Did someone say chocolate cake? If that’s so, we’re in. A heart-shaped keto chocolate cake for Valentine's? Even better, especially when it’s livened by decadent buttercream frosting and chocolate whipping cream. Who can say no to that?
A Heart Shaped Cake - the Ultimate Valentine’s Dessert
When I started cooking, way back in the days, cakes weren’t my specialty. They seemed so hard to put together. The cake that won my heart and made me fall in love with baking cakes was this one, the Keto Chocolate Heart Shaped Cake. It just felt right. I still remember that Valentine’s day!
Chocolate cakes are crowd-pleasing, and they’re all lovely. This one, though, is on another level. The cake’s silky texture and density will make you want to have more.
Now I make many cakes for all occasions, but I bring out my heart-shaped pan and bake this dark piece of heaven whenever I want to impress someone. Yes, it’s that good, and today, I’m more than happy to share it with you.
Here Are The Most Important Ingredients
We’re making our cake in three parts. First, we’ll focus on the cake base, and then we’ll bring the chocolate buttercream frosting together. The chocolate whipped cream we’re using as decoration comes last, but that one’s easy!
For the cake base, it all starts with the flaxseed meal. Did you know flaxseeds are loaded with nutrients, dietary fiber, and Omega-3 fatty acids? Well, we’re adding this exciting product for more than its nutritional value. We must hydrate it a few minutes before adding it to our dough, but we’ll get there in just one second.
Then we have coconut flour, a fantastic ingredient for baked goods. Together with baking powder and cocoa powder, we’ll have our cake's foundation covered.
Make sure you source unsweetened, all-natural cacao powder, there are many imitations in the market, and you need the real stuff to really get that unctuous feel. As a sweetener, I prefer using erythritol monk fruit blend for this one, an amazing sugar substitute that’s perfect for baking projects.
Eggs will bring the whole mixture together, vegetable oil will smoothen the batter, and yogurt will add a lovely tanginess to the cake.
We’re looking for flavor, yes, but also a smooth, fluffy texture. If you get both right, your cake will end up gorgeous.
Today’s cake lies in the compact cake category, don’t expect a sponge cake; instead, smoothness and intense flavors in every bite.
We’re going all-in with cream cheese, butter, and a bit more keto-friendly sweetener for the buttercream frosting. The cocoa powder adds some color to the mix. Nicely combined, this fabulous frosting is decadently creamy.
My favorite part is, without a doubt, the chocolate whipped cream. I use it in many projects for its airy, almost pillowy texture. You only need heavy cream, sweetener, and just a bit of cocoa powder; that’s the secret ingredient.
Now that we’ve covered the most important elements let’s see what else you will need.
Equipment You’ll Need
Make sure you have mixing bowls of several sizes in hand, at least three. In one, we’ll hydrate our flaxseed meal. We’ll use a larger one for our dry ingredients, and in another one, we’ll combine our wet ingredients and eventually the whole batter.
You’ll have time to rinse and reuse the smaller bowls for the buttercream frosting and the whipped cream, but if you want to avoid washing dishes while you cook, then have separate mixing bowls for them too.
You’ll also need a heart-shaped pan, which, let me tell you, is a fantastic buy. Any cake mold works equally well, but you’ll lose some visual impact. This is a heart-shaped cake, after all!
Other than that, have in hand the tools of the trade: a silicone spatula, a few spoons, and measuring cups.
As for appliances, an electric mixer will be handy to combine the frosting and the whipped cream, and of course, we’ll be using the good old oven.
Now we’re good to go. I’m sure you have everything you need already. If not, these are all versatile pieces of equipment, so consider investing in them.
Recipe Run Down
Preparing the different elements will take about an hour, and we’re baking the cake for at least 45 minutes. Also, consider 1.5 hours of resting time to let your cake set. So, make yourself enough time. You don’t want to rush this one.
Let’s start by preheating the oven to 350° F/ 180° C.
In a small bowl, hydrate your flaxseed meal with water, stir for a few seconds and let it rest for five minutes. Trust me; you’ll know it’s ready when it gets a mushy texture.
In your medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the coconut flour, the cocoa powder, and just two teaspoons of baking powder. Whisk these very well to guarantee a smooth texture.
Then, it’s time to put together our wet ingredients. We’re making meringue with the eggs and the sweetener. Watching this mixture grow and go fluffy is utterly satisfying.
Once you have a sweet egg-based cloud, gently add the oil. Combine everything and get that flaxseed meal. At this moment, it all looks like a big mess, but trust me on this one; you’re doing great.
With a rubber or silicone spatula, gradually add the dry ingredients and fold them into the batter. Be gentle to preserve the air bubbles trapped in the egg mixture.
