My classic keto pound cake recipe is one of my most popular keto dessert recipes. But this lemon poppy seed version? It’s definitely a solid rival. Instead of a loaf like the original, I made this one into a keto lemon bundt cake instead. Not only does this easy keto lemon pound cake with almond flour look impressive on a cake stand, it’s moist and delicious (much like lemon blueberry zucchini bread!) and takes only 15 minutes of prep time. Once the lemon poppy seed bundt cake comes out of the oven (and it’s had time to cool!), it’s topped with a bright and sweet lemon glaze. This low carb lemon pound cake recipe was originally published on March 17, 2018, and the post was republished in September 2020 to add useful tips. I first made this keto bundt cake with almond flour for my daughter’s 3rd birthday a couple of years ago. It was such a hit with everyone that I’ve made it again and again since then – and I bet you will too, once you try it! If you prefer a more traditional cake with frosting, make my keto lemon cake recipe here.
How To Make Keto Lemon Pound Cake
Let’s make lemon poppy seed bundt cake!
Prep bundt pan. Grease the bundt pan well. Mix wet ingredients. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together butter and Besti Erythritol, until fluffy. Beat in eggs, sour cream, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Mix dry ingredients. In another bowl, stir together almond flour, baking powder, poppy seeds, and sea salt. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Beat the dry ingredients into wet ones, 1 cup at a time. Bake lemon poppy seed bundt cake. Transfer batter to the pan and smooth the top. Bake until the top is golden brown, then loosely cover with foil and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for at least 15 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Glaze. Whisk together Besti Powdered Erythritol, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Drizzle glaze over your lemon poppy seed bundt cake and enjoy!
TIP: You can adjust the consistency of the glaze as needed. Just add more lemon juice if it’s too thick, or more sweetener if it’s too thin.
What kind of almond flour should I use?
It’s important to use super fine blanched almond flour for this keto pound cake recipe. Do not use almond meal or a coarse almond flour – both of these would yield a more grainy result.
Can you make pound cake with coconut flour?
No, sorry, this gluten-free lemon poppy seed bundt cake recipe is designed to be with almond flour. Coconut flour won’t work. If you can’t have almond flour, you might want to try my coconut flour muffins and add some lemon zest or extract to them. If you have a nut allergy, you could try sunflower seed flour, which would have a different flavor but could still work.
Can you make lemon poppy seed bundt cake with a different sweetener?
Yes, you can, as long as it’s the right kind. I originally made this keto lemon pound cake with granulated erythritol for the cake and powdered erythritol for the glaze, which is what the recipe card says below. (You definitely need granulated and powdered, respectively, for the right consistencies in the cake and filling.) However, I have since also made it with allulose-based sweeteners and now prefer them. (Read about the differences in the keto sweetener comparison guide.) Using allulose-based sweeteners like the ones below will make for an extra moist cake! To do so, use the following:
Granulated sweetener for the cake – Swap the granulated erythritol on the recipe card with crystallized allulose, they are a 1:1 replacement! You could also use crystallized monk fruit allulose blend, but use 2/3 cup instead of 1 cup. Powdered sweetener for the lemon glaze – Replace the powdered erythritol with powdered allulose, in the same amount. You can also try powdered monk fruit allulose blend instead, but in this case the amount will not change because you need a certain amount of sweetener for the right glaze consistency. (Your glaze will be sweeter with the blend!)
What is the difference between a pound cake and a bundt cake?
Technically, any cake made in a bundt pan is a bundt cake. But in most cases, the type of cake most often made in a bundt pan are pound cakes. You can expect a gluten-free pound cake or bundt cake to have a moist, dense texture. Assuming that, the pan itself leads to two main differences:
What kind of pan should I use?
The particular low carb lemon pound cake recipe I’m sharing is made in this 12-cup bundt pan. They call it a fluted tube pan. A bundt pan is a certain type of tube pan. There are others that have flat, vertical sides, and typically larger capacity. These regular tube pans are best for a keto angel food cake, but would be too large for this keto bundt cake recipe. If you don’t have a bundt pan, you can use two small rectangular loaf pans, two round cake pans, or a single 9×13 pan. The smaller pans will require reducing baking time, and the large 9×13 pan will require more time.
Low Carb Lemon Pound Cake Storage Instructions
Can you make it ahead?
Yes, you can! It’s one of the reasons that keto lemon pound cake with almond flour is perfect for special occasions. It’s large enough to feed a crowd, convenient to make in advance, and looks impressive without a lot of work.
How to store keto lemon pound cake
Store this keto lemon poppy seed pound cake gluten-free bundt cake in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you’re making it for an occasion, it’s best to put on the glaze fresh (the day-of), but for leftovers it’ll be fine even if the glaze is already on it.
Can you freeze low carb keto pound cake?
Yes, you can freeze the keto friendly lemon pound cake for 2-3 months. Thaw it in the fridge before serving. Reheating works okay, but the glaze will soak into the cake. When I first tested this keto pound cake recipe, I didn’t have a specific occasion for it. So, I sliced it and stuck it in the freezer. Now, I take out a couple slices at a time, put them in the fridge, and have a yummy breakfast to enjoy with my bulletproof coffee in the morning.
More Keto Cake Recipes
If you love this keto bundt cake recipe, you might also like some of these other keto cake recipes:
Vanilla Keto Birthday Cake – No one can ever tell that this rich and flavorful cake is also low carb and keto! Kentucky Butter Cake – Moist and buttery pound cake with a butter glaze. Low Carb Sugar-Free Carrot Cake – Surprisingly easy, and gluten-free and sugar-free, so perfect for almost everyone. Classic Keto Cheesecake – The most popular dessert on the blog! Just 10 minutes to prep and tastes like the real thing!
Tools To Make Low Carb Bundt Cake Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
Hand mixer – I actually prefer this over a stand mixer! Use it to cream butter and sweetener for this pound cake recipe with almond flour. Bundt pan – A bundt pan is a must for this keto lemon pound cake recipe! Cooling rack – This rack helps the pound cake with almond flour cool evenly. This one is oven-safe, so you can also use it for making super crispy bacon wrapped asparagus, too.
Keto Lemon Pound Cake Recipe Pin It For Later!
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