This keto rum cake may be low carb and sugar free, but it is LEGIT. Heavily laced with flavourful dark rum, it's decadent AND diet-friendly!
I didn’t cheat on my keto lifestyle, though. I’ve been living by the rule “I’ll eat whatever I want, I just have to develop a low carb version of it”... so I did.
Before going keto - LONG before - I made the BEST cakes. I ran a cake business that was among the top in the state I was living in at the time, competed in cake decorating, etc.
My friends and clients called me “Evil Cake Overlord”, so when I wrote my second cookbook -all about cakes - It bore that name as well.
This low-carb rum cake is not only a gluten free rum cake, it’s also my very first foray into making low carb cake, period. Kinda shocking that it took me this long!
This keto cake doesn’t seem to have a lot of rum in it, but it’s definitely *enough* rum. If you’re mostly not drinking - like I am - you’ll definitely feel it! It very much tastes and feels like the real thing - a traditional rum cake.
From the first time I bit into one - straight out of the oven - I was blown away at how great this turned out - an amazing cake, the perfect dessert. Just a really great recipe!
Oh, and pro tip?
If you’re not eating it fresh out of the oven, try it reheated! 30 seconds in the microwave breathes new life into your leftover keto cake, really fantastic!
The Nutrition
Beyond being an easy recipe - you mix it with a spoon! - and a TASTY recipe, it’s pretty wild when it comes to nutrition, as well!
I was shocked when the software came out with the numbers. Once the 3 grams of fiber and 22.75 grams of erythritol (25.75 grams) are deducted from the 27 total carbs in each cake, you’re left with just 1.25 grams of net carbs per serving!
ONE POINT TWO FIVE!
I had to rum the numbers a few times, I was so shocked. In NO WAY does this feel like diet food, and even my “non-keto, spoiled when it comes to really good cake” husband loves them!
Oh, and each of the cakes has 10 grams of protein, as well!
Keto Rum Cake Ingredients
Keto Specialty Ingredients
These are the low carb ingredients I use to make the “keto flour”, you may need to visit a specialty shop for, or order online.
- Super Fine Almond Flour
- Sugar substitute - I use an Erythriitol / Monk Fruit Blend
- Unflavoured Whey Protein Isolate Powder*
- Coconut Flour
- Xanthan Gum
* Note: Not all protein powders are created equal! You want whey isolate, specifically - and be sure to check the carb count. You want one that is 0 or 1 grams per serving. Other types may not bake up the same way.
Rum
While you can use any basic rum you like (flavoured generally has added sugars), I recommend using an amber or a dark rum.
Personally, I swear by Screech - a Jamaican black rum from Newfoundland. It’s a complex, flavourful rum ... but it can be hard to come by, depending on where you are.
The sweet intensity of dark rum really does elevate this recipe, so if you can get SOME form of it, that’s what I recommend. Amber also works well, and white rum is good for a more mild option.
More Common Ingredients
The ingredients you’re likely to find in any grocery store.
- Almond milk (Unsweetened, plain)
- Finely chopped pecans (For the crust on top of the cake)
- Large eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Baking powder
- Salt
Equipment
Mini Bundt Pans
The wild success of my Keto Paska nonsense recently was still fresh in my mind when I gave in to my rum cake craving, so I decided to design this recipe as a set of mini bundt cakes.
Not only does it work well for the constraints of a gluten-free / flour free batter, it’s also great for portion control!
I used 2 of the 3 pans that came in this 3 piece set of silicone bundt cake molds, and they worked perfectly!
If you have different mini bundt pans, just know that different sizes or materials may change the yield or baking time. Just keep an eye on it!
Other Stuff
Large Pastry Bags - These are optional, but make getting the batter into the pans a lot neater.
How to Make Keto Rum Cake
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, this is the pictorial walk through with additional commentary & Tips.
<3>Rum Cakes:
Preheat oven to 350F (180 C), arrange 2 sets of silicone mini bundt pans on a large cookie sheet, spray with pan spray.
Divide chopped pecans among the bundt pan cavities - a little more than 1 teaspoon per, for 12.
Combine the dry ingredients (almond flour, erythritol sweetener, whey isolate powder, coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt) in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl - I’ll usually use a small or medium bowl - beat together eggs, rum, and almond milk. Pour this wet ingredients mixture into the large mixing bowl with the dry mixture, mix until smooth.
