Keto Raspberry Layer Cake With Mascarpone Cream
{THM:S, Low Carb, Ketogenic}
I love all cakes indiscriminately, but this cake has a permanent spot in my dessert rotation. It is DECADENT – and I really mean to use all caps because it’s that good.
Filled with raspberry reduction and mascarpone cream, then topped off with a bit of keto buttercream, this cake is every bit as good as a bakery cake. You can take it to a special event, and its good enough that no one will know it’s keto!
Although this cake is a bit time-consuming to make, one bit and you won’t be mad anymore about how long it takes to make it.
Mascarpone is one of my favorite ingredients to use in layer cakes, especially when paired with fruit. I find that buttercream is just too heavy and sweet, while a whipped cream is too light. Mascarpone cream packs a creamy flavor that’s the right balance of heavy and sweet. And, you can tone the sweetness up or down to your liking.
The base of this cake is my Keto Yellow Cake. If you haven’t made it before, you should definitely check it out, because it is, hands down, the best keto yellow cake on the planet. It’s moist and light while still having a bit of the pudding taste that we’ve come to love in boxed cake mixes.
Even better, it’s not at all dry, or grainy from the goofy low-carb flours.
This layer uses 3 layers of the yellow cake, so I’ll have you add 50% to the recipe (don’t worry I’ve done the math for you!) since each recipes makes either 12 cupcakes, a sheet pan cake, or 2 round cakes.
In our house, we have something called “the 4-year-old test.” Basically, if the 4-year old approves of a dessert recipe, then it’s good enough to publish and serve.
She is far pickier than we are.
So when I saw her steal a couple of bites of the test cake for this one off my plate because she just HAD to go back for more, I knew we were ready.
Here's what you'll need….
For the cakes:
1.5 cup Heavy Cream
3 Eggs
7 Whole Egg Yolks
1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract
2/3 cup Lakanto Confectioner’s Sweetener
¼ tsp Stevia Glycerite
1.5 cup Almond Flour
3 T Coconut Flour
1.5 tsp. Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
For the Raspberry Reduction
12 ounces Frozen Raspberries
⅓ cup Lakanto Confectioner’s Sweetener
¼ cup Water
For The Mascarpone Cream:
8 oz Mascarpone
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 cup Lakanto Confectioner's Sweetener
2 T Water
2 tsp. Gelatin
For The Vanilla Buttercream
1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Lakanto Confectioner's Sweetener
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Directions:
To Make The Cakes:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 3, 8 or 9-inch cake pans (using Round parchement in the bottom, if desired)
In a clean, cooled bowl, whip the Heavy Cream until it forms stiff peaks.
Add in the eggs, egg yolks, Sweetener, Stevia Glycerie, Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt.
Run the mixer slower 4 times around the bowl, then scrape the sides.
Run the mixer again slowly until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the 3 prepared pans, and tap down gently to release any air bubbles. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set in the center.
Let sit in the pans for about 5 minutes, or until the sides pull away, then flip the pans over onto the counter to release the cakes to cool completely.
To make the raspberry reduction:
Combine the raspberries, sweetener, and water in a medium saucepan, heat until it reduces enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside.
To make the Mascarpone Cream:
Place the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let sit for 5 minutes.
While the gelatin sits, combine the mascarpone, heavy cream, vanilla, and sweetener in your blender on a low/medium speed. (I have this blender and LOVE it).
After 5 minutes, heat the gelatin in the microwave for 10 seconds until runny and smooth. With your blender still on, drizzle the gelatin into the mascarpone cream until combined.
Place the completed mascarpone cream into a large pastry bag with a large round tip to ready it for assembling the cake.
To Make the Buttercream:
Place all buttercream ingredients into a mixing bowl and whip until thoroughly combined and fluffly.
Put the icing into a large pastry bag with a large round tip to be ready to assemble.
To Assemble the Cake:
Load your mascarpone cream into a pastry bag with a large round tip, and do the same with your buttercream.
