This Sugar Free Red Velvet Mug Cake is low carb, keto, nut free and made in under 3 minutes! Perfectly portioned for two and just 4 g total carbs per serving so you can enjoy it if you're on a keto diet, low carb diet or sugar free diet!
Sugar Free Red Velvet Cake Recipe
If you've been around my blog for a while, you know that I don't post many cake recipes.
It's not that I don't like cake or enjoy cake, it's just that.....it's so much work to decorate it!
I'm not the most talented when it comes to frosting and decorating cake or even cupcakes. In fact, I would even say I really stink at it. And so that is probably why I dread making cake recipes.
But this easy keto cake, well this cake is a whole different story my friends. This is the best keto red velvet cake with that infamous red color we all love during the month of February! All natural flavor and no artificial colors added! The main ingredients are probably already in your keto pantry!
But this cake, well this cake is a whole different story my friends.
Carbs in Traditional Red Velvet Cake
One slice of a store bought red velvet cake without frosting from the app, Cronometer, has 248 calories and 31.2 grams of total carbs! This would cause a huge blood sugar spike and kick you out of ketosis.
Carbs in our Keto Sugar Free Red Velvet Cake
One slice of our red velvet cake without frosting has 251 calories and just 4 total grams of carbs!
Much better for you and won't spike your blood sugar. The rest of the nutritional data is below in the recipe card.
Mug Cakes
This cake has proven to me that even I can make a cake look pretty darn good without too much work or effort on my part.
Shhhhhhh!!! It' a mug cake!!!
You know the ones, made in minutes in a mug right?
The best part about making a mug cake is that you don't need anything special. No special cake pans required! Just a mug or ramekin or small bowl!
Well this is just made slightly different in a quiche ramekin and made in 90 seconds for each in the microwave.
So why stack it and make it with cake layers?
For the hubby of course, it is Valentine's month! For a special occasion, I want to make him feel I went through all this trouble to make a mini cake for him for Valentine's day to share just the two of us.
And it worked and he was impressed and after 27 years of marriage, impressing my man is quite hard to do. So I made a mug cake into a red velvet recipe for my love in a whole lot of less time than ever before! I call that a win!
And if you are anything like me, you can make this cake effortlessly as well. Oh and did I mention it's sugar free, gluten free, grain free and low carb too?
HA! How's that for a "healthy and you wouldn't know it" cake?!!
Sugar Free Frosting Options
One requirement, I think it must be made with lots of Vanilla Sugar Free Cream Cheese frosting because that is how I roll with cakes, need the frosting or it's not a cake to me.
I made this 3 times with the cream cheese frosting to make sure it was nice and moist before posting and come to find out, hubby is more of the Butter Cream frosting type like the one I made before Christmas with the sugarless sugar cookies.
So you certainly have the option to use either frosting, but my preference is the cream cheese one.
And if you don't have a Valentine to share this cake with, enjoy it all for yourself.
Or maybe have just half one day and enjoy the rest the next day, you know so you don't overindulge and all.
What a difference just that 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder added to the color of the original right?
My original recipe used 3 tablespoons of coconut flour, but after hearing from comments regarding true red velvet should have cocoa powder, I adjusted this keto cake recipe.
Here's an old picture from 2015 before I added the cocoa powder!
Can I Swap Sugar-Free Sweeteners?
If you aren't a fan of the vanilla liquid stevia I used, you could replace it with chocolate liquid Monk Fruit sweetener in the same amount in this delicious recipe. If you are new to sugar free baking, it can be difficult to adjust and your taste buds may need some time.
I will say, if you notice any aftertastes with any low carb sweeteners, it's better for your palate to combine sugar-substitute options together which can help alleviate and cancel out any aftertastes in either.
Here's my Sweetener Guide and Conversion chart to help you decide how much to use.
What can I swap for flaxseed?
You could swap out the ground flaxseed with hemp seeds.
Can I swap the coconut flour?
