KETO BOSTON CREAM POKE CAKE

This Keto Boston Cream Poke Cake is SERIOUSLY good.

It's definitely made it's way onto my lists of “best keto desserts”.

Just imagine your favourite Boston cream donut in a the form of a fluffy, soft cake.

That's literally what this recipe is.

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The base of the cake is made with a combination of almond flour and coconut flour along with some arrowroot starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.

In this particular recipe I used I higher portion of coconut flour than I'd normally use in a cake just to help increase it's lightness and fluffiness. Almond flour tends to weigh down cakes a bit more due to its higher fat content.

I also used arrowroot starch which helps to lighten cakes and create a softer crumb. It also keeps the cake moist inside while the outside browns. This ingredient is optional but you can also easily substitute it with cornstarch if you don't have it.

The next ingredient in our Low Carb Boston Cream Cake is xanthan gum. Xanthan gum as I always explain is a fantastic binder and helps to thicken recipes like gluten would in traditional baked goods. It aids in structure and keeping the cake from becoming crumbly. If you don't bake keto desserts with xanthan gum already, I'd highly suggest picking some up! A little goes a long way.

Finally we have baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.

I've increased the baking powder to a whopping 1 1/2 tablespoons in this recipe because for one reason, this cake is LARGE and needs the extra bit of rise and two, keto cakes tend to be denser and heavier due to the flours used so some extra baking powder can really help lighten them up a bit.

In terms of baking soda, we only add a small amount to react with the vinegar adding and also help with the cake's expansion.

Then the nutmeg is added to give that classic “donut” flavour along with just a little salt because I made this with salted butter but if you are using unsalted, you'll want to increase the amount slightly.

Next, for the wet ingredients in this Keto Boston Cream Cake, we have the basic butter, eggs and vanilla extract along with some unsweetened coconut milk in place of what would typically be regular 1% milk.

The eggs in this recipe are separated into yolks and egg whites so we can beat our egg whites on their own to add some extra fluffiness to the cake. This step isn't completely necessary if you are in a hurry but I'd recommend doing it if you have the time!

Now our filling for this keto poke cake or keto pudding cake is made from Simply Delish's Vanilla Pudding Mix. This is a sugar free vanilla pudding mix that's only 4g of NET carbs per serving and completely keto friendly!

You can always make your own filling at home if you prefer like I did in this Keto Boston Cream Donut Recipe but the pudding tastes great and just makes the filling super easy! You can use SAMMYSAM for 10% off on their website if you'd like to try it.

Finally, we have our chocolate glaze..the post iconic part of a Boston cream donut besides the filling.

The glaze is very simple to make. You just heat up heavy cream in the microwave or on the stove top until hot and steamy, toss in your chocolate chips or pour it over top of them along with 1 tbsp of butter. Mix well and you've got a perfect glossy chocolate glaze for your Keto Boston Cream Cake!

And that's how you make the BEST Keto Boston Cream Cake. This recipe is one I can guarantee everyone will be raving about weeks later. It's that good.

Ingredients In Keto Boston Cream Poke Cake

Do I Have To Use Xanthan Gum And Arrowroot Starch In This Sugar Free Boston Cream Cake Recipe?

No. Technically you can still make this cake without these ingredients BUT you will find you end up with a much nicer texture if you add them. The xanthan gum helps to thicken the cake and provide structure similar to how gluten would in traditional baked goods.
Arrowroot starch helps to lighten/soften the cake and keep the inside moist while the outside browns. You can easily swap this 1:1 with cornstarch as well.

Can I Make Keto Boston Cream Cake With Only Coconut Flour?

I'd recommend using both coconut and almond flour (or another nut flour in place of almond flour) for best flavour but if you want you can try coconut flour alone. I'd try using 2 cups for the whole cake and add an extra 2-3 tbsp only if your batter still seems very wet before adding the egg whites.

Can I Make Low Carb Boston Cream Cake With Only Almond Flour?