Spread about 1/2 cup of the Raspberry Reduction over 2 layers of the cake.
Pipe a border of mascarpone cream around the first layer over the raspberry reduction, then fill in the center (messy is ok). Use a spoon or spatula to spread the mascarpone cream evenly over the cake and raspberry reduction.
Stack the second cake (already spread with raspberry reduction) on top and repeat with the mascarpone cream.
Finish the cake stack with the third (plain) cake.
Spread 1/2 of the buttercream over the top an sides of the cake (it's ok if raspberry reduction smears into the icing – it looks pretty in my opinion), then refrigerate for 4 hours.
Take the cake out of the fridge and spread the remainder of the buttercream on the top of the cake, leaving the sides “naked.”
Ok, let's talk macros…
Since this cake is based mostly on whipped cream, this keeps it pretty low carb. The macros below are based upon slicing the cake into 12 pieces:
549 Calories
53g Fat
5g Net Carbs (9g Total Carbs – 4g Fiber)
11g Protein
A few tips:
Customize Your Buttercream: some people like less icing, some like more. And some people love a sweeter buttercream, while others prefer to tone down the sweetness. It's absolutely ok to use less sweetener to make it more to your taste, just be sure to taste test before frosting the cake! Also, I used ALL of this buttercream on the cake while in the throes of PMS, but a few days later I felt like it was too much. Feel free to use as much as or as little as you prefer – it's all good!
Whipping the Cream: It is important to not over mix the batter, since it will break down your whipped cream and make it runny, instead of stiff. I don't want to make you afraid of this, but also let you know to be careful. Dump all the ingredients on top of your whipped cream, and mix 4 times around the bowl slowly. Scrap the sides, moving the dry ingredients to the center, and then I put my mixer on high speed and went maybe 10 times around the bowl. This combined all the ingredients without breaking down the whipped cream.
Releasing the Cakes: One pro tip I use is greasing my cake (nice) pans with coconut oil, then dropping a pre-cut circle parchment paper into the bottom. This combination of good pans, oil, and parchment paper help my cakes to release from the pans perfectly every time.
You May Also Like
Cakey Low Carb Chocolate Chip Cookies
Keto Scotcheros
Sugar-Free Strawberry Pie
Easy Low Carb Peanut Butter Cookies
Keto 7-Layer Bars
Keto Lemon Bars
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Fat Bombs
Affiliate Links: There are a few special ingredients in this recipe. The links below are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something by clicking and buying through my link I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you:
- Kirkland Almond Flour
- Stevia Glycerite
- Lakanto Granluated Classic Sweetener
- Lakanto Confectioner's Sweetener
- Coconut Flour
- Vanilla Extract
- Cake Pans I Use
- Circle Parchment Paper
- For the cakes:
- 1.5 cup Heavy Cream
- 3 Eggs
- 7 Whole Egg Yolks
- 1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ⅔ cup Lakanto Confectioner’s Sweetener
- ¼ tsp Stevia Glycerite
- 1.5 cup Almond Flour
- 3 T Coconut Flour
- 1.5 tsp. Baking Powder
- Pinch of Salt
- For the Raspberry Reduction
- 12 ounces Frozen Raspberries
- ⅓ cup Lakanto Confectioner’s Sweetener
- ¼ cup Water
- For The Mascarpone Cream:
- 8 oz Mascarpone
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- ¼ cup Lakanto Confectioner's Sweetener
- 2 T Water
- 2 tsp. Gelatin
- For The Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup Butter, softened
- 1 cup Lakanto Confectioner's Sweetener
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- To Make The Cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease 3, 8 or 9-inch cake pans (using Round parchement in the bottom, if desired)
- In a clean, cooled bowl, whip the Heavy Cream until it forms stiff peaks.
- Add in the eggs, egg yolks, Sweetener, Stevia Glycerie, Almond Flour, Coconut Flour, Baking Powder, and Salt.
- Run the mixer slower 4 times around the bowl, then scrape the sides.
