Low-Carb Carrot & Lemon Curd Poke Cake

Two of my favourite things combined in one recipe… cake and slow cooking! We are making this keto cake in a slow cooker! This low-carb carrot and zucchini cake has all the wonderful flavours of your favourite carrot cake but made keto friendly.

If you’ve not made a poke cake before, they’re wonderful. By poking holes in the base, the lemon custard filling layer oozes down into the base so all the flavours mix through. It’s delicious.

Cooking this keto carrot and zucchini cake in the slow cooker makes the base lovely and moist and means you can nip out to do any jobs you need to do and leave it cooking away. When you return the whole house will be filled with the welcoming scent of cake!

Making a poke cake takes a bit more time as you need to let all the layers cool but it’s totally worth it.

This low-carb cake can also be frozen for up to 3 months, just let it naturally defrost before eating. I hope you enjoy it!

Step-by-step

1. Preheat the slow cooker on low setting. Make the cake base. Line your slow cooker (I used a 6-quart slow cooker) with strong parchment paper and turn the heat to low. (It is important to use firm parchment paper that doesn't tear, e.g. parchment paper lined with aluminium foil on one side)

2. In a bowl, using a hand whisk, mix the wet ingredients for the cake base: eggs, lukewarm almond milk, melted butter and apple cider vinegar.

   

3. Place all the dry ingredients for the cake in a bowl: almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein powder, powdered Erythritol.

   

4. Add the carrots, zucchini, walnuts, ginger, vanilla powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

   

5. Mix until well combined.

   

6. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl and process until smooth using an electric whisk.

   

7. Pour the batter into the lined slow cooker and cover with a lid. Cook on low for 3 – 3 1/2 hours (until the top is set). When done, remove the lid and let the cake cool down until it reaches room temperature.

   

8. Meanwhile, prepare the lemon custard filling. Juice the lemons. Place the egg yolks in a bowl. (Save the egg whites and use in another recipe.)

9. Mix the yolks with the lemon juice and add lemon zest. Place the bowl over a pan filled with simmering water and stir continually, make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue stirring for 5 – 10 minutes or until the custard starts to thicken.

   

10. Remove from the heat. Add the butter or coconut oil and mix until dissolved.

    

11. Add homemade keto condensed milk and mix until combined.

    

12. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes all over the cake base.

    

13. Pour the custard evenly over the cake base until covered and the holes are filled. Set aside. I left in a cool place for 2 hours to help the custard cool down and set.

    

14. Meanwhile, prepare the cream topping. Whip the cream or coconut milk (add powdered Erythritol if preferred) until stiff peaks form. Spread over the cooled cake.

15. Finish with an even sprinkle of lemon zest. Grab the parchment paper with both hands and transfer the cake into the fridge to chill until set.

    

16. Once chilled and set, slice into 13 pieces (just like on the picture in this Keto Tiramisu Poke Cake recipe.

    

17. Optionally, enjoy with a drizzle of heavy whipping cream.

    

18. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for 3 months.

    

Recipe

Low-Carb Carrot & Lemon Curd Poke Cake

★★★★☆4.4 (71 ratings)

A moist low carb carrot poke cake baked in your crockpot. This is the perfect sugar-free, gluten-free and keto ...

Hands on

1h

Overall

6h

Servings

13

5.4 g

Net carbs

10.9 g

Protein

39.1 g

Fat

417

kcal

1 serving2 servings3 servings4 servings5 servings6 servings7 servings8 servings9 servings10 servings11 servings12 servings13 servings26 servings39 servings52 servings

US + metricMetricUS

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Ingredients makes 13 servings

• Cake base:
• 6 large eggs
• ¹/₂ cup almond milk, lukewarm (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
• ¹/₂ cup melted butter, ghee or virgin coconut oil (120 ml/ 4 fl oz)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups almond flour (200 g/ 7.1 oz)
• ¹/₃ cup coconut flour (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
• ¹/₄ cup whey protein or egg white protein powder (25 g/ 0.9 oz)
• ¹/₃ cup powdered Swerve or Erythritol (53 g/ 1.9 oz)
• 1 cup grated carrots (110 g/ 4 oz)
• 1 small zucchini, grated (113 g/ 4 oz)
• ¹/₂ cup chopped walnuts (58 g/ 2 oz)
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla powder or sugar-free vanilla extract
• ¹/₂ tsp baking soda
• ¹/₄ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Lemon custard filling:
• 3 large egg yolks
• ¹/₃ cup lemon juice (80 ml/ 2.7 fl oz)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon zest
• ¹/₄ cup butter, ghee or virgin coconut oil (57 g/ 2 oz)
• 1 cup homemade Dairy-Free Keto Condensed Milk or Keto Condensed Milk (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
• Cream topping:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream or coconut cream (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
• zest of 1 small lemon

Instructions

1. Preheat the slow cooker on low setting. Make the cake base. Line your slow cooker (I used a 6-quart slow cooker) with strong parchment paper and turn the heat to low. (It is important to use firm parchment paper that doesn't tear, e.g. parchment paper lined with aluminium foil on one side)

2. In a bowl, using a hand whisk, mix the wet ingredients for the cake base: eggs, lukewarm almond milk, melted butter and apple cider vinegar.

