This Keto Pumpkin Spice Cake will the be star of your Thanksgiving! Three layers of moist and delicious pumpkin cake surrounded by vanilla cream cheese frosting. Oh and did we mention this cake is keto, low-carb, grain-free, and gluten-free?!
The Best Keto Pumpkin Spice Cake
We have been working keto pumpkin recipes for years. And this Keto Pumpkin Spice Cake might be the best pumpkin recipe that we have created EVER!
This cake is moist, decadent, and totally keto! Plus, it is so easy to make and insanely delicious.
It will be a showstopper at any dinner party and is perfect dessert for your Thanksgiving dinner this year!
Making a Layer Cake
This delicious and moist cake is made of layers. It is basically 3 layers of pumpkin heaven!
The key to making a layer cake is to bake multiple cakes at one time and then stack them on top of each other.
The best way to do this is to bake that all at the same time, so you will need 3 of the same exact size cake pans.
For this recipes, we used 8-inch cake pans.
Featured Recipe Video
Check out this video to see how to make our most popular recipe – Keto Zucchini Bread Whoopie Pies.
They are easy to make and so delicious!
Keto Pumpkin Cake Ingredients
For this cake, the ingredients are keto kitchen staples, so you should have most of these on hand.
The only non-common ingredients would be xanthan gum. You can find this online or in the baking aisle of the grocery store. And the pumpkin pie puree (look for an organic version in a can) and pumpkin pie spice (our favorite version is Primal Palate).
Fridge
Pantry
- Almond flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cacao powder/cocoa powder
- Coconut flour
- Coconut oil
- Confectioner erythritol
- Granular erythritol or monk fruit sweetener
- Ground cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Pumpkin puree
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Xanthan gum
What Equipment You Need
Aside from the three separate 8-inch cake pans, there are just few items that you need:
To Bake:
- Mixing bowls
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
- Cake pans (3 of them all 8-inches wide)
- Parchment paper
To Decorate (optional):
- Frozen cranberries
- Fresh sage
- Fall flowers
- White cake stand
What Else Can You Make with Keto Kitchen Staples
We use these ingredients all the time when we are baking our Keto Desserts, so buy them once and use them in a variety of recipes! Here are our favorites:
Make the Keto Pumpkin Spice Cake in Stages
To efficiently bake the cake, we are breaking it down into 3 steps.
- Bake the cake layers
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting
- Assemble and decorate
Let’s breakdown each step in detail. We have included step-by-step pictures as well so you can easily follow along!
You will be slicing into this incredible cake in no time!!! Serve this cake at Thanksgiving, family gatherings, or for a fun weekend dinner.
Also, this is a great cake to have your kids help make and decorate with you!
Start on Your Cake Layers
Grease three 8-inch wide cake pans with some melted butter the dust the bottom of the pans with a little coconut flour.
This is to ensure the cakes don't stick and that they come out of the tins cleanly.
Make the Keto Pumpkin Spice Cake Batter
In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and keto sweetener.
Cut the softened butter into small squares and beat it in to the dry ingredients with an electric mixer. You should end up with what looks like coarse sand.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, oil, pumpkin, almond milk, and vanilla until well combined.
On low speed, beat in half of wet mixture into dry. Up the speed to medium and beat for 60-90 seconds. Add the rest of the wet ingredients in two separate batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
Evenly divide the batter among all three lined cake pans.
Bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes or until the edges start to brown and the centers are set.
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before turning them out.
To Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
While the cakes are cooking, start making your frosting.
Wash off your electric mixer beaters and one of the large bowls you just used.
Add the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioner erythritol to the bowl and beat to combine.
The finished product should look like the picture below.
Keep your frosting at room temperature after making.
If your frosting is too cold, it will be difficult to spread on your cake and your cake may crumble and break.
Layer the Keto Pumpkin Spice Cakes
Carefully invert one of your cake layers and place it on top of a plate or cake stand. Spoon about 1 cup of frosting on the top of the cake layer and carefully smooth it on.
