You’ll never believe how easy it is to make this keto lemon cake! Thanks to some help from the slow cooker, this hands-off cake comes out moist and full of zesty citrus flavor. The low-carb cake is absolutely delicious, served warm with whipped cream and berries. It's also great eaten cold, straight from the refrigerator.
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Most crockpot recipes are for dishes like shredded meat, pot roasts, chilis, or stews. But, did you know that you can make a cake in a crockpot?
Just like other crockpot recipes, the benefit is that it’s super convenient! After all, slow cookers are considered the “set it and forget it” kitchen appliance. Just add your ingredients and walk away.
Honestly, this keto lemon cake recipe may be the simplest way to bake a cake.
You’ll mix the dry cake ingredients, whisk together the wet cake ingredients, and then combine them and pour them into the slow cooker.
After that, you'll combine the topping ingredients in a bowl, and pour them over the cake batter. Lastly, add the lid, cook for a few hours, and you’re done!
Slow cookers are more forgiving than cooking in the oven - that’s why this crockpot recipe is so convenient. Your cake will turn out moist and flavorful every single time!
Ingredients Needed For Crock Pot Keto Lemon Cake
This crockpot keto lemon cake is just as easy. Plus, it’s absolutely delicious. Here are the ingredients you will need:
Flour
A combination of almond flour and coconut flour serves as the base for this zesty keto lemon cake. The two flours work in tandem to provide both a fluffy texture and plenty of protein.
Sweetener
To keep the carb count down, this crockpot cake is sweetened with Pyure All-Purpose sweetener. However, you can also use Swerve if you prefer - both work well!
Tip: Check out this whole guide on low-carb sweeteners and find the ones that work best for you!
Xanthum Gum
Make sure you don't leave out the xanthan gum. This ingredient is important to help the cake come together and keep the cake moist.
Lemons
And last but not least, it wouldn't be a keto lemon cake if there wasn't lemon involved! Grab a couple of lemons because this recipe calls for both the juice and the zest.
Lemons give the cake that perfect amount of brightness!
Please note: You’ll find the full list of ingredients used in the recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom.
Quick Tips:
- Use fresh lemons. I know it may be tempting to buy the bottled juice, but this isn't one of those recipes where you can get away with that. Lemon—and lemon zest—is the star of the show here.
- Line your slow cooker with aluminum foil. As you'll see below, making a crockpot cake is a total cinch, but the foil will help keep the cake moist.
- A smaller crockpot works best for this cake. If you want to make this in a larger slow cooker, I suggest doubling the recipe.
- You can also make this keto lemon cake in the oven. Use an 8-inch round and bake it at 325-350 degrees until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Experiment with toppings. I like this keto lemon cake served warm with whipped cream and sliced strawberries or blueberries. But I've also enjoyed this cake cold topped with sugar-free chocolate syrup!
What Do You Need To Bake A Low-Carb Lemon Cake?
I’ve seen a lot of crockpot cake recipes that require baking pans and extra racks or inserts. If you don’t have a rack or insert, they suggest putting the baking pan on top of crumpled aluminum foil.
This lemon crockpot cake doesn’t require anything except the crockpot itself!
You don’t need a baking pan, a rack, or an insert. You’ll simply line the slow cooker with aluminum foil, then pour in the lemon cake and the topping.
I know I said this already, but this might be the easiest crockpot cake recipe out there!
How To Make Crockpot Lemon Cake
The next time you need a quick recipe for a delicious dessert, you’re only a few steps away from an amazing lemon crockpot cake!
Prepare The Batter
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and xanthan gum.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together melted butter, whipping cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and egg until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until well-combined.
Add Cake Batter To The Slow Cooker
- Spread the batter into a 2-4 quart slow cooker. Line the crock with foil or another liner for easier release. Pour sweetened lemon mixture on top
- Cover the crockpot and cook on high for 2-3 hours.
The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Then, you’re ready to serve!
How To Serve This Keto Crockpot Dessert
Once your low-carb lemon cake is ready, you can serve it warm from the crockpot. I like to top mine with fresh berries and whipped cream. You can also add a spoonful of this sugar-free raspberry chia jam.
Additionally, you could also store your cake in the refrigerator for later, which I highly recommend!
I’m not sure why, but cakes made with almond and coconut flour always seem to taste even better after being refrigerated overnight. Once you’re ready to enjoy, you can reheat the lemon cake or eat it straight from the refrigerator. I actually prefer mine cold!
This keto lemon cake is a great dessert to put out for a family get-together or potluck. It's easy to take with you and large enough to feed a crowd. Not to mention light, sweet, and tart. What more could you want from a desert?
