Tangy Keto Lemon Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Finding a dessert that fits your keto lifestyle while still satisfying that sweet tooth craving can feel nearly impossible. Most traditional cakes are loaded with sugar and flour, making them off-limits when you’re trying to stay in ketosis, and let’s be honest – many keto dessert alternatives just don’t hit the same way as the real thing.

Thankfully, this keto lemon pound cake with cream cheese frosting solves that problem perfectly. It’s rich and moist with that classic pound cake texture you remember, plus the tangy lemon flavor and creamy frosting make it feel like a special occasion treat that just happens to be low-carb friendly.

What Kind of Lemons Should I Use?

For this keto pound cake, fresh lemons are definitely the way to go since you’ll need both the juice and zest. Meyer lemons are a great choice if you can find them – they’re a bit sweeter and less acidic than regular lemons, which works nicely in desserts. However, standard grocery store lemons (usually Eureka or Lisbon varieties) will work perfectly fine too. When picking lemons, look for ones that feel heavy for their size and have smooth, bright yellow skin – these will give you the most juice. Make sure to wash and dry your lemons well before zesting, and try to zest them before you juice them since it’s much easier to zest a whole lemon than a squeezed one.

Options for Substitutions

This keto-friendly cake is pretty adaptable, but there are a few key ingredients you’ll want to be careful with:

• Swerve sweetener: You can swap Swerve with other granulated keto sweeteners like erythritol or monk fruit sweetener in equal amounts. For the powdered version in the frosting, you can make your own by blending granulated sweetener in a food processor until fine.
• Almond flour: This is pretty essential for the cake’s texture, but if you have a nut allergy, try sunflower seed flour instead. Use the same amount but expect a slightly different texture.
• Coconut flour: You can replace this with more almond flour, but use only 2 tablespoons extra almond flour since coconut flour is much more absorbent.
• Xanthan gum: If you don’t have this, you can skip it, but your cake might be a bit more crumbly. Guar gum works as a 1:1 substitute if you have it.
• Heavy cream: For the frosting, you can use full-fat coconut cream or even a bit of unsweetened almond milk if needed, but start with less since these are thinner.
• Pink Himalayan salt: Regular table salt or sea salt works just fine – use the same amount.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake with keto pound cake is not bringing your eggs and cream cheese to room temperature first, which can cause the batter to curdle and create a dense, heavy texture instead of the light crumb you want. Make sure to cream your butter, cream cheese, and sweetener for at least 3-4 minutes until it’s truly fluffy – this step is crucial for getting that classic pound cake rise since keto flours don’t behave like regular flour. Don’t overmix once you add the almond and coconut flours, as this can make your cake tough and gummy, especially with the xanthan gum in the mix. For the frosting, add the heavy cream gradually – start with just one teaspoon and work your way up, since keto sweeteners can make frosting runny if you add too much liquid at once.

What to Serve With Keto Lemon Pound Cake?

This rich, lemony cake is perfect on its own, but I love serving it with a cup of hot coffee or tea – the citrus really complements both drinks beautifully. Fresh berries like strawberries or raspberries make a great side since they add a nice tartness that plays well with the creamy frosting without adding too many carbs. If you want to make it feel more like a special dessert, a dollop of sugar-free whipped cream or even some chopped nuts like pecans or almonds give it a nice crunch. For an afternoon treat, this cake pairs wonderfully with unsweetened iced tea or sparkling water with a splash of lemon.

Storage Instructions

Store: This lemon pound cake keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to a week when covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. The cream cheese frosting actually helps keep the cake moist, so it tastes just as good on day 5 as it does fresh out of the oven!

Freeze: You can freeze individual slices wrapped in plastic wrap and then placed in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. I like to freeze some pieces unfrosted and add fresh frosting when I’m ready to eat them, but the frosted version freezes well too.

Serve: Let frozen slices thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or you can microwave them for 20-30 seconds if you’re in a hurry. The cake is delicious both chilled from the fridge or at room temperature – whatever you prefer!

Preparation Time	30-45 minutes
Cooking Time	55-75 minutes
Total Time	85-120 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2200-2500
• Protein: 30-40 g
• Fat: 160-180 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-220 g

Ingredients

For the lemon loaf cake:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 6 oz softened cream cheese
• 3/4 cup swerve granulated sugar substitute
• 4 large eggs, at room temp
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
• Zest from 2 lemons
• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp pink himalayan salt

For the cream cheese topping:

• 3/4 cup swerve powdered sugar alternative
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp
• 2 oz cream cheese, at room temp
• 1 to 3 tsp heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp pink himalayan salt, or as needed

Step 1: Prepare the Loaf Pan and Preheat Oven

Coat a loaf pan with nonstick baking spray, then layer it with two sheets of parchment paper—one from end to end, and the other side to side, both leaving overhang to help lift the cake out after baking.

Spray the pan again with baking spray on top of the parchment paper.

This method prevents excessive browning, especially if using a glass loaf pan.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to get it ready for baking.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the blanched almond flour, coconut flour, aluminum-free baking powder, xanthan gum, and pink Himalayan salt until well combined.

Set aside for later.

Step 3: Make the Pound Cake Wet Mixture

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 6 oz softened cream cheese
• 3/4 cup Swerve granulated sugar substitute
• zest from 2 lemons
• 4 large eggs, at room temp
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla flavoring

In a medium-sized bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened butter, cream cheese, Swerve granulated sugar substitute, and lemon zest until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, which should take about 2 minutes.

In a separate small bowl, combine the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla flavoring, lightly beating them together.

Gradually add the beaten egg mixture to the creamed butter mixture, beating after each addition to ensure everything is thoroughly combined and smooth.

Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures and Rest Batter

• wet mixture from Step 3
• dry ingredients from Step 2

Pour the wet mixture from Step 3 into the bowl with the dry ingredients from Step 2.

Gently fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix.

Once most of the flour is incorporated, use your electric mixer to beat until the batter is smooth with no pockets of flour remaining.

Set the batter aside and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

I find that resting the batter helps hydrate the flours and improves the cake’s final texture.

Step 5: Bake the Pound Cake

• cake batter from Step 4

After resting, spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan from Step 1.

Bake in the preheated oven for 55–60 minutes.

If your loaf pan is larger, the cake may need another 10–15 minutes; start checking with a toothpick at 55 minutes—it’s done when the toothpick comes out clean.

When baked through, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely before frosting.

Step 6: Prepare the Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp
• 2 oz cream cheese, at room temp
• 3/4 cup Swerve powdered sugar alternative
• 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 to 3 tsp heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 tsp pink Himalayan salt, or as needed

In a medium bowl, gently whisk or beat the unsalted butter and cream cheese together until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Add the Swerve powdered sugar alternative and beat again until completely smooth.

Mix in the vanilla flavoring and lemon juice, whisking until incorporated.

To get the desired consistency, add heavy whipping cream a teaspoon at a time, whisking after each addition.

Adjust for taste and texture, adding extra sweetener or heavy cream as needed.

Stir in the pink Himalayan salt to taste.

I like to add a little extra powdered sweetener for a thicker, sweeter frosting when making this for guests.

Step 7: Frost and Serve the Cake

Once the pound cake is completely cooled, spread the lemon cream cheese frosting from Step 6 evenly over the top.

Slice and serve on its own or, for a special touch, garnish with fresh berries and a dollop of sugar-free whipped cream.