Ingredients:
- 2 cups (224 g) Finely Ground Almond Flour
- ¾ cup (75 g) Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened)
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) Granulated Keto Sweetener
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- ½ cup (113 g) Unsalted Butter (Melted and Cooled slightly)
- 3 Large Eggs (Room temperature)
- ½ cup (120 ml) Full-Fat Sour Cream or Greek Yoghurt (Room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Hot Water or Brewed Coffee
- 8 tablespoons (½ cup, 113 g) Unsalted Butter (Softened, for frosting)
- 4 oz (113 g) Full Fat Cream Cheese (Softened, for frosting)
- ⅓ cup (35 g) Cocoa Powder (Sifted, for frosting)
- 2 cups (200 g) Powdered Keto Sweetener (for frosting)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for frosting)
- 1-2 tablespoons Heavy Cream (If needed for texture)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and line the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cocoa powder, granulated sweetener, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Ensure no clumps remain.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, room-temperature eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth and combined.
- Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, mixing on low speed until just barely combined. The batter will be thick.
- Slowly pour the hot water or hot coffee into the batter while mixing on low speed until smooth and glossy. Stop mixing immediately once combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes before carefully inverting them onto a wire cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely (at least 45 minutes) before frosting.
- To make the frosting: In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together on medium speed until perfectly smooth and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
- Gradually add the sifted powdered keto sweetener, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Start on low speed, then increase to medium-high and beat until creamy and voluminous (3-5 minutes).
- If the frosting is too stiff, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream until the desired spreading consistency is reached.
- Assemble the cake: Place one cooled cake layer onto your serving plate, spread about ⅓ of the frosting over the top, and place the second layer on top.
- Apply a very thin layer of frosting (crumb coat) over the entire cake and chill for 15 minutes. Apply the remaining frosting to the top and sides before serving.