I'd recommend using both coconut and almond flour for best texture and to lower the total cost of the cake but if you want you can try almond flour alone. I'd try using 4 cups for the whole cake and add an extra couple tablespoons only if your batter still seems very wet before adding the egg whites.

Tools I used To Make Low Carb Boston Cream Poke Cake

Low Carb Substitution Guide – This is totally optional but if you like my recipes, I now have a $5 guide available with all of the substitutions I use to create every recipe on my site. You can use this to convert old traditional recipes and create new keto recipes! You can purchase it here and/or read more if you are interested. I appreciate your support so much guys!
Nutritional Food Scale – AKA my best friend. This little buddy has been with me for over 4 years and never fails. Perfect measurements and only needs the batteries replaced maybe once a year!
Hand Held Mixer
Spatula
9×13 Inch Pan
Mixing Bowls
Glass Measuring Cup

Tips For Making Keto Boston Cream Cake

Arrowroot starch is an optional ingredient, you can replace it with cornstarch or leave it out entirely. It simply helps to make for a lighter/softer crumb while also keeping the cake moist inside.
For the sweetener you can use powdered or granular it doesn't matter! Just know that you'll probably need less powdered in terms of total weight so 180g may be a good amount to aim for.
You don't have to separate the eggs and egg whites if you want to keep this cake simple BUT I'd recommend it for keeping the cake lighter and fluffier.
When spreading the pudding over the cake, don't worry if it doesn't end up in all of the holes right away, just spread it out evenly over the cake and as it sits it will go where it's supposed to!
In terms of the chocolate, I used Krisda chocolate chips (a Canadian brand). They are 2g of NET carbs per tablespoon but you can use any sugar free chocolate chips or even 85-90% dark chocolate.

Keto Boston Cream Poke Cake Recipe

Serves: 18 slices

Ingredients:

Poke Cake

1 1/4 cups almond flour 140g
1 1/2 cups coconut flour 168g
2 tbsp arrowroot starch 14g, optional
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp nutmeg, optional
1/4 tsp salt (1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter)
1 cup softened, salted butter, 250g
1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated monkfruit erythritol sweetener, 220g
1 cup light unsweetened coconut milk or vanilla unsweetened almond milk, 250ml (you can also use light or heavy cream for a richer cake)
1 tsp white vinegar
4 eggs (whites & yolks separated)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Boston Cream Filling

1 pkg. Simply Delish Vanilla Pudding Mix (use SAMMYSAM for 10% off)
3/4 cup light unsweetened coconut milk or vanilla unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup stevia sweetened chocolate chips, 8oz
1 cup heavy cream, 250ml
1 tbsp butter, 15g

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350*F.
In a bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients including; almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
In a measuring cup or small bowl, add your coconut milk and vinegar and set aside.
In another very large bowl, beat together the butter and sweetener until light and fluffy (~2 min) then add your egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat again until smooth.
Finally, in another bowl, beat your egg whites until the turn pretty much solid white in color (see photo).
Add your dry ingredients as well as the cream/vinegar to the beaten butter and sugar mixture. Mix well until no flour is left visible and a thick dough forms.
Gently stir in the egg whites until no longer visible.
Press the cake into the bottom of a greased 9x13inch pan and bake for 23-27min or until golden brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean.
Once the cake is fully cooled, poke holes throughout it using the opposite end of a wooden spoon (see photo for reference). Poke all the way to the bottom of the cake.
You can then make the pudding simply by adding the dry mix to a bowl and beating with the cream and coconut milk until it just starts to thicken (don't over-beat it). You want it still liquid enough to be able to pour into the holes in the cake.
Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the top of the cake a few times to fill the holes and form an even layer.
Refrigerate for 30-40min.
After refrigeration, you can make your chocolate topping by microwaving the heavy cream in a large glass measuring cup or bowl until hot (~1min- 1min 30s). Add your chocolate chips and butter to the hot cream and leave for 40s before mixing well until everything is melted, silky and the mixture is a dark brown colour.
Pour the mixture as evenly over the cake as you can, then use a spatula to even it out. Refrigerate the whole cake again for at least 30-45min before slicing and serving. Enjoy your Keto Boston Cream Poke Cake!