We’re basically done here. Line your heart-shaped pan with parchment paper and grease it with a little butter before transferring the batter.
With your oven nice and hot, bake the cake for about 40 minutes. Insert a toothpick when you think it’s ready to make sure the cake is cooked through.
For the buttercream frosting, we’ll combine the already softened butter with the cream cheese, the sweetener, and the cocoa powder. Here’s where your electric mixer comes in handy. You should get a fluffy frosting after three to four minutes.
Finally, combine the heavy cream, the xylitol, and the cocoa powder to get your pretty whipped cream. Make sure you don’t over-mix it, or it will go flat.
To assemble the cake, wait until your cake is manageable and cut it in half with a serrated knife. Between the layers, spread about one-third of the buttercream frosting. The remaining frosting should be enough to cover the entire cake.
Decorate this beauty with a piping bag filled with your chocolate whipping cream. There are many ways to do this, and having a few different piping tips might be useful.
Optionally, sprinkle cocoa powder on top to give your cake a nice frosty look.
Additional notes
As I mentioned before, this is not a tall cake, so if you want height, you might want to bake a few more layers, which is easy. Simply double the recipe’s ingredients.
If you have trouble cutting your cake lengthwise, refrigerate it for a few hours before attempting to cut it. You’ll avoid the crumbly mess.
Finally, if you have any other low-carb sweetener in your pantry, by all means, use it. Just make sure it’s not too granular. You can always turn it into powdered sweetener using a grinder. Otherwise, it might not dissolve very well, especially in the frosting. You might also want to make the necessary conversions — not all sweeteners are equally sweet.
When to Prepare a Keto Chocolate Heart Shaped Cake?
When to serve a luscious heart-shaped chocolate cake? What a great question!
The answer is any time you feel like showing your appreciation to someone. Although this one is quite popular for Valentine’s Day and Anniversaries, there’s no reason not to bake this sweet treat year-round.
If you want to keep things casual and your emotions close to your heart, use a regular round-shaped cake pan. Of course, if you have a heart-shaped pan, why not use it?
Perfect Drink Pairings
Any creamy and chocolaty drink will go well with today’s cake. From milkshakes to cappuccinos. Hot cocoa might just be the perfect pairing here, but a glass of cold keto-friendly milk is equally compatible.
For a romantic dinner with a special someone, and if your diet allows it, a small glass of sweet red wine, like Port, will work like a charm.
The right pairing depends on the time of day you choose to serve your cake. If you’re bringing this one for brunch, then a lovely cup of black coffee will work perfectly fine.
Recipe
Keto Chocolate Valentine's Cake
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
The Cake Base
- 3 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup coconut flour - approx. 1.8 oz. (50g)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder - dutch process, approx. 1 oz.
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- ½ & ⅛ cup sweetener - approx. 4 oz. (120g)
- ⅓ cup oil - of preference
- ½ cup greek yogurt - full fat
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- ⅓ cup butter - room temperature
- ½ cup cream cheese
- ⅓ cup sweetener - powdered, approx. 4 oz.
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder - dutch process
Chocolate Whipped Cream for Decoration
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder - dutch process
- 2 tablespoon sweetener - powdered
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream - cold
Instructions
Cake Base
- Preheat the oven to 350° F/ 180° C.
- In a small bowl, combine flaxseed meal with water and stir. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- In another bowl, sift and combine coconut flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Whisk well.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs and sweetener with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture increases its volume and becomes pale.
- Add oil and yogurt, and mix again shortly. Add the soaked flaxseed meal and mix to combine.
- Using a rubber spatula, gradually add the dry ingredients. Fold them gently into the batter until completely absorbed.
- Transfer the batter to a 9-inch heart-shaped pan (approx. 6 ⅓ cups or 1,5 l in volume), greased and lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool to room temperature before assembling the cake.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the frosting ingredients. Beat with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes, until creamy and fluffy.
Chocolate Whipped Cream for Decoration
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the decoration. Beat with an electric mixer until thick and creamy. Do not overbeat!
Assembly and Decoration
- When the cake base is at room temperature, cut it in half with a long serrated knife.
- Place one layer on a serving plate and spread approximately ⅓ of the buttercream frosting on top.
- Place the second layer on the frosting.
- Spread the remaining buttercream frosting all around the cake. Smooth it out with an offset spatula.
- Fill a piping bag with the chocolate whipped cream and decorate the cake with it all around. You can use a star tip or no tip.
- Optionally sprinkle cocoa powder on top for a frosty look.
Notes
Nutrition
MORE KETO CAKE RECIPES TO TRY!
If you love this low-carb cake recipe, I recommend you also try my other keto cakes:
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