This heavenly Lemon Poppy Seed Keto Angel Food Cake is topped with a luscious lemon glaze and fresh lemon slices. You’d never guess it’s sugar free, low carb, and nutritious, with just 94 calories, 4.5 grams carbs, and 6.3 grams protein per slice.
Want the classic keto recipe? Check out Diabetic Angel Food Cake.
Why Make Keto Angel Food Cake?
Angel food cakes are my go-to cake because they’re the epitome of healthiness. Mainly made from egg whites, they offer a wonderfully light and delicate texture. Additionally, their egg white content keeps them naturally low in saturated fat. In fact, every slice of this Lemon Poppy Seed Keto Angel Food Cake contains only 94 calories.
Why Add Lemon and Poppy Seeds to Keto Angel Food Cake?
Lemon and poppy seeds enhance the flavor and texture of low carb Keto Angel Food Cake. Lemon also gives the cake a delightful aroma.
Keto Angel Food Cake Is a Great Option for Healthy Diets
Indulge in guilt-free delight with Lemon Poppy Seed Keto Angel Food Cake – perfect for keto, low carb, diabetic, sugar free, or paleo diets. With no butter, cream, or oil, this moist, fluffy cake boasts minimal calories and carbs. It’s also a delight to watch the egg whites transform into a fluffy cloud.
Ingredients in Keto Angel Food Cake
- 12 egg whites – make this a cholesterol-free, protein-rich dessert.
- Cream of tartar – adds volume, stabilizes and whitens the whipped egg whites.
- Blanched almond flour – Almond meal would be too coarse for this delicate cake.
- Coconut flour – adds a natural sweetness.
- Salt – brings out the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Xanthum gum – enhances foam stability.
- Powdered sweetener of choice – Powdered sweetener is best for the airy filling. For a low carb, keto cake, use a natural, zero-calorie sugar substitute such as powdered monk fruit.
If you don’t have any handy, you can pulverize granulated sweetener in a food processor or blender. - Vanilla – adds depth.
- Lemon juice
- Lemon extract
- Lemon zest – enhances the cake’s flavor. It also looks beautiful sprinkled on top of the cake, where it forms what resemble starry constellations
- Poppy seeds – nutritiously populate the filling.
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Keto Angel Food Cake
Make the Fluffy Meringue Filling
1. Sift together the almond flour, coconut flour, salt, xanthum gum, and a 1/2 cup of the powdered sweetener. It’s very important that you sift these ingredients together. This is a light, airy cake, so the flour also has to have a light, delicate texture.
2. Put the egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar in a bowl and whip until frothy.
3. Gradually add a 1/2 cup of the powdered sweetener to the meringue, one tablespoon at a time.
4. Whip until soft peaks form.
5. Run the mixer some more and add lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest. Then slowly add poppy seeds one tablespoon at a time.
6. In three installments, sift the almond flour mixture into the egg whites. Then, use a spatula to carefully fold the flour into the delicate egg whites. Never press down on the egg whites and carefully pour into pan.
Bake Cake
7. Bake 40-55 minutes until golden brown on top.
8. Flip cake on its feet and allow to fully cool. It takes upwards of 3 hours for the cake to fully cool. If, for example, the cake is still warm when you cut it out of the pan, it might break. So just wait for the Lemon Poppy Seed Keto Angel Food Cake to fully cool.
Remove Keto Angel Food Cake from Pan
9. Run a knife (a thin knife) along the outside of the cake using a gentle up and down motion. Also run it along the center ring. Then use the tube to pull the cake out of the pan. Put it on a work surface. Use a chef’s knife to cut the bottom free. Invert it and flip it onto a plate. So the cake is right-side up, flip it one more time onto a serving plate.
10. Decorate with lemon glaze and fresh lemon slices or with other fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
You whip the egg whites with an electric hand-mixer or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment until they form soft peaks.
It is a very healthy cake because it mainly consists of egg whites which don’t contain any fat or cholesterol and are high in protein. Moreover, the cake contains about a cup of flour which is a lot less flour than regular cakes. This cake is accordingly lower in calories and carbs than most cakes.
Angel food cake is perfect for a keto diet, above all, when it is made with a low carb flour such as almond flour and a zero-calorie sugar replacement such as naturally sugar free monk fruit. The cake also contains a dozen egg whites, which makes it an excellent source of protein.
