Keto Red Velvet Cake

Keto red velvet cake is everything you love about a traditional red velvet cake, minus all the carbs and gluten. It’s a moist, rich, velvety, smooth crumb low-carb cake!

This keto red velvet cake is made using a combination of almond and coconut flour, giving it the perfect dense, soft, and smooth texture.

The use of these alternative flours makes this a gluten-free red velvet cake.

If that’s not enough, this stunning three-layer cake features generous layers of silky cream cheese frosting because, honestly, what’s a red velvet cake without cream cheese frosting?

I opted for a keto naked red velvet cake to keep things easy, but you can undoubtedly frost the sides since the recipe allows for generous layers of keto cream cheese frosting!

Be sure to check out all our keto cakes for more delicious low-in-carb options. And our collection of keto red velvet recipes!

Keto Red Velvet Cake

No one can deny that a red velvet recipe is as festive as it gets when choosing a dessert for special occasions.

This healthy red velvet cake is perfect for holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day or whenever you want to make an extra special treat.

Clocking in at only 4.6 g net carbs per serving, it’s a keto cake recipe that can fit your macros with a little planning, allowing you to silence your sweet tooth without a blood sugar rush.

I have always loved red velvet cake, probably because it’s such a moist cake that beautifully combines the flavors of buttermilk and cocoa powder.

Do you know that for years, I had no idea what provided the flavor of this superstar cake? But once I figured it out, I had to have this cake as often as I could.

Unfortunately, creating a keto red velvet pound cake was something I didn’t tackle until I was sure I could come up with a great low-carb option. Thankfully, that day has finally arrived!

What Is The Flavor Of Red Velvet?

Red velvet recipes use a combination of mild cocoa powder, vinegar, vanilla, and buttermilk to get their classic flavor. Plus, many recipes add red food coloring to ensure the cake gets its recognizable red color.

Do you know that red velvet recipes have been enjoyed since the 1800s? The name velvet refers to the smooth texture of the cocoa powder provided in the recipe.

The use of cocoa powder was a way to soften the flour and help produce a finer, more textured cake.

However, during World War II, the shortage of food made baking items very challenging to acquire. Finding basic ingredients was nearly impossible.

This meant that cocoa powder was very scarce and was not something you could just pick up quickly.

The lack of cocoa powder made the bakers very creative, and instead of using cocoa powder, they added beet juice to mimic the color of chocolate and to keep their baked goods moist.

This explains why a red velvet cake tastes mild. It has a light chocolate flavor.

The Tanginess Factor

Most recipes for red velvet include buttermilk. The tanginess of buttermilk is a key flavor component in getting the tang of red velvet correctly.

My solution was to make my own keto-friendly buttermilk by combining some heavy cream with water and adding a little white vinegar to allow for a slight curdle.

I also added a little cream of tartar to the dry ingredients to achieve the classic red velvet flavor we have come to love and enjoy.

Trust me, it works. So don’t skip the vinegar and cream of tartar addition because it’s key to getting the flavor of red velvet perfect.

Ingredients Needed To Make Keto-Friendly Red Velvet Cake

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Making this low-carb red velvet cake is pretty straightforward. Unlike some overly complicated red velvet recipes, this is one you can whip up quickly.

Honestly, the most challenging part of this recipe is waiting for the cake to cool before adding the thick layers of cream cheese frosting.

Below are the ingredients and tools you’ll need. Note that the full printable recipe card is at the bottom of the page.

Keto-Friendly Red Velvet Cake Batter

• Granulated sugar substitute
• Finely milled almond flour that is measured and sifted
• Coconut flour
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Cream of tartar
• Salt
• Eggs, room temperature
• Cream cheese, room temperature
• Heavy cream
• Water
• Unsalted butter
• Vanilla extract
• White vinegar
• Red food coloring

Cream Cheese Icing

• Unsalted butter, softened
• Cream cheese, softened 
• Heavy whipping cream
• Vanilla extract
• Confectioners sugar-substitute

Tools You’ll Need:

• Sifter
• Mixing bowls
• Electric stand mixer or hand mixer
• Three nonstick pans (9-inch)
• Offset spatula

How To Make A Keto Red Velvet Cake

To make this low-carb red velvet cake recipe, you will begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Then, grease three 9-inch cake pans with solid butter and line them with parchment rounds.