3. Place all the dry ingredients for the cake in a bowl: almond flour, coconut flour, whey protein powder, powdered Erythritol.

4. Add the carrots, zucchini, walnuts, ginger, vanilla powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

5. Mix until well combined.

6. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl and process until smooth using an electric whisk.

7. Pour the batter into the lined slow cooker and cover with a lid. Cook on low for 3 – 3 1/2 hours (until the top is set). When done, remove the lid and let the cake cool down until it reaches room temperature.

8. Meanwhile, prepare the lemon custard filling. Juice the lemons. Place the egg yolks in a bowl. (Save the egg whites and use in another recipe.)

9. Mix the yolks with the lemon juice and add lemon zest. Place the bowl over a pan filled with simmering water and stir continually, make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue stirring for 5 – 10 minutes or until the custard starts to thicken.

10. Remove from the heat. Add the butter or coconut oil and mix until dissolved.

11. Add homemade keto condensed milk and mix until combined.

12. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes all over the cake base.

13. Pour the custard evenly over the cake base until covered and the holes are filled. Set aside. I left in a cool place for 2 hours to help the custard cool down and set.

14. Meanwhile, prepare the cream topping. Whip the cream or coconut milk (add powdered Erythritol if preferred) until stiff peaks form. Spread over the cooled cake.

15. Finish with an even sprinkle of lemon zest. Grab the parchment paper with both hands and transfer the cake into the fridge to chill until set.

16. Once chilled and set, slice into 13 pieces (just like on the picture in this Keto Tiramisu Poke Cake recipe.

17. Optionally, enjoy with a drizzle of heavy whipping cream.

18. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freezer for 3 months.

Nutrition per serving, 1 slice

Carbs 5%Protein 10%Fat 85% of calories

Net carbs

5.4 g

Total carbs

12.3 g

Fiber

2.9 g

Sugars

2.9 g

Protein

10.9 g

Fat

39.1 g

Saturated fat

19.3 g

Calories

417 kcal

Sodium

158 mg · 6.86% RDA

Magnesium

73 mg · 18.3% RDA

Potassium

350 mg · 17.5% EMR

Nutrition by ingredient

Per 1 slice	Net carbs	Protein	Fat	kcal
Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs)	0.2 g	2.9 g	2.2 g	33
Almond milk natural (unsweetened)	0 g	0 g	0.1 g	1
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed	0 g	0.1 g	7.1 g	63
Apple cider vinegar	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal)	1.3 g	3.3 g	8.1 g	91
Coconut flour, organic	0.3 g	0.5 g	0.5 g	11
Whey protein powder (protein isolate, Jay Robb)	0.1 g	1.5 g	0 g	6
Swerve, natural sweetener (Erythritol and chicory inulin based)	0.2 g	0 g	0 g	1
Carrots, raw	0.6 g	0.1 g	0 g	3
Zucchini (summer squash, courgette)	0.2 g	0.1 g	0 g	1
Walnuts, nuts	0.3 g	0.7 g	2.9 g	29
Ginger root, fresh	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Vanilla powder, dried (from vanilla beans, vanilla pods)	0 g	0 g	0 g	1
Baking soda, raising agent (bicarbonate of soda)	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Salt, sea salt	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Cinnamon, spices	0.1 g	0 g	0 g	0
Egg yolk, fresh	0.1 g	0.6 g	1 g	13
Lemon juice, fresh	0.4 g	0 g	0 g	1
Lemon zest (peel), fresh	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed	0 g	0 g	3.5 g	31
Keto Condensed Milk, dairy-free (KetoDiet blog)	1 g	0.6 g	6.5 g	61
Cream, heavy whipping, pouring, full-fat (30-40% fat)	0.5 g	0.4 g	7 g	68
Lemon zest (peel), fresh	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Total	5.4 g	10.9 g	39.1 g	417

Serving size 1 slice

• Gluten free
• Dairy free
• Nightshade free
• Pork free
• Avocado free
• Fish free
• Shellfish free
• Beef free
• Pescatarian
• Vegetarian