If you are craving lemon cake but don't want to cook a whole cake in the crockpot, consider taking a look at this low-carb lemon mug cake instead!
Other Low Carb Recipes You'll Enjoy
Looking for a few more easy low-carb desserts that are sure to please a crowd? Check out a few of these favorites:
- Keto Instant Pot Cheesecake is a rich, decadent chocolate dessert that’s made in the pressure cooker instead of the oven!
- Low-Carb Coconut Cake is fluffy, moist, and made with cream cheese icing for a delicious treat that’s super easy to make.
- Keto Rice Pudding is another dessert you can whip up in the slow cooker for a convenient, delicious dish.
- Chocolate Zucchini Cookies sneak in a serving of vegetables which keeps these cookies extra moist and rich.
- Keto Tiramisu is made from almond flour ladyfingers and a rich custard layer that tastes just like the real thing!
You may also like these low-carb chocolate strawberry cupcakes for a tasty keto treat.
Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!
Recipe
Keto Lemon Crock Pot Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons Pyure all purpose or 6 tablespoons Swerve
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum optional
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 2 medium lemons for 4 tablespoon juice and 6-8 swipes of zest
- 2 eggs
TOPPING:
- 3 tablespoons Pyure all purpose or 3 tablespoons Swerve
- ½ cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
CAKE:
- Combine almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and xanthan gum in medium bowl.
- Whisk together butter, whipping cream, juice from the lemons, zest from lemons, and egg in large bowl.
- Add dry mix to wet mix and combine until well blended. Spread into 2-4 quart slow cooker crock lined with aluminum foil or a liner. It is noted in the comments that acidic food shouldn't come in contact with aluminum foil so the liner is likely the best choice.
TOPPING:
- Combine all topping ingredients in bowl and pour over cake batter in crock.
- Cover crock pot and cook on high setting about 2-3 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Serve warm with fresh fruit and whipped cream, if desired.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First published on July 6, 2015. Last updated on May 6, 2021, with higher resolution images and additional recipe information.
Jill
I just made this and it was delicious! I was skeptical, but I’m glad that didn’t hold me back. I did make a few tweaks. I only used the juice of one lemon and added a half a teaspoon of lemon extract. I also added 3 tablespoons of ricotta cheese. It came out so moist and delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ll be using it often since I am on keto and have a sweet tooth. Happy new year.
Karen Hayes
Hi. I made this recipe for my daughter, while visiting the family in NZ. We all loved it, especially the zippy tang of lemon. I've been playing around with an apple cake recipe, trying to figure how to make it less crumbly, with more fiber. Today I used 2 Tbsp. of chia seeds, blended with 1/3 cup of water. I stirred, and let sit covered overnight. When mixing the cake, I just beat in the chia mixture. It turned out beautifully. We are visiting our daughter again, and I will try the chia mixture with the lemon cake. I feel it will give the cake a lemon/poppy seed taste! Plus, we get the extra fiber! Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Speedwell
Making this in Ireland! I'm an American expat and I normally have good success with my American low carb recipes using Irish/British ingredients, measures, and equipment. (Yes, UK cups are different, heh.)
I cannot get Swerve or Pure here, so I am using granulated xylitol. I'm not using erythritol because the last time I refrigerated a sweet thing made with erythritol, the sweetener crystallised out of solution and made my lemon curd crunchy (ew).
My (Irish, chef) husband said, approvingly, "That looks like it will be like a steamed pudding". He's going to make some low-carb creme anglaise (milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, xylitol) for it when it comes out. Let you know later how it did 🙂
Vickie Willis
I only have a large oval 6 quart Crockpot and don't wish to double the recipe. I have baked bread in my Crockpot in a round 6" stainless steel spring-form pan during hot weather months. If I put this into a pan, will it bake correctly? Thank you!
Lisa MarcAurele
It should be okay in a larger crock.
Roberta
Seems a good recipe to try, but I permit to make a note about the suggestion of using aluminium foil since it's known to be better to avoid aluminium in contact with acidic foods (lemons are acid, we know), so I think in this case maybe could be a wiser option use one of those so useful crock-pot linens that also makes cleaning your slowcooker a breeze 😉 they're also useful to transfer any leftover in the fridge.
Anyway, no criticism, just my humble point of view, thanks for sharing your recipes!
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks for sharing that tip Roberta! I'll add it to the recipe card.
Lisa Vaas
Fundamental mistakes in this recipe:
1. You can't make a "crumb" cake if the topping ingredient list contains nearly nothing besides liquids. If you figure out on your own that this recipe omits a solid base for a crumb topping—say, almond flour—you'll then hopefully ...
a. go find a recipe for a crumb topping, and
b. realize that ...