In a large mixing bowl, sift the almond flour, measure the coconut flour, and then add it to the same bowl. To this mixture, add the cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

Prepare the “keto buttermilk” by adding vinegar to the heavy whipping cream and setting it aside.

Next, using an electric beater, mix the cream cheese and sugar substitute until light and fluffy, then add the butter and beat until well incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and food coloring.

Then, add the eggs one at a time, making sure to combine well after each addition. Slowly add all the dry ingredients, one tablespoon at a time, to the wet ingredients.

Fold in the buttermilk, and then divide the batter among the three prepared pans.

Bake the cakes on the center rack for 30-35 minutes, then allow them to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a cooling rack.

While the cakes cool, prepare the cream cheese frosting by beating the softened cream cheese, vanilla extract, salt, and butter until light and fluffy.

Gradually add the sugar-free confectioner’s sugar and heavy whipping cream, then frost the cooled cakes.

Since this is a naked red velvet cake, you will only lightly frost the sides of the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for at least two hours before slicing and garnishing the top of the cake with fresh berries, if desired.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days or freeze for up to three weeks.

Best Sugar-Substitutes For Sugar-Free Red Velvet Cake

My top choice is a monk fruit/erythritol blend. My personal favorite is Lakanto’s brand. But you can also use Swerve an erythritol sugar substitute.

You could also use the stevia and erythritol-based brand Pyure for most of my baked goods.

However, if using Pyure, you will want to use half the amount called for in this recipe since it’s a much sweeter choice.

I will also add that I am not a fan of using stevia in chocolate-based recipes; in my opinion, it intensifies the aftertaste of stevia.

But if stevia is your preferred choice, then feel free to use the Pyure brand.

This recipe uses a powdered sugar substitute for cream cheese icing. It must be a confectioner’s sugar substitute sweetener, and that’s why I defer to the only two I use regularly.

My favorite brands are Lankanto’s monk fruit blend or Swerve, which is another erythritol blend. 

Tag Us

I sure hope you give this recipe a try and that once you do, you will take a moment to tag us on Instagram and Facebook. It’s what encourages us to keep sharing and perfecting our recipes.

Other Low-Carb Red Velvet Dessert Recipes To Try

• Keto Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
• Keto Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake
• Keto Red Velvet Triffle
• Keto Red Velvet Donuts
• Keto Red Velvet Cookies

Grab Our Keto Cookbooks!

In case you don’t know, I have authored two books for you, Essential Keto Bread and Essential Keto Desserts, both inspired by your requests over the years. 

I pray these keto cookbooks will help make keto a delicious breeze for you.

Also, check out our Amazon Store for our recommendations. You might be surprised by how many great keto options are at your disposal.

Join Our Jesus And Keto Movement 

Looking for an online support system to help you stay on keto? As a family, we came to the keto diet, looking at it from a Christian perspective. As believers, we live our lives supported by God’s grace.

So when the Holy Spirit led us to combine our Christian faith and the keto diet, we did so in hopes of finding lasting transformation. When we followed the Holy Spirit’s prompting, we got on the path to real transformation.

Knowing firsthand the benefits of this decision, we have created a closed Christian group that is using the keto diet to transform their lives. 

We invite you to join our Private Facebook Group and see if it’s not the key you have been missing.

Be sure to request our FREE Jesus and Keto E-Book (First 7 Days). We hope it blesses you.

Fittoservegroup Keto App

Looking for a fast way to access our keto recipes? We’ve got you covered. There’s an app for that. Yup, there’s a Fit To Serve Group App, and it’s going to make your keto diet a delicious breeze!

Access hundreds of recipes that are all sugar-free, gluten-free, and keto-friendly.

Enjoy early access to recipes before they go live on the website. Plus, there are bonus recipes that are exclusive to the app. Make your own personal cookbooks that you can use to organize your favorite recipes.

Search recipes by title, ingredients, keywords, and categories, and of course, every recipe shows complete nutritional facts.

Get the Fit to Serve Group App for easy-to-follow keto recipes made with easy-to-source ingredients. 

The app is loaded with hundreds of yummy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even desserts!

Learn more by visiting our Fit To Serve Group App Page.