net carbs per slice – you can make a delicious keto-friendly German cake using keto-friendly ingredients.
Ingredients and Substitutions
The ingredients you need to make the two-layer moist keto chocolate cake are a few ingredients better to bring at room temperature before you start.
- Almond Flour – Use ultra-fine almond flour. Avoid using an almond meal if you can to avoid a gritty cake texture.
- Coconut Flour – The combination of both keto flours creates an ultra-moist cake crumb. Don’t replace it with more almond flour, or the cake crumb won’t hold.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – Or cacao powder if you prefer.
- Erythritol or any keto crystal sweetener you love, like xylitol or monk fruit erythritol blend.
- Baking Powder – To make the crumb more airy.
- Vanilla Extract – for flavor.
- Eggs – at room temperature. Yes, eggs are keto-friendly!
- Melted Coconut Oil – Melted but not hot.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk – Or any other unsweetened non-dairy milk.
- Expresso Powder – For the hint of coffee.
- Heavy Cream or canned coconut cream for a dairy-free option. Both are keto-friendly. Make sure you shake the can before measuring.
To make a keto caramel for keto German cake frosting, you need:
- Heavy Cream – It also works with canned coconut cream.
- Unsalted Butter – I use grass-fed butter.
- Vanilla Extract – For flavor.
- Brown Erythritol – Or any other brown sugar-free sweetener.
- Egg Yolks
- Unsweetened Shredded Coconut – To give it the classic coconutty texture.
- Chopped Pecans – Or chopped walnuts if you prefer.
- Xanthan Gum – for thickness.
How To Make A Keto German Cake
It is easy to make a German chocolate keto cake at home.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: eggs, almond milk, melted coconut oil, heavy cream, and vanilla.
In another large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together to combine the flours with sweeteners and avoid lumps.
Then, combine the wet with the dry ingredients until the cake batter is smooth and no lumps show.
When it’s smooth and shiny, divide the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans.
Bake both cake layers for 35-45 minutes at 350°F (180°C).
In a medium saucepan, whisk heavy cream, unsweetened almond milk, egg yolks, and erythritol together add the butter and bring the saucepan over medium heat.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, shredded coconut, and finely chopped pecans. Cool down in a large mixing bowl for 1 hour.
Spread the frosting all over the cake layer, leaving 0.2 inches free on their edge. Top with the second cake layer and add the remaining coconut caramel frosting. Spread all over the top and decorate with a few pecan halves.
Making It Ahead
You can prepare the cake layers the day before. Store each cake layer on a cooling rack at room temperature and protect its top from dush with a piece of foil or clean towel. The next day, prepare the coconut frosting for 1 hour before frosting the cake.
Storage Instructions
This keto German cake stores very well in a cake box in the fridge for up to 4 days. Another option is to freeze the cake in a sealed container and thaw it the day before serving.
Nutritional Information
This keto chocolate is surprisingly low-in carbs, with only 4.2 grams of net carbs per slice. It’s a decadent cake with a good amount of calories per slice, but it’s a really fulfilling cake. It will bring you all the pleasure of eating cake while reaching your fat count without blowing your carbs. So if you want a keto cake that impresses you for celebrating a birthday or Easter, this keto German cake is the one to try.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make a single-layer cake, but I recommend instead making a Keto Chocolate Cake.
More Healthy Cake Recipes
I love to bake keto cake all the time, and below I listed my favorite keto cake recipes for you to try.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Chocolate frosting – optional
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and oil the sides and bottom with coconut oil. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, almond milk, heavy cream, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
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In another large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, espresso powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, erythritol, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until all the ingredients are evenly combined and no lumps show.
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Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid ingredients. Stir with a spatula to combine until the batter is smooth.
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Evenly divide the batter into the two round pans – it’s roughly 2 cups of batter per pan.
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Bake both pans at the same time in the preheated oven. Place one cake pan on the center rack and one in the rack just under.
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Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, swapping the pans halfway through baking to make sure both cake layers bake evenly at the same speed. Insert a toothpick in the center of each cake layer to check the cake is cooked through. When the pick comes out clean or with no crumb on it, remove the cake layer from the oven. It’s ok if one cooks slightly before the other, remove the cake layer as soon as baked through.
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Cool down both cake layers onto a cooling rack for a few hours or overnight before frosting.
Coconut pecan filling
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While the cake layers are cooling down, prepare the coconut pecan filling so it’s ready when the cake layers are at room temperature.
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In a saucepan, whisk together heavy cream, egg yolks, and brown erythritol. Add butter to the saucepan and bring the saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally to melt the butter and bring the mixture to a low boil.
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Once the mixture is on a light boil, sprinkle xanthan gum, stir in, reduce to low heat and keep cooking for 3-5 minutes until the mixture thickens. Don’t over boil, or the caramel will split! Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, toasted chopped pecans, and unsweetened shredded coconut.
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Let the mixture cool completely in a large mixing bowl before using. It will thicken even more at room temperature and take 1 hour to be cool.
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If you want to frost the side of the cake with keto chocolate frosting, prepare it now following my keto chocolate frosting recipe here.
Assemble the cake
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Place the first cake layer onto a cake turntable, a cake stand, or a plate.
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Add half the coconut-pecan filling and spread all over the top.
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Place the second cake layer on top and add the remaining coconut pecan frosting on top.
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Use the keto chocolate frosting to frost the sides of the cake if you choose to make it.
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Place the cake 2 hours in the fridge before serving to set the frosting and blend flavors.
Storage: Store cake in an airtight cake box in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze and thaw in the fridge the day before.
Serving: 1 sliceCalories: 360.8 kcal (18%)Carbohydrates: 8.6 g (3%)Fiber: 4.4 g (18%)Net Carbs: 4.2 gProtein: 7 g (14%)Fat: 35.3 g (54%)Saturated Fat: 19 g (119%)Trans Fat: 0.2 gCholesterol: 121.8 mg (41%)Sodium: 246.1 mg (11%)Potassium: 124.1 mg (4%)Sugar: 1.4 g (2%)Vitamin A: 566 IU (11%)Vitamin C: 0.2 mgCalcium: 115.2 mg (12%)Iron: 1.6 mg (9%)
About The Author
Carine Claudepierre
Hi, I’m Carine, the food blogger, author, recipe developer, published author of a cookbook, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I have an Accredited Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness obtained in 2014 from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health). I’m passionate about sharing all my easy and tasty recipes that are both delicious and healthy. My expertise in the field comes from my background in chemistry and years of following a keto low-carb diet. But I’m also well versed in vegetarian and vegan cooking since my husband is vegan.
I now eat a more balanced diet where I alternate between keto and a Mediterranean Diet
Cooking and Baking is my true passion. In fact, I only share a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of them are eaten by my husband and my two kids before I have time to take any pictures!
All my recipes are at least triple tested to make sure they work and I take pride in keeping them as accurate as possible.
Browse all my recipes with my Recipe Index.
I hope that you too find the recipes you love on Sweet As Honey!
