This sugar-free cake is the perfect keto birthday cake or cake for all celebrations. You can very easily change both the colour and flavours to suit almost all occasions.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Low carb – With just 4g net carbs per serve, you really can have your cake and eat it too!
Keto pantry basic ingredients – All of the ingredients will be staples in your keto pantry. This keto cake can also be made with our keto cake mix. Our low carb cake mix is available from selected suppliers or online.
Gluten free – My keto ombre cake recipe uses almond flour or almond meal and really is the perfect gluten-free cake.
Versatile – This recipe can be used as a base recipe and adapted to different flavours with the addition or substitution of flavouring ingredients. A keto layer cake has a real WOW element for all your friends!
Layered Keto Cake
This very easy keto cake makes for the best sugar free birthday cake recipe ever! This recipe is just a little bit more than a standard keto pound cake recipe but still so easy to make.
Related Keto Cake Recipes: The Easiest Keto Chocolate Cake / Keto Vanilla Cake
The Ingredients
Jump to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients to make this layered keto cake.
- Light-tasting olive oil – use an oil with a neutral flavour. Oils like extra virgin olive oil are too strong for this low carb cake.
- Sweetener – I use either Sukrin:1 or Monkfruit sweetener. When choosing a keto sweetener choose one that you love. Adjust the level of sweetness to your taste. Monk fruit sweetener and erythritol based sweeteners are always my preferred ones to use.
- Almond flour or almond meal – Almond meal and blanched almond flour are slightly different in consistency, with meal being a bit coarser. You can choose either for this recipe.
- Eggs – I prefer to buy fresh, free-range, jumbo eggs whenever possible, and have them at room temperature before using them in a recipe.
- Sour cream or Greek yoghurt. – Coconut cream can be used for a dairy free keto vanilla cake.
- Baking powder – I use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill Double Acting Baking Powder for this recipe and for all low carb gluten-free baking. It really helps give a good rise and consistent baking results every time.
- Food Coloring – I use a combination of Colour Mill oil based colours and simple gel colours from the supermarket. Low carb chocolate and cocoa or cacao will colour for a chocolate ombre cake.
- Cream Cheese Frosting – we have a couple of low carb keto frosting recipes you can use. The pink ombre cake is made with our Whipped Cream Buttercream and the keto chocolate cake is iced with the Keto Frosting recipe.
How to Make It
Here are simple steps to make this cake. I am not a professional cake decorator so this is how to make it without any real skills lol. I have included a video of me creating the layers as well.
Step 1. Combine all the cake ingredients. You can do this with a whisk, hand mixer or stand mixer.
Step 2. Divide the batter into 3 (or more) bowls and colour and flavour however you prefer. Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C/320°F for 20-25 minutes. Allow the cakes to completely cool before frosting.
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Step 3. If the cake has a rounded top you can trim it a little to flatten it down. Place the first cake onto a turntable or plate. Pipe the top of the first layer of the cake with the darkest frosting colour. Smooth over the top with an angled spatula. Don’t worry if it comes over the edge as you need the frosting to coat the outside too.
Step 4. Add the next cake layer and pipe some of your next coloured frosting around the outside of the cake surface. Pipe some of the white frosting into the centre. Top with the final layer of the cake. Pipe the top layer with the remaining white frosting.
Step 5. Starting from the outer edge of the bottom of the cake. Pipe around the outer edge of the bottom layer with the remaining darkest color frosting. Pipe the centre with the mid-level color and do the top with light color frosting. Using a cake scraper, angled spatula (or even a ruler – in a pinch) gently scrape and smooth the sides of the cake. Remove the excess frosting and place it into a bowl. Clean the spatula or smoothing scraper before starting again. Do this until the edges of the cake are smooth. If you have any holes or unevenness just add more of the frosting previously removed. Add any garnishes of preference and chill for a few hours before serving.
At the time of making this recipe, it was close to Easter. I made two versions of the pink cake and the chocolate cake recipe.
