Keto Strawberry Shortcake
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My keto strawberry shortcake recipe makes a moist, tender cake layered with creamy frosting and fresh strawberries. 3 grams of net carbs.
I love a good strawberry shortcake, and my low-carb strawberry shortcake tastes almost identical to the classic. This keto version is made with almond flour, giving the cake a naturally nutty and sweet flavor and a delicate crumb that complements the frosting and fresh strawberry flavor.
I initially tested sandwiching the cake between my keto whipped cream, but it didn’t provide the best structure, so I replaced it with a thin layer of cream cheese frosting and fresh strawberries. The frosting holds the layers together perfectly and adds a subtle tang that actually makes it better than the original.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Made with only 8 ingredients. Aside from the strawberries, they’re all simple keto baking staples you likely have on hand.
- Naturally gluten-free. And it’s easily made vegan with a couple of swaps.
- Minimal prep time. Just mix the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, fold them together, and let them bake. Decorating the cake is easy, and you don’t have to make it perfect–unless you want to.
- Firmer than a traditional shortcake. Classic shortcake is made with a biscuit base, but I wanted something a little firmer so we could layer it like a traditional cake.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Best strawberry shortcake ever. All my family loved this. They could not believe it was sugar-free and gluten-free. I made it into 4 layers. Delicious.” – Kevin
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this keto shortcake recipe, along with my kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Almond flour. You must use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. The latter will leave the cake layer incredibly gritty and with a loose crumb.
- Baking powder. I’m using two teaspoons in this recipe. Too little and the cake won’t rise enough to slice properly.
- Granulated sweetener of choice. Since publishing this recipe, I retested it with newer sweeteners on the market and found that allulose works best to keep the cake moist. Monk fruit sweetener also works.
- Eggs. Room temperature eggs are best to prevent the butter from firming up when mixing the batter.
- Butter. Melted and salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients.
- Vanilla extract. A full tablespoon balances out the sweet cream and the richness of the cake.
- Keto frosting. For the topping and filling. I like cream cheese for the tang, but vanilla also works well.
- Strawberries. This isn’t the cake to use frozen strawberries for, as even when thawed, they soften the cake.
How to make keto strawberry shortcake
Step 1- Make the cake batter. In a small bowl, combine the almond flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweetener, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gently fold in the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
Step 2- Bake. Pour the cake batter into the two cake pans and bake for 27-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Step 3- Cool. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely in the cake pans.
Step 4- Frost. Place the first cake on a flat plate or surface. Spread half the frosting on top, followed by half the strawberries. Place the second cake layer on top, add the remaining frosting, and top with the remaining strawberries.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Do not overbake. Almond flour baked goods can quickly go from moist to burnt. I recommend removing the cake from the oven once a toothpick comes out mostly clean. The cake will continue to bake as it cools.
- Adjust the baking time. My oven takes about 35 minutes, but it can take up to 45 minutes. Check at the 35-minute mark and adjust accordingly.
- Make a vegan shortcake. I tested this using equal parts flax eggs and plant-based butter, and it worked well. The cake won’t rise as much, but it will still be delicious.
- Use an electric mixer. While optional, I sometimes find using an electric hand mixer makes the batter noticeably smoother in just 30 seconds.
- Use other types of berries. In addition to strawberries, I like to top the cake with raspberries or blueberries for a little extra tart flavor and color.
Storage instructions
To store: Strawberry shortcake should be refrigerated, as it can spoil if left at room temperature. Keep it covered, and it will keep fresh for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Place cake slices in a shallow container and freeze for up to 6 months.
Keto Strawberry Shortcake
Ingredients
- 4 cups almond flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup allulose
- 8 large eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the filling and topping
- 2 cups keto vanilla frosting
- 2 cups strawberries hulled and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease two 9-inch springform cake pans and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the almond flour and baking powder, then set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweetener, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract until glossy and smooth. Gently fold through the dry ingredients until combined.
- Transfer the cake batter among the two cake pans and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the cake pans completely, before frosting and layering.
- Place the first cake on a flat plate or surface. Spread half the frosting on top, followed by half the strawberries. Place the second cake layer on top, and spread with the remaining frosting and top with the remaining strawberries.
This turned out really great. I layered it with whipped cream. A really nice texture too.
Great to hear Joan!
Didn’t too much like this. This could be that I’m new to keto and going through sugar withdrawals. I baked a smaller amount and shorter time in my air fryer.
No worries, Tracy. If you’re new to keto, it might just be the sweetener you used or your taste buds getting used to it. I hope we have more desserts that might be a better fit. 🙂
Hello Arman, Have you tried using oat flour or coconut flour with this recipe?
That won’t work, Renee. This cake only works using almond flour, as other flours would need a completely different liquid ingredient ratio. Also, oat flour would make this no longer keto friendly.
Should have used parchment paper; the cake stuck horribly though I followed the directions.
I cut the sweetener in half and added cinnamon and nutmeg. Was still too sweet.
Hi Kay- sorry to hear that. Although has that happened to other cakes before? It could be the pan you used. Because almond flour has a higher fat content than regular flour, it usually doesn’t need anything to prevent it from sticking to the cake pan.
everytime I try a new batter recipe, i make a few pancakes with it to check the taste and this one is really nice. put Lilley’schocolate chips in Today’s test thank You for the recipe.I will be making strawberry shortcak with it also.
Please let me know how you go, Kelly! 🙂
I was short on almond flour so I tapered this recipe down and used Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener with Erythritol. I decided on using whipped cream and fresh sliced strawberries instead of the frosting. This was probably the best keto dessert I ever had. Thank you for sharing this!
Do you have to use granulated sugar for the bulk or could I use a powdered monk fruit instead?
Powdered is a little tricky, Jess. You can try, but use half the amount of the granulated kind. The sweetness is more intense and the finer texture can actually affect the structure of the cake (makes it a little loose).
Thanks so much for sharing your tweaks, Rose- that is super helpful for others thinking of using cream and reducing the recipe. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hey arman… I accidentally put sugar in the flour first, instead of creaming sugar butter and eggs together. Do you know how this will affect final result? Thanks so much. Gina
Provided you get a decent batter, it should be okay.
I plan to just top this cake with homemade strawberry sauce and whipped cream – I’m wondering if you think it would work to bake this in a bundt pan?
You can try and see!
Best strawberry short cake ever. All my family loved this. They could not believe it was sugar, and gluten free. I made it into 4 layers. Delicious.
Hello do you think I can substitute almond flour for coconut flour?
Hi Shanel- that won’t work sorry. They aren’t an equal swap. The only flour that replaces almond flour is sunflower seed flour or cashew flour.
I’m allergic to egg. Can they be substituted?
Hi Pilar- it sure can. I tested a vegan option and include it in my tip section 🙂