Low-Carb Madeira Cake

Have you ever tried Madeira Cake? It's a traditional British and Irish butter cake or sponge cake that's flavored with fresh lemon zest or orange zest.

In my low-carb version I replaced flour with almond flour, and used low-carb sweetener instead of sugar. This keto-friendly coffee cake is one of the easiest desserts. Best of all, one slice has just 4 grams of net carbs and less than 300 calories!

In many ways my low-carb version is similar this American-style Keto Pound Cake which is just as easy and delicious!

You can eat this cake alone or with some fluffy whipped cream. Madeira cake also makes the perfect base for a traditional English Trifle — stay tuned for my keto-approved recipe!

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Step-by-step

1. Preheat oven to 150 °C/ 300 °F (fan assisted), or 170 °C/ 340 °F (conventional) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. Remove the butter from the fridge so it can reach room temperature. Measure out all of the ingredients. Note: You can use 8 inch or 9 inch (20 or 23 cm) loaf pan. The more the batter spreads (wider, larger pan), the shorter the baking time. A smaller, deeper cake loaf pan will result in a higher rise.

   

3. Add the baking powder to the bowl with almond flour and mix to combine.
   Note: Instead of baking powder you can use a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar, or baking soda and lemon juice. Conversion: 1 tsp baking powder = ¹/₂ tsp cream of tartar (or 1 tsp lemon juice added to wet ingredients) + ¹/₄ tsp baking soda.

   

4. Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl. Add the sweetener and using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat until smooth. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. Do not worry if it splits at this point.

5. Add the almond flour while beating, a tablespoon at a time, until smooth dough forms.

   

6. Transfer to the lined loaf pan and use a rubber spatula to spread evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway to ensure even browning.

   

7. Remove from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature before removing from the pan. Slice and serve. Store at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage (up to 6 months).

   

Recipe

Low-Carb Madeira Cake

★★★★★4.8 (86 ratings)

The best and easiest keto Madeira Cake recipe! Delicious low-carb butter cake flavored with fresh lemon zest ...

Hands on

10m

Overall

1h

Servings

10

3.3 g

Net carbs

8 g

Protein

24.2 g

Fat

262

kcal

1 serving2 servings3 servings4 servings5 servings6 servings7 servings8 servings9 servings10 servings11 servings12 servings20 servings30 servings40 servings

US + metricMetricUS

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Ingredients makes 10 servings

• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (113 g/ 4 oz)
• ²/₃ cups granulated Erythritol, Swerve or Allulose (134 g/ 4.7 oz)
• zest from 1 organic lemon
• 1 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 ¹/₂ cups almond flour (250 g/ 8.8 oz)
• 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 150 °C/ 300 °F (fan assisted), or 170 °C/ 340 °F (conventional) and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

2. Remove the butter from the fridge so it can reach room temperature. Measure out all of the ingredients. Note: You can use 8 inch or 9 inch (20 or 23 cm) loaf pan. The more the batter spreads (wider, larger pan), the shorter the baking time. A smaller, deeper cake loaf pan will result in a higher rise.

3. Add the baking powder to the bowl with almond flour and mix to combine.
   Note: Instead of baking powder you can use a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar, or baking soda and lemon juice. Conversion: 1 tsp baking powder = ¹/₂ tsp cream of tartar (or 1 tsp lemon juice added to wet ingredients) + ¹/₄ tsp baking soda.

4. Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl. Add the sweetener and using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat until smooth. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. Do not worry if it splits at this point.

5. Add the almond flour while beating, a tablespoon at a time, until smooth dough forms.

6. Transfer to the lined loaf pan and use a rubber spatula to spread evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway to ensure even browning.

7. Remove from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature before removing from the pan. Slice and serve. Store at room temperature for up to two days or in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage (up to 6 months).

Nutrition per slice

Carbs 5%Protein 12%Fat 83% of calories

Net carbs

3.3 g

Total carbs

18.5 g

Fiber

2.5 g

Sugars

1.3 g

Protein

8 g

Fat

24.2 g

Saturated fat

7.3 g

Calories

262 kcal

Sodium

152 mg · 6.63% RDA

Magnesium

70 mg · 17.5% RDA

Potassium

197 mg · 9.84% EMR

Nutrition by ingredient

Per slice	Net carbs	Protein	Fat	kcal
Butter, unsalted, grass-fed	0 g	0.1 g	9.2 g	81
Allulose, natural low-carb sweetener	0.7 g	0 g	0 g	3
Lemon zest (peel), fresh	0 g	0 g	0 g	0
Vanilla extract, sugar-free, alcohol-based	0 g	0 g	0 g	1
Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs)	0.1 g	2.5 g	1.9 g	29
Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal)	2.2 g	5.4 g	13.1 g	148
Baking powder, gluten-free	0.2 g	0 g	0 g	1
Total	3.3 g	8 g	24.2 g	262

Serving size slice

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