I had a little of the chocolate cake frosting leftover and I scraped it into egg moulds and froze it before serving. How cute do my little keto Easter eggs look? It is a great way to use up any of the leftover buttercream scrapings. To get the marbled effect I just didn’t mix it together.
How to Make a Chocolate Ombre Cake
To make a keto chocolate layer cake, I simply added 60-70g of melted chocolate to each layer. Dark for the base, milk chocolate for the centre and white chocolate for the top. The frosting I coloured with cocoa powder, and Colour Mill Food Gels.
FAQs and Baking Tips
I have used a regular (but keto) frosting made with butter and powdered sweetener. Plus, I have of course used this stabilised whipped cream frosting and American buttercream frosting. You can also use Swiss Meringue Buttercream or even just coloured creams. I don’t think there is any hard and fast rule to this.
Yes! You sure can!
Yes, you can. I have included a Thermomix Ombre Cake method as well. You can make this up to 1.5 times the mixture otherwise do in 2 or more batches if you want to make the cake bigger.
More Recipes To Try
We love making healthy recipes keto and keto cake recipes are always popular. I think you will love this easy keto cake but here are just a few more keto sweet recipes to try, just in case you need more inspiration.
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Easy Keto Layer Cake
Equipment
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Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (0.3 cup) light-tasting olive oil 80g
- 6 (6) large eggs at room temperature
- 100 g (3.5 oz) Greek yoghurt coconut cream, or sour cream
- 1/2 cup (0.5 cup) sweetener see notes (100g)
- 3 cups (3 cups) almond meal 330g
- 3 teaspoons (3 teaspoons) baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch (Pinch) salt flakes
LAYER 1 Vanilla
- I added nothing extra to the mixture.
LAYER 2 Lemon Coconut
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) lemon extract
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) desiccated coconut
- A touch of yellow colour if desired
LAYER 3 White Chocolate Strawberry Mudcake
- 60 g (2 oz) sugar-free white chocolate melted
- A few drops of strawberry extract I use Lorann Strawberry flavour
- Pink food colour
FROSTING
- 1 batch (1) Whipped Cream Buttercream see method and notes
- Colour for ombre-look
Instructions
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Line 3 x 15-17.5cm (6-7″) cake pans.
- Place all the ingredients into a bowl; mix until smooth and combined.
- Divide the batter into 3 equal portions. Flavour each per the recipe or as preferred.
- Pour the batters into the prepared cake pans. Place the pans on the shelf in the centre of the oven. Bake, 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely. Chill for at least 3 hours before frosting.
- Divide the batter into 3 bowls. I used half of the batter as one colour (white) to include the layering between the cakes and the remaining half was halved.
- Place the first cake onto a cake turntable or plate. Pipe a circle of the darkest frosting on the outer edge. If you have more of the lighter colour frosting then pipe that into the centre. Smooth over the top with an angled spatula. Don’t worry if it comes over the edge as you need the frosting to coat the outside too.
- Add the next cake layer and pipe some of your next coloured layer around the outside of the cake surface(working from darkest colour up to light this would be your next lightest colour). Pipe some of the white frosting into the centre. Top with the final layer of the cake.
- Pipe the top layer with the remaining white frosting.
- Starting from the outer edge of the bottom of the cake. Pipe around the outer edge of the bottom layer with the remaining darkest colour frosting. Pipe the centre with the mid-level colour and do the top with light colour frosting. Using a cake scraper, angled spatula (or even a ruler – in a pinch) gently scrape and smooth the sides of the cake. Remove the excess frosting and place it into a bowl. Clean the spatula or smoothing scraper before starting again. Do this until the edges of the cake are smooth. If you have any holes or unevenness just add more of the frosting previously removed. Add any garnishes of preference and chill for a few hours before serving.
THERMAL METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Line 3 x 15-17.5cm (6-7″) cake pans.
- Place all the ingredients into the mixer; mix 30 sec/speed 4.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the cake on the shelf just below the centre of the oven. Bake, 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely. Chill for at least 3 hours before frosting.
