A Keto Gingerbread Cake with a cream cheese frosting. Made with almond flour, warm spices and just a hint of molasses, this low carb gingerbread cake recipe will give you all the holiday feels.
This keto gingerbread loaf was inspired by my Keto Gingerbread Cookies recipe that are chewy soft and scrumptious. You might also love these Keto Gingerbread Donuts, or this Low Carb Gingerbread Brownie recipe.
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Whether you enjoy this diabetic friendly gingerbread cake over the Christmas holidays or whenever the mood strikes, this easy-to-make sugar-free cake will be a family favorite.
Why you'll love this keto gingerbread cake?
- Soft, moist and intensely flavored gingerbread with just the right amount of spices.
- Made with just a touch of molasses and ginger with a keto cream cheese frosting.
- It's like a dessert, snack or breakfast option all rolled into one, also perfectly cut into individual slices and freeze them.
- It's a sugar free version of the Starbucks Gingerbread Loaf.
- Keto, low carb and diabetic friendly with only 4g net carbs per slice.
Other dessert recipes you might enjoy
Main Ingredients Used
Warmly spiced with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg this low carb gingerbread loaf is an easy to make dessert that everyone will love.
- Almond Flour: ground blanched almonds were used for this recipe which gives it a slightly nutty flavor plus it's low carb and gluten-free.
- Cream cheese: 4 ounces of cream cheese were used for the frosting.
- Butter: we used unsalted butter for this keto gingerbread loaf.
- Brown Sugar Swerve: giving it a caramel brown sugar flavor that brings this low carb cake over the top delicious.
- Molasses: usually feared in the keto community, only a ¼ teaspoon (1g carbs) was used to give a hint of molasses flavor. This is an optional ingredient as you also get some molasses flavors from the brown sugar swerve.
- Spices: the star of the gingerbread loaf we use ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves and nutmeg. We also used a teaspoon of baking powder.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
Steps by step instructions
How to make the keto gingerbread cake?
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 325°F.
In a large bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar erythritol (swerve) with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer. Then add the eggs, vanilla extract and molasses (optional). Mix again until everything is well combined and the mixture is a little frothy. (see video).
STEP 2: add the dry ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula until everything is well combined. Transfer the batter to a 9" x 5" cake pan. I greased mine with butter and then lined it with parchment paper with the two edges of paper higher than the pan for easy removal once it's baked and cooled.
Spread the batter out evenly and smooth out the top of the cake.
STEP 3: Bake the cake at 325°F for about 45-50 minutes or when a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake the cake, we don't want a dry cake.
- STEP 4: Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the loaf pan.
STEP 5: to make the cream cheese frosting, in a medium bowl whisk together the softened 4 ounces of cream cheese, powdered erythritol and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread the frosting onto the cake using a rubber spatula or a frosting knife/spatula.
STEP 6: sprinkle the top of the frosting with chopped walnuts and then slightly press down on the walnuts. This will ensure they stay in place. Cut the cake into 9 - 1 inch slices and serve.
Recipe tips
Top Tip: keep an eye on the timer and do not overbake this cake as it can turn out dry if overbaked.
Allow to Cool: I have learned my lesson on this one, there have been many baked goods that came out of the oven that I was too eager to wait until it cooled and then it fell apart (sad face). Allow the cake to cool completely in the loaf pan before removing it.
- Serving: I love sipping on a warm beverage like this Keto Hot Chocolate while enjoying this cake. You may also want to serve it with a side of Gingerbread Ice Cream I made in the Ninja Creami Machine.
- Storage: wrap in plastic wrap to keep fresh and moist for up to 4 days or wrap each individual slice in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer bag to freeze for later for individual treats.
Recipe variations
So many ingredients go well with gingerbread, here are a few I have used:
- Chocolate Chips - add some low carb chocolate chips and a tablespoon of cocoa powder to this recipe for an extra chocolatey gingerbread loaf.
- Nutty - if you want a nuttier keto gingerbread cake, add some chopped walnuts to the batter.
- Orange Glaze - replace the cream cheese frosting with an orange glaze and combine your milk of choice with powdered erythritol and orange zest.
See this Low Carb Gingerbread Eggnog Cups recipe on the blog.
Frequently asked questions
Gingerbread can be enjoyed all year round although it is typically more associated with Christmas.
We use low-carb ingredients like almond flour and erythritol to make it low carb and sugar free. Making this cake only 4g net carbs per serving. Therefore, it is likely to fit into a low-carb, keto and diabetic friendly diet.
Recipe Card
Keto Gingerbread Cake
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Cake
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup brown sweetener
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon molasses optional
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup low carb sweetener
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts for topping
Instructions
Cake
- Preaheat the oven to 325°F
- In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar eryrhtirol with a mixer.⅓ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup brown sweetener
- add the eggs, vanilla extract and optional molasses and mix again until ingredients are combined and mixture is frothy. About 1 minute on high speed.3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon molasses
- add the dry ingredients and mix together with a rubber spatula until well combined.2 cups almond flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- transfer to a 9" x 5" loaf pan that is greased and lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 325°F for 45-50 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool completely before removing from the cake pan.
Frosting
- In a medium bowl whisk together the softened cream cheese, vanilla extract and powdered erythritol until creamy and smooth.4 oz cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup low carb sweetener
- Using a rubber spatula add the frosting to the top of the keto gingerbread cake, then top with the chopped walnuts. (See recipe video)¼ cup chopped walnuts
Notes
More Information
This recipe card provides the basic details to make this recipe. For more information, tips and variations please review the content above the recipe card.
Updates and Revisions
If conflicting information between the video and recipe card, the recipe card will always have the most up to date information, ingredients and instructions.
Nutritional Information
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooked food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more food guidelines
Sharon says
I love the ease of this recipe along with ingredients that are readily available. The end product was disappointing. The bread did not rise at all, the batter was very thick and I had to spread it out in the loaf pan so it stayed about an inch thick. I baked it for 30 minutes at 325°and it still burned on the sides and bottom of the pan.
Oscar Chimenti says
Typically low carb cakes made with almond flour do not rise very much if at all. Please be aware that individual ovens may vary in temperature, so it's advisable to keep an eye on your baking and adjust the time accordingly. Some ovens may run slightly hotter or cooler than others, and this can affect the overall baking time. Thank you for your understanding and happy baking!
Kim says
Tasty!
Kara says
This gingerbread cake was so easy to make and absolutely delicious! I really loved the cream cheese frosting. It was the perfect amount of sweetness.
nancy says
store bought gingerbread cakes are usually WAY too sweet - i love your version of Keto Gingerbread Cake! It is perfect and moist!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says
The most difficult thing about this recipe is only eating one slice when it’s done. Look how beautiful that is! And it tastes that good too!