- Run the mixer again slowly until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the 3 prepared pans, and tap down gently to release any air bubbles. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set in the center.
- Let sit in the pans for about 5 minutes, or until the sides pull away, then flip the pans over onto the counter to release the cakes to cool completely.
- To make the raspberry reduction:
- Combine the raspberries, sweetener, and water in a medium saucepan, heat until it reduces enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside.
- To make the Mascarpone Cream:
- Place the water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let sit for 5 minutes.
- While the gelatin sits, combine the mascarpone, heavy cream, vanilla, and sweetener in your blender on a low/medium speed. (I have this blender and LOVE it).
- After 5 minutes, heat the gelatin in the microwave for 10 seconds until runny and smooth. With your blender still on, drizzle the gelatin into the mascarpone cream until combined.
- Place the completed mascarpone cream into a large pastry bag with a large round tip to ready it for assembling the cake.
- To Make the Buttercream:
- Place all buttercream ingredients into a mixing bowl and whip until thoroughly combined and fluffly.
- Put the icing into a large pastry bag with a large round tip to be ready to assemble.
- To Assemble the Cake:
- Load your mascarpone cream into a pastry bag with a large round tip, and do the same with your buttercream.
- Spread about ½ cup of the Raspberry Reduction over 2 layers of the cake.
- Pipe a border of mascarpone cream around the first layer over the raspberry reduction, then fill in the center (messy is ok). Use a spoon or spatula to spread the mascarpone cream evenly over the cake and raspberry reduction.
- Stack the second cake (already spread with raspberry reduction) on top and repeat with the mascarpone cream.
- Finish the cake stack with the third (plain) cake.
- Spread ½ of the buttercream over the top an sides of the cake (it's ok if raspberry reduction smears into the icing - it looks pretty in my opinion), then refrigerate for 4 hours.
- Take the cake out of the fridge and spread the remainder of the buttercream on the top of the cake, leaving the sides "naked."
Other Keto Resources You May Be Interested In:
What 60 Days In Ketosis did For Me: My Keto Diet Story
What Is The Ketogenic Diet? {Keto 101}
Keto Quickstart: 30-Day Beginner's Guide to Keto
5 Supplements To Help You Get Into & Stay In Ketosis
The 4 Types of Ketogenic Diets
How To Calculate Your Keto Macros
7 Ways To Beat Keto Flu
How To Know You're In Ketosis
6 Benefits of The Keto Diet {That Aren't Weight Loss}
Why You Shouldn't Go Keto
What To Eat On A Ketogenic Diet
If you loved this recipe, please snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @fitmomjourneythem and use the hashtag #fitmomjourney!
xoxo,
Gretchen
Keto doesn't have to be hard – download Keto Quickstart and start today! (it's free!)
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosures for more information.
Can I make the cake in advance and assemble it together later?
Yes! Just make sure you store it covered, in the refrigerator.
Where can I get Lakanto confectioner’s sweetener from
Right here: https://fitmomjourney.com/Lakanto {and if you use code “fitmomjourney” you’ll save 20%}
Do you have instructions for cupcakes, please?
Would swerve erythritol sweetener work?
Made it loved it. this will be one of our favorites.
I know it was a LOT of work, but I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’d really like to make this cake but can’t find confectioners sweetener on the site! Could you suggest a substitute please?!
Thanks
You can find it here: https://www.lakanto.com/collections/new-products/products/lakanto-powdered-monkfruit-sweetener?aff=81 or on Amazon, OR many people find that using the Swerve Confectioner’s Sweetener works just as well.
Where do you find the mascarpone ?
You can usually find it in most grocery stores. Cream cheese is sometimes an acceptable substitute, but with a denser consistency.
I made this and love everything but the frosting. I will make this again but will try using whipped cream with some swerve and vanilla. I also think the cake and filling would be awesome as a starter for making a tiramisu. Thank you for sharing.
I wondered if the buttercream would be a bit much – glad you liked it thought!