Note: I’ll just mix this by hand, using a silicone spatula. Unless you have mobility issues, there’s no real need for a hand mixer / electric mixer for this cake!
Divide this cake batter into prepared the prepared bundt pan cavities, filling each about ¾ full.
I like to spoon the dough into a large pastry bag and pipe it in, I find it a lot less messy.
Bake for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The cooking time may vary slightly between ovens, or depending on the size / material of your pan.
Check for doneness - insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, continue baking until it's fully baked.
While the cakes are baking, prepare the rum soak:
Rum Soak:
Combine butter, water, sugar substitute, and rum in a small saucepan. Allow to heat to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
When the cakes are fully baked, remove them from the oven, poke holes all over the exposed cake all over with a fork. This will become the bottom of the cake.
Evenly pour the rum syrup soak over the cakes, going slowly and allowing small amounts of the syrup to absorb before pouring more.
For best results, allow the mini rum cakes to cool for about 10 minutes before turning cakes out directly onto serving plate(s).
Look at how cute and perfect they are!
Keto Rum Cake Variations
While I love this rum cake as-is, there is definitely some room to customize it to personal preference. Here are a few different ways to play around with the flavours:
Add Extract
I like for all of the flavour to come from the rum, but feel free to add 1-2 teaspoon of Vanilla extract, if you’d like.
Feeling more adventurous? Try adding orange extract, coconut extract, or almond extract (go lightly on this one!), instead!
Change the Nuts
I default to pecans, but walnuts also work really well in this recipe, and I’m sure chopped almonds would be fine if you’re not into either of those options.
Keto Chocolate Rum Cake
Chocolate and rum go SO well together! To make a Chocolate rum cake, swap ⅓ cup of the protein powder out for cocoa powder.
Add Some Zest
Pretty self explanatory - add some citrus zest to the batter. Orange zest and lime zest are my favourite options for this recipe, but grapefruit or blood orange would also be fantastic.
Add Whipped Cream
Not so much a variation as a serving suggestion... serve with a dollop of sugar-free whipped cream or Cool Whip. SO good!
More Keto Dessert Recipes
Looking to indulge your sweet tooth in a way that won’t spike your blood sugar? Here are some easy keto desserts to try!
Keto Chewy Lemon Bars
Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Truffles
Keto Cheesecake
Keto Raspberry Coconut Bars
Keto Tiramisu
Keto Ladyfingers
Low Carb Bananas Foster Truffles
Keto Biscotti
Keto Creme Brulee
Low Carb Holiday Desserts
Keto Chocolate Mousse
Keto Carrot Cake
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @LowCarbHoser - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense. Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
... and hey, if you love the recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and comment!
Keto Rum Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Rum Cake:
- ½ cup Finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup Superfine almond flour
- 1 cup Granulated sugar substitute
- ⅔ cup Whey protein isolate
- ¼ cup Coconut Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Xanthan gum
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 4 Large eggs
- ⅓ cup Rum
- ⅓ cup Almond milk
Rum Soak:
- ¼ cup Butter
- 2 tablespoon Water
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar substitute
- ¼ cup Amber Rum
Instructions
Rum Cakes:
- Preheat oven to 350F (180 C), arrange 2 sets of silicone mini bundt pans on a large cookie sheet, spray with pan spray.
- Divide chopped pecans among the bundt pan cavities - a little more than 1 teaspoon per, for 12.
- Combine almond flour, sugar substitute, whey isolate powder, coconut flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, rum, and almond milk. Pour into bowl of dry ingredients, mix until smooth.
- Divide dough into into prepared the prepared mini bundt pans, filling each about ¾ full. I like to spoon the dough into a large pastry bag and pipe it in, I find it a lot less messy.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Check for doneness - insert a toothpick or knife into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, continue baking until it's fully baked.
- While the cakes are baking, prepare the rum soak:
Rum Soak:
- Combine butter, water, sugar substitute, and rum in a small saucepan. Allow to heat to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to cool.
- When the cakes are fulled baked, remove from the oven, poke the exposed cake all over with a fork.
- Evenly pour the rum soak over the cakes, allow to cool for about 10 minutes before turning cakes out directly onto serving plate(s).
Notes
Nutrition
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