Low carb flours can be tricky because they all don't work exactly the same as all purpose flour or even wheat flour. Almond flour and coconut flour can't be swapped evenly because coconut flour requires more eggs and liquids than almond flour.
The main difference is in the amounts needed. For example, 1 cup almond flour would be about just ¼ cup coconut flour so it's not easy to change them out in recipes.
You might be able to swap the coconut flour used with sesame flour as they are both equally absorbent flours that need lots of liquids.
This is what it will look like below, if you forget the unsweetened cocoa powder!
Can I make this Dairy Free?
You can make this low carb cake dairy free by swapping out the heavy cream with coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk.
For a dairy free frosting, you could try this one.
Or choose either from my Sugar Free Vanilla Cream Cheese frosting or My Vanilla Sugar Free Butter cream frosting.
You can choose to keep it cake separate in it's own serving dish and frost just the top if you like and when ready to serve.
My ramekins were 7 ounce quiche style. They were more shallow and wider than typical ramekins.
You may need to use more red food color as the cocoa powder does darken the cake.
More Keto Mug Cake Recipes
Low Carb Peanut Butter Mug Cake
1 Minute Sugar-Free Keto Mug Brownie (Gluten Free, Low Carb)
Keto Sugar Free Red Velvet Cake in a Mug
Sugar-Free Red Velvet Couple's Mug Cake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla liquid stevia
- natural red food coloring
Sugar Free ButterCream Frosting
- 4 tablespoon butter softened
- 3 tablespoon heavy cream
- ½ cup Swerve confectioners sweetener
Instructions
- Whisk the first 5 ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Whisk the rest of the ingredients together in another bowl.
- Add the wet to the dry and stir until combined well.
- Grease two 7 ounce quiche ramekins and spread batter evenly into both.
- Cook one at a time, in microwave for 1 minute then check the center with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean, if still wet cook another 30 seconds and check again or Bake in a 325 F preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Cool then frost as desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
About Brenda
Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.
Rose | The Clean Dish
My first thoughts when I saw this cake: What an amazing work of art!! Then I saw the VERY short list of ingredients and I'm just blown away!! I can't believe you can make a layered cake like this one out of just a handful of things! Slow clap over here, Brenda 🙂
kellie @ The Suburban Soapbox
I can't believer this is a mug cake! So beautiful and I have my fork ready right now.
Kate
I don't microwave - - what temperature and time in the oven would you recommend?
Renee - Kudos Kitchen
I love that you stacked these mini cakes to make your husband feel special. I'm sure it worked. These look amazing!
Kim Beaulieu
I love red velvet so much. This time of year is my favourite because you see it everywhere. I dig that you made this as a mug cake. How flipping inventive, that rocks. I'm with you with decorating cakes. I stink at it so I would love to take a class. Wish we lived closer so we could go together. Apparently Wilton does them at Michaels. So I may sign up for one in spring. No point signing up now, I'd get snowed in every other day. lol
Colleen (Souffle Bombay)
So pretty and I am sure your hubs was happy! Now you have to make him the icing he favors and just hand him a spoon!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife
I had no idea that this was a mug cake when I was looking at the photos! I had no idea that a mug cake could be so pretty! I'm not very good at decorating cakes but I could totally make this one!
Deb
Could I use almond flour instead of coconut. ( what I have in pantry)?
Brenda
I can't use almond flour because my youngest has a tree nut allergy. I can't really say if almond flour and coconut flour are interchangeable in recipes since I don't use it. Have you try subbing almond flour for coconut in other recipes and how did it work for you?
Anna
I made this today- the texture is light and perfect! I didn't use flavored stevia so I will have to play around with extracts to up the flavor. I am thinking coconut extract and coating the frosted cake with dried unsweetened coconut!
I am going to classify this recipe as a (delicious) white cake in my book. I would love to add cocoa for a truer red velvet. You mentioned 2 T cocoa in an above comment- if one were to add that, would the original wet and dry ingredients remain the same?