So…I call this my death cake! Ugh! Worse cake I’ve ever made! I don’t know about the taste yet but everything that could go wrong for me did lol. Please know I appreciate you sharing your cake it looks beautiful the way you did it. I think it would’ve been better if their was some photos along the way of the steps.
First thing, I did the 9″ pans and 20 minutes was too long. Watch those cakes! So they are darker then I want them to be. Time needs to be adjusted.
When they cooled they don’t seem nice and fluffy and the tops seem to harden a bit and looks super eggy, kind of worried.
If you’ve never reduced fruit like myself I had no idea how long to cook them for I’m pretty sure it was 30 minutes if not more, but it also thickens up once you let them cool.
Mascopone cheese layer was confusing because it wasn’t thickening even with the gelitin so I whipped it longer to make it thicker. Which it eventually did, I’m not sure it’s as thick as the creator of the cake. But it tasted good and so did the raspberry reduction.
Then came the buttercream which I screwed up twice! I’m not much of an icer I’ve always hated homemade icing because it isn’t the same as store bought and it tastes different to me. But keto we make sacrifices. The first time was my mistake I realized too late it was confectioner monk sugar not regular monk sugar. Tried to save myself but couldn’t. 1 cup of sugar and butter in the trash. Tried again this time I powdered my sugar in a food processor till it was fine. Second attempt it curdled on me never seen anything like it. Ugh!
Third time I melted the butter to point of almost melting it so it was super soft. And used less sugar and let it whip nice actually it looked lovely I was surprised the key was soft SOFT butter. However it’s still grainy for me. At this point I’m like forget just go and decorate it lol.
Even tho my cakes feel kind of stiff they are soft enough they are sticking to my grate. And I’m so nervous that I’ll be able to taste how dark it is but I don’t want to waste anymore ingredients to make new. I only hope the mascopone cheese and raspberry reduction soaks in enough to give good flavour. And of course, the top cake broke ever so nicely into 4 pieces!! Ugh! I used my buttercream and had to lightly do the sides because of the darkness of the cake. Then I got a brilliant idea to maybe help the gritty buttercream and put the rest of the raspberry reduction on it…and that is how you complete the death cake lol the raspberries do not look christmasy in top but like I stabbed it to death lol. I only hope it tastes better then I see in the steps. If anything we can have a good chuckle. Lol but yeah some photos of each step might’ve helped in between. I hope my failures or lack of knowledge helps others when they make this cake. But hers looked so lovely!
I haven’t tried it yet, but I don’t understand how this is so low in carbs. Just the raspberry reduction alone (12 servings) comes out to 22 net carbs a serving??? Am I doing something wrong? Thank you
It’s a good question. So 12 oz of Frozen unsweetened raspberries is 41 carbohydrates and 24 of fiber. Net carbs (total carbs – fiber) is 17 net carbohydrates. The water has no carbs (lol) and then the Lakanto Sweetener has 64 carbohydrates per 1/3 cup BUT they’re all sugar alcohol, so Zero net carbs. The only carbs are from the raspberries, which works out to 1.41 net carbs per serving for the raspberry reduction. Hope that answers your question!
This is a fail for me. Not sure what I did wrong. The cake didn’t rise very much and smells eggy. The marscapone recipe doesn’t include vanilla, but the description does, I didn’t put it in. The instruction for assembling cake doesn’t say to put raspberry reduction on top layer, but it shows it in picture, so I did, but it made quite a mess when I tried to put buttercream icing on it. The buttercream icing tastes too vanilla, would not put 2 teaspoons again. Not sure I’ll try this one again. And yes, it’s very time consuming.
My question is what can I replace the coconut flour with. I am allergic to coconut. I miss baking most keto recipes call for coconut flour and or oil. Also need suggestions for replacing coconut oil too.
In your cake ingredients it says vanilla… doesn’t say to add with other ingredients.
In mascarpone frosting it says add vanilla in the direction but no vanilla in mascarpone ingredients.
Lastly did you actually use a blender and not a mixer??