Nutrition for 1/18th of Boston Cream Cake (1 thick slice): 331 calories | 30g fat | 6.3g NET carbs | 5.4g protein | 9.1g fiber

Print Recipe

3.72 from 7 votes

Keto Boston Cream Poke Cake

Prep Time50

Cook Time25

Cooling Time Between Layers1

Total Time2 15

Course: Dessert, Snack

Keyword: keto boston cream, keto boston cream cake, keto boston cream donuts

Servings: slices

Calories: 331kcal

Ingredients

Poke Cake

1 1/4 cups almond flour 140g
1 1/2 cups coconut flour 168g
2 tbsp arrowroot starch 14g, optional
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp nutmeg optional
1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter
1 cup softened salted butter 250g
1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated monkfruit erythritol sweetener 220g
1 cup light unsweetened coconut milk or vanilla unsweetened almond milk 250ml (you can also use light or heavy cream for a richer cake)
1 tsp white vinegar
4 eggs whites & yolks separated
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Boston Cream Filling

1 pkg. Simply Delish Vanilla Pudding Mix
3/4 cup light unsweetened coconut milk or vanilla unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup stevia sweetened chocolate chips 8oz
1 cup heavy cream 250ml
1 tbsp butter 15g

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350*F.
In a bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients including; almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
In a measuring cup or small bowl, add your coconut milk and vinegar and set aside.
In another very large bowl, beat together the butter and sweetener until light and fluffy (~2 min) then add your egg yolks and vanilla extract and beat again until smooth.
Finally, in another bowl, beat your egg whites until the turn pretty much solid white in color (see photo).
Add your dry ingredients as well as the cream/vinegar to the beaten butter and sugar mixture. Mix well until no flour is left visible and a thick dough forms.
Gently stir in the egg whites until no longer visible.
Press the cake into the bottom of a greased 9x13inch pan and bake for 23-27min or until golden brown around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean.
Once the cake is fully cooled, poke holes throughout it using the opposite end of a wooden spoon (see photo for reference). Poke all the way to the bottom of the cake.
You can then make the pudding simply by adding the dry mix to a bowl and beating with the cream and coconut milk until it just starts to thicken (don't over-beat it). You want it still liquid enough to be able to pour into the holes in the cake.
Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the top of the cake a few times to fill the holes and form an even layer.
Refrigerate for 30-40min.
After refrigeration, you can make your chocolate topping by microwaving the heavy cream in a large glass measuring cup or bowl until hot (~1min- 1min 30s). Add your chocolate chips and butter to the hot cream and leave for 40s before mixing well until everything is melted, silky and the mixture is a dark brown colour.
Pour the mixture as evenly over the cake as you can, then use a spatula to even it out. Refrigerate the whole cake again for at least 30-45min before slicing and serving. Enjoy your Keto Boston Cream Poke Cake! **Pro tip, once the cake has chilled and set, I actually like serving it at room temperature or heated for just 15-20s in the microwave to take the chill off. It gets so much softer!**

Notes

Tips

Arrowroot starch is an optional ingredient, you can replace it with cornstarch or leave it out entirely. It simply helps to make for a lighter/softer crumb while also keeping the cake moist inside.
For the sweetener you can use powdered or granular it doesn't matter! Just know that you'll probably need less powdered in terms of total weight so 180g may be a good amount to aim for.
You don't have to separate the eggs and egg whites if you want to keep this cake simple BUT I'd recommend it for keeping the cake lighter and fluffier.
When spreading the pudding over the cake, don't worry if it doesn't end up in all of the holes right away, just spread it out evenly over the cake and as it sits it will go where it's supposed to!
In terms of the chocolate, I used Krisda chocolate chips (a Canadian brand). They are 2g of NET carbs per tablespoon but you can use any sugar free chocolate chips or even 85-90% dark chocolate.