No, it is best made in an angel food cake pan. I prefer the traditional one with feet, but a nonstick angel food cake pan also works. In both cases, the cake climbs up the wall of the pan and clings to it. The cake then cools upside down in both pans.
It contains a dozen egg whites and about a cup of flour, so it’s naturally lower in calories and fat than most cakes. Its delicate sponge-like texture also sets it apart.
Made with egg whites, flour, sugar and vanilla, it’s like biting into a sweet sponge-like cloud.
Equipment Corner
- An angel food cake pan – You can make this in either a traditional angel food cake pan with raised feet or in a non-stick angel food cake pan. In both cases, the batter will cling to the sides of the pan.
- An electric hand mixer or Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with whisk attachment.
How to Store Keto Angel Food Cake
To Store
Store the cake for up to 3 days covered at room temperature in a special cake storage container or in an airtight plastic container.
To Freeze Keto Angel Food Cake
Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Want More Healthy Desserts?
You might also like these popular healthy cakes.
- Keto Chocolate Bundt Cake – The BEST Recipe Ever!
- Sugar Free German Plum Cake
- Gluten Free Lemon Bars
- Keto Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
- Sugar Free Red Velvet Cake
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Recipe Card
Lemon Poppy Seed Keto Angel Food Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 angel food cake pan
- 1 electric hand mixer or Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with whisk attachment
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almond flour Not almond meal.
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon xanthum gum
- 1 cup powdered sweetener of choice
- 12 jumbo egg whites (2 1/3 cups) Room temperature
- 1¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2-3 teaspoon lemon extract The different brands contain different amounts of alcohol, so the amount will vary. I use 3 tsp of McCormick Lemon Extract.
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoon poppy seeds
Lemon glaze
- ½ cup powdered sweetener of choice I use Lakanto Powdered Monk Fruit which is very sweet so a ½ cup suffices here for me.
- 2-3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or as needed to thin out the glaze
- Lemon slices (optional) for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Then sift together almond flour, coconut flour, salt, xanthum gum, and ½ cup powdered sugar. It’s very important that you sift them. This is a delicate cake, so the ingredients need to be very fine.
- Put egg whites, cream of tartar, and vanilla in a clean mixing bowl and mix on low until frothy (about a minute). Then increase speed to medium-high.
- While the mixer is running, slowly add a half cup of the powdered sweetener, one tablespoon at a time. This is very important and ensures a gorgeous, thick meringue.
- Keep mixing until you have a beautiful meringue with soft peaks.
- Stop the mixer and add lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest. Then slowly add poppy seeds one tablespoon at a time.
- Run the mixer long enough to mix the ingredients.
- Using a spatula, gently fold the flour mixture into the egg whites. Use a sieve to sprinkle in the flour in 3 installments, gently folding it into the egg whites with a spatula.
- Pour into an ungreased angel food cake pan.
- Bake 40-55 minutes until golden brown on top.
- Immediately flip pan on its feet. Yes, this cake needs to cool upside down to retain its volume. It takes upwards of 3 hours for the cake to cool. I usually let it cool overnight. Do not cut it out of the pan before it fully cools, because it could break.
- Run a knife (a thin knife) along the outside of the cake using a gentle up and down motion. Also run it along the center ring. Then use the tube to pull the cake out of the pan. Put it on a work surface. Use a chef's knife to cut the bottom free. Invert it and flip it onto a plate. So the cake is right-side up, flip it one more time onto a serving plate.
Lemon Glaze
- Mix ½ cup powdered sweetener with 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (or as needed to make a thicker or thinner glaze).
- Decorate with lemon slices or a different fruit, if desired.
Notes
Carbs per serving: 4.5 carbs
Protein: 6.3 grams
Did you try this recipe? Let me know @cathyscakesalon or tag #cathyscakesalon.
Vic Hernandez says
Delicious cake! Turned out great. Thanks!
Erin Mitchell says
This recipe turned out great. Thanks for the healthy version.
Bee says
Could you advise what to do with 12 egg yolks, please? Thank you!
Cathy says
If you eat egg yolks, you could make a tart filling or a flan with them. Or you could add some to pancakes or hot cereal at breakfast.
If you are watching your cholesterol you might not want to eat them, because the egg yolk is the part of the egg that contains cholesterol.
One reason I love angel food cake is that it is a cholesterol-free cake.
If you make the cake, let me know how it goes.