2. Your crumb topping won't brown in the moisture-trapping cooking environment of a crockpot's wet heat. If you figure that out, take it out of the crockpot and throw it in a normal, dry-heat oven to cook. Which, of course, begs the question: why bother with the crockpot at all?
I figured out these mistakes midway during my first go at this and fixed them on the fly. The result was very tasty, but I take a good deal of the credit for that. This recipe is basically just a good suggestion for a cake, rather than an actual usable recipe.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks so much for testing and making suggestions on the recipe. I really appreciate the recommendations. It's not supposed to be a "crumb" topping, but more of a lemon butter flavored top so there's no need for frosting or glaze.
Lisa
I'm terribly sorry. Where did I get the idea that it was a crumb topping? My mistake. No wonder I was confused—I made an assumption about what you meant by "topping." It was very tasty!
Tamara
You should change your 2 star review, now that you realized your mistake on the topping (see below), and said it was yummy. It's not fair to Lisa to leave it that way.
Kay
This is delicious. I have made it twice but I want to try it with the xanthan gum. It was a little crumbly without it. We ate it with whipped cream and strawberries. I’ll be making it again soon as it has been requested (again).
linda spiker
I have never made a cake in the crock pot. I am excited to try it!
Jean Choi
Love lemon cakes and this one's a winner! I wasn't sure about making dessert in the crockpot but it turned out amazing!!
Ruth H
Your recipe is not clear. You specify the "tablespoons Juice from two lemons about 2" which makes no sense at al. Des the recipe for the cake require only 2 T of lemon juice or all the juice from 2 lemons. Or neither? Neither is apparent but it is clear that the recipe is likely to fail as written since it is unclear. Can you please clarify?
Lisa MarcAurele
Sorry about that. The error was introduced when the recipe card was changed. You need the juice from 2 lemons which is about 4 tablespoons.
Deborah
Looks like a delicious recipe! What about using a 6 quart instant pot?
Lisa MarcAurele
A smaller crockpot works best. You may need to increase the recipe to 12 servings to make in the larger crock pot.
Cathy Brennan
Can you do this in oven
Lisa MarcAurele
It should work in an 8-inch round pan on 325 or 350°F until tests done.
Becky
I usually buy pyure sweetner but messed up last time and now I have a canister of erythritol (yuck). Can I use my swerve confectioners instead of granulated? I don't want to mess it up trying to figure out how much erythritol to use, it's sooo sweet. Thank you.
Lisa MarcAurele
Swerve confectioners will work instead of the regular Swerve. You'd need about 6 tablespoons.
Lisa Vaas
You pretty much HAVE to do this in the oven. Skip the crockpot altogether: you can't get a browned crumb topping in the moist heat of a crockpot. I can't imagine how anybody else managed to do so.
Lisa MarcAurele
You can use the oven if you'd like, but it may not come out as moist.
Debbie
Can this be baked in the oven instead ?
Lisa
It should work baking at 350F until done.
Zoa. Adams
Love the recipe but don't use any substitute or artificial sweetener. Can I substitute raw brown sugar and how much would I use? Thank you.
Lisa
You'll need 6 tablespoons as it's equivalent to Swerve.
Patti
Can I use Stevia in the Raw in same amounts
Lisa
If Stevia in the Raw is a 1 for 1 sugar replacement, you can use the same measurements as Swerve.
Jenny
Wonderful wonderful wonderful! So absolutely fabulous. Reminds me a bit of short cake. I used a little orange essential oil in place of lemon zest (I still used the lemon juice) and it looks turned out wonderful. I also used a tiny little 1 quart crock pot. Mmmmmm. Such a treat for this pregnant lady!
Lisa
Never thought to use essential oil. I've got some so maybe I'll try that.
Lee Martin
I got a bag of Gluten free multi purpose Flour blend can I use it to make this cake and also the bread
Lisa
Absolutely! Just use the bake mix in place of the almond flour and coconut flour.
Teresa
really not a fan of Erythritol....any chance this recipe would work with honey, maple syrup, or just organic cane or coconut sugar ?
Lisa
All of those make good subs, but none of them are low carb.
Teresa
would replacing with 100% stevia work in the recipe ? I've never cooked or baked with it, don't know how it reacts in those instances
Lisa
Plain stevia works well too, but you have to be careful not to add too much or it can get an unpleasant taste.
Laura Barajas
This is now in my crockpot and I eagerly wait the results!!
Lisa
It's worth the wait!
cathy f
How did it turn out??? any tips?
Lisa
Like most low carb baked treats, I found this one was much better the next day straight from the refrigerator.