Save This Recipe
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
If you’ve been searching for a diabetic-friendly Cake that actually tastes like Cake — moist, tender, sweet — this is it. No chalky aftertaste, no dry crumb, no sad compromise. Just a genuinely good dessert that happens to be low-carb and sugar-free.
Why You’ll Love It
Surprisingly moist crumb — almond flour and sour cream keep it soft even on day two
No weird aftertaste — a blend of erythritol and monk fruit sweetens it without that artificial finish
Simple pantry ingredients — nothing too obscure, and easy swaps where it counts
Works for any occasion — birthday, holiday table, or just a quiet Sunday with Coffee
Freezes beautifully — make it ahead and stash slices for whenever you need them
A Few Notes on the Ingredients
The almond flour matters — not all almond flour is created equal and I learned that the hard way. Get the super-fine blanched kind, not the coarse stuff that looks like wet sand. Bob’s Red Mill is fine. Anthony’s is what I usually buy now, I think I found it on Amazon a couple years ago and I’ve been re-ordering ever since.
The coconut flour is not optional, even though the amount is small. It acts as a binder. You might be tempted to just add more almond flour instead, and I did try that once, and the cake sort of… collapsed on itself? It was still edible but embarrassing.
For sweetener, I use a blend — usually erythritol for the bulk and just a little monk fruit to round out the sweetness. Some people hate the cooling sensation you can get from straight erythritol, and I get it. The blend fixes that. Lakanto makes a good one. If you’re using something else, just double-check your package for conversion ratios because they vary more than you’d think.
Sour cream is my non-negotiable. Greek yogurt works if that’s what you have — I’ve done it — but the sour cream gives it something extra. A richness. When I tell people there’s sour cream in this cake, they always make a face. And then they ask for seconds.
Ingredients
For the cake:
About 2 cups super-fine almond flour (spoon it in, don’t scoop — I cannot stress this enough)
⅓ cup coconut flour
1 cup granulated erythritol or a monk fruit blend
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt — I eyeball this, if I’m honest
4 large eggs, room temperature (this matters, cold eggs make the batter seize up a little)
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled a bit — or coconut oil if you need dairy-free
½ cup sour cream — or full-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, the real stuff
For the frosting :
8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup powdered erythritol or monk fruit
1 teaspoon vanilla
Let’s Make It
Preheat your oven to 350°F and get your pan ready. I use a 9-inch round, lined with parchment. I’ve also done it in an 8×8 square when I couldn’t find my round pan — works just fine, bakes about the same.
Whisk your dry ingredients together in a big bowl. Really make sure you break up any coconut flour clumps — they can be bitter when they bake up that way, and I found that out by biting into a little pocket of it once that I’d missed.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter, sour cream, and vanilla until it’s smooth and creamy. Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a spatula. Gently. Just until it comes together.
Now, the batter is going to look thick. Really thick — almost like a drop cookie dough. Don’t panic. That’s the coconut flour doing its thing. It’s fine. I’ve made this enough times that I know it’s fine, but I still get a little nervous every time.
Spread it into your pan — a small offset spatula helps, or just dampen your fingers and press it even — and bake 25 to 30 minutes. Check it at 25. Every oven is different and mine runs a little hot so I always check early.
Let it cool in the pan for ten minutes before you try to move it. Then get it onto a wire rack and leave it alone until it’s completely cool. I know it’s hard. Put it somewhere you can’t see it if you have to. Cold frosting on a warm cake is a sadness.
For the frosting — beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy, then add the sweetener and vanilla. If it seems too thick, a tiny splash of heavy cream loosens it up. Spread it however you like.
Variations Worth Mentioning
I’ve made a chocolate version by swapping out about a quarter cup of the almond flour for unsweetened cocoa powder. That one got even more enthusiastic reviews than the original, which irritated me a little because I’d been so proud of the original. A lemon zest and fresh blueberry version made in a muffin tin is smart for portion control. I tried a Spiced apple version around October one year — chopped apples, cinnamon, a little nutmeg. Decent, but honestly the apples made it a bit soggy in the middle. I haven’t fully worked that one out yet.
Storage
Keep it in the fridge, covered. It genuinely gets better on day two — the flavors settle, the crumb firms up in a good way. It’ll keep about five days, though ours has never made it that long.
You can freeze slices individually. Wrap them in plastic then foil, and they’ll keep for a month. I usually freeze half the cake the day I make it so it doesn’t just sit there calling to me.
Diabetic-Friendly Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
- 5 large egg yolks for the custard
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 397 g
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract for the custard
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 large egg yolks for the chiffon cake
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for the chiffon cake
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 4 large egg whites
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar for the meringue
Instructions
- Toast the sliced almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring continuously, until lightly golden. Transfer them immediately to a plate to cool.
- Whisk 5 egg yolks and the sweetened condensed milk together in a saucepan while it is off the heat.
- Place the saucepan over low heat, add the milk, and cook while stirring constantly until the custard thickens to a spreadable consistency.
- Remove the custard from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and butter. Press plastic wrap directly against the surface and refrigerate until completely chilled.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
- Beat 4 egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar and the oil for 1–2 minutes, until lighter in color.
- Mix in the almond milk and vanilla or almond extract.
- Sift the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and baking powder into the yolk mixture. Whisk until smooth.
- Beat the egg whites and lemon juice in a clean, grease-free bowl until frothy.
- Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Fold the meringue into the yolk batter in three additions. Fold the final two additions gently to preserve the air.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Run a skewer gently through the batter and tap the pan lightly to remove large air pockets.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely before removing it from the pan and slicing it horizontally into three layers.
- Spread the chilled custard between the cake layers, then cover the top and sides with the remaining custard.
- Press the toasted almonds over the top and sides. Chill until firm before slicing.