Carefully flip your second cake layer upside down to remove it from the tin and place it on top of the first layer.
Take another cup of icing and smooth it over the top of the second layer. Remove the third cake layer from it's tin and place it on top.
Take the remaining icing and cover the top and sides. Using an off-set spatula helps with this.
If you notice your frosting is difficult to spread, warm it slightly in the microwave.
Decorate the Cake (Optional)
To add a festive feel to this cake, decorate it with some fall flowers.
Make sure to wash and dry the plastic flowers well before adding them to the cake.
Quick Tips for Your Keto Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Butter and dust your cake pans well. We want the cake to fall out of the pan nicely.
- Put four small parchment rectangles down on your cake stand and then put your first cake layer on top. This makes your cake and stand look nice and clean when you are done icing. Just carefully pull the parchment away when you are done!
- Try to your layers as nicely stacked on one another as possible. It is pretty much impossible to shift the layers once they are on. So make them even from the start!
- You want to make sure your cake layers are completely cooled down before you spread the icing. If you spread the icing on while it is still warm, you may get bits of cake falling off and dirtying up your icing.
- It helps to use an off-set spatula to spread the icing on the top, and it helps to use a flat spreader to spread along the sides.
Complete Your Keto Thanksgiving Meal!
First and foremost, you need a perfectly juicy and flavorful Thanksgiving Turkey, then you need to serve it with some mouthwatering keto dishes of course!
Here are our top picks to make your Thanksgiving unforgettable!
Side Dishes:
- Keto Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Sweet Maple Horseradish Sauce
- Keto Brie and Thyme Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Crisped Shallots
- Keto Green Bean Casserole
- Keto Harvest Salad
- Keto Garlic Butter Mushrooms
More Desserts:
- Keto Pumpkin Pie
- Keto Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese
- Keto Zucchini Bread
- Keto Zucchini Bread Whoopie Pies
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Recipe
Keto Pumpkin Spice Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 1/4 cups almond flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups granular erythritol or monk fruit sweetener
- 1 1/2 sticks grass fed butter softened (plus some for greasing the cake pans)
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melt if not in liquid state
- 1 15oz can pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1 stick grass-fed butter softened
- 1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioner erythritol if you don’t have confectioners, pulse granular erythritol in food processor until it gets powdery
Instructions
For the Cake
- Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch wide cake pans with some melted butter the dust the bottom of the pans with a little coconut flour.
- Mix the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and monk fruit sweetener in a large bowl.
- Cut the softened butter into small squares and beat it in to the dry ingredients with an electric mixer. You should end up with what looks like coarse sand.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, oil, pumpkin, milk, and vanilla until well combined.
- On low speed, beat in half of wet mixture into dry. Up the speed to medium and beat for 60-90 seconds. Add the rest of the wet ingredients in two separate batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three cake pans.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes.
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes before turning them out.
For the Frosting
- Beat all ingredients together with an electric mixer for a few minutes.
- Take one cake and place it on a flat surface and/or cake plate.
- Top it with a layer of frosting. Then place the second cake on top and add another layer of frosting.
- Cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting and serve!
Nutrition
We Can't Wait To See You Try It!
We love seeing our recipes come to life!! We can’t wait to see how you make these and loving seeing each person's unique spin on it! Tag us on Instagram @cleanketolifestyle or use the hashtag #CKLrecipe!
Debbie Butler
Can you substitute heavy whipping cream for almond milk?
Liz
Hi! I am wondering how much is a stick of butter in a metric measurement please?
Amy Baldwin
Also, are these calories/portions for 8 inch pans? 9 inch? Thanks!
Amy Baldwin
These calories include the frosting too?
Anita Duff
I'm not a huge coconut fan...could I use avacado oil instead of coconut oil?
Clean Keto Lifestyle
Hi Anita! Yes - avocado oil should be fine. You can also sub for butter or ghee!
Kbanaa
Can you make the cake ahead of time and freeze it until you are ready to frost/decorate?
Clean Keto Lifestyle
Sure can! Just make sure to thaw it completely 🙂