- See above for frosting tips.
AIR FRYER METHOD
- Preheat the air fryer to 170°C/350°F. Prepare the cake as per steps 1 and 2 above. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Turn the air fryer down to 140°C. Place the cake pan into the centre of the basket and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Video
Notes
Your Own Notes
Nutrition
39 responses to “Ombre Layered Keto Cake”
Hi Megan, if I want to make this in 3x 20cm tins, do you
have any ideas on what I’d need to change the quantities too? ThanksHow do I make the chocolate layered cake that is on the photos too?
Just scroll to it in the blog post it is under the heading “how to Make Chocolate Ombre Cake” use the recipe card the instructions there to cream the choc ombre.
Your cake is so pretty! Looks like you ordered it from a bakery! I hope mine turns out looking like your’s!Oh, I wish it looked that good but thank you. I hope yours turns out magnificent
I have made ombre cakes before and love the look of them when cut. I love the flavors you combined for this cake, and the lovely frosting. Glad to have this keto cake recipe.Yay!
This is a gorgeous cake, so delicious and moist. It also looks so beautiful that I already have it on my list for Easter and Christmas, why not?I hope you enjoy it Silvia
This looks great. I am not keto, but I would not snub my nose at a slice of this! I love inclusive desserts everyone can indulge with.
Thanks Sara
I’ve been looking for more keto recipes to try and this one looks really tasty and visually nice as well.Enjoy!
This is truly a visually stunning cake. My mouth is watering! I love the layers and frosting and to think it is keto froendly is unbelievable. Well done!😋🥰👍👌🙏Thanks
I am astounded that this cake only has 4 net carbs per serving! What an amazing recipe!!It really is a great recipe isn’t it/
I’m so glad I found this keto cake recipe… there are just not a lot of tasty cake options out there for keto cakes and this one is super tasty! I’ve shared this recipe with so many friends!!!Yay! That is so cool Amanda. Thanks for giving it a go and sharing with your friends.
This is definitely a healthy cake option. Delicious flavors and yummy frosting too.So happy you like it Veena
Thank you for this keto and diabetic friendly cake. We opted for layer flavors of Chocolate, vanilla and coffee. Terrific texture and flavors!Oh, I love the additional of coffee too!
Enjoy!
I’ve never made a keto cake before but this cake looks so delicious! I have to try it! Thanks for the recipe!You are very welcome Nora
You are welcome
Hey Megan,This 3 layer Keto cake looks pretty impressive, and I know firsthand how difficult it is to make a GOOD keto cake. I’ve never tried the monkfruit sweeteners but I’ve heard good things. Is that your favourite sweetener for keto cakes?
Keep up the great work,
Devan
Thanks so much Devan.
Such a stunning and delicious bake! I loved the addition of soured cream, it creates such soft and moist crumb!So happy you enjoyed it Anna.
Oh wow, Megan, this cake is so appealing! I just want to dive straight into it! Cakes with almond flour are the best – so moist and tasty. Plus both versions looks super pretty!I hope you love it Marcellina!
I Made the chocolate version for my boyfriend and he went crazy for it! He said he wants want one every week now, yikes!! Great recipe and easy to follow!Yay!
Made this cake in pink ombre for my birthday as I was lucky enough to be one of the testers. Wow! Everyone loved it! Cake was light but full of flavour, looked beautiful. It was much easier to do then expected. Buttercream filling was divine. Definitely adding to my go-to celebration cakes! Next time will try chocolate ombre 👍🌟😀I saw your cake and it looked amazing. Happy Birthday Nina. I hope you day was super special! xx
This cake is a showstopper. Not only does it look awesome it tastes every bit as good as it looks. The three different layers all complement each other and the frosting was light and creamy and not overly sweet. I served it to 6 of my neighbours for dessert, who aren’t doing a keto or lowcarb lifesyle and they were blown away with it.
Another winner and wonderful, easy recipe you have createdYay! So happy that everyone enjoyed you delicious looking cake Lynda xx
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