Brenda
I would only add 1 tbsp cocoa and reduce the coconut flour by 1 tbsp. Let me know if you try it before I make this again. I will experiment and see if I like it with the unsweet cocoa using just 1 tbsp.
Heather | girlichef
I still have never made a mug cake, and I keep seeing them around - your version is so pretty! This is just perfect for two.
Julie
wow oh wow! I could kiss you just about now. Instead, I'm sending you a huge virtual hug. My teen is on medically necessary low carb high fat diet. Her birthday is this month and this will be her birthday treat!! Thank you!
Brenda
Woot Woot!! Yeah!! Hope she loves it!
Susan
It looks wonderful! But doesn't it need a little cocoa to taste like red velvet?
Brenda
The first time I made it and twice after I used 2 tbsp or unsweetened cocoa but felt the chocolate flavor overpowered so I eliminated it. You can certainly add some.
Bea
I am glad not to be alone - cake decorating is not my forte.; I try the only ones that come out decent is ice cream cake for me.
Now your mug cake looks amazing and for me the only frosting is cream cheese 🙂
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
I don't make a lot of cakes for the same reason - I'm not fond of the decorating part! You made it look so easy 🙂
Lauren@HealthyDelicious
oh my gosh, I hardly recognized you site. It looks great!! And this is the most beautiful mug cake I've ever seen. So cute!
Nutmeg Nanny
I can't believe this is a mug cake! This is a total showstopper of a dessert. Not to mention it's really easy too. You totally hit this out of the park...love!
Brenda
Thank you so much!
Pam Doughty
I have ask this before but no reply, can i sub the liquid stevia for a pkg of stevia with a touch of vanilla?
Help, and thank you!!!!!!!! 🙂
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes, love them!
Brenda
Yes here's my conversion chart: https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/stevia-differences-in-liquid-packets-powdered-pure-a-stevia-conversion-chart/
The Food Hunter
this is so pretty and I love your cake plate
Ginny McMeans
Oh, my gosh! This is just fantastic, Love the look of your beautiful cake and your website. 🙂
Lila
You win! Again! Was fighting a serious doughnut craving this morning, decided to make this instead. I used chocolate stevia since it's the only flavor of liquid stevia I had on hand. It's seriously good. Topped with vanilla whipped cream made with Swerve powdered sweetener. So good! (Did I mention that already?) I cut into 6 pieces so while family could sample, and really, 1/6 is a nice serving, it's so rich. Good work, & thanks for sharing. Definitely a keeper 🙂
Brenda
WOW! You work fast! Love that you made it all ready and came back to share the results! Thank you!
Angie
What a great fun and easy dessert for valentines day! I love it!
SFP
This looks amazing like all your recipes! I can't wait to try this!
Cookin Canuck
What a great idea to make a mug cake in a ramekin. You did a fantastic job with decorating it!
Stephanie @ Back for Seconds
What a pretty cake! And I love the new look here - beautiful!
Brenda
Thank you! Just got re-deisgned this weekend!
Robin
This looks so yummy! Can't wait to try it, Brenda! Love your "new" look too!
Robin
Brenda
Thank you Robin!
Ann
Is coconut flour gluten free? Thank you
Brenda
Yes
Cathy J.
I'd love to make this for a family birthday this weekend. What would the ingredients be in order to make a regular sized cake? Would all the ingredients go up by the same ratio? Thanks in advance for your reply!
Brenda
I would think just upping the ingredients would be fine, I've not tried it though.
Cathy J
Thanks so much! Just made a sample one to see what it tastes like.. Haven't tried it yet, but did try the butter cream frosting. Yummy!!
Cathy J
Think we're going to try the sugar-free cream cheese with the full-sized cake though, since that's what really makes a red velvet cake truly fantastic. I'll keep the cream cheese recipe stashed away for another day. 🙂