Whether you’re having a Mardi Gras Dinner Party or are just looking for a deliciously rich and decadent dessert, this Keto King Cake Earthquake Cake’s got you covered. Starting with pecans on the bottom, followed by a layers of cake, sweet cream cheese, and frosting, this cake is the perfect way to top off any gathering.
I give you fair warning that this cake is not light and fluffy but rather decadent. I suggest keeping your servings on the smaller side. People can always get more if they want it.
Inspiration: I saw a non-keto version of this idea on Plain Chicken – King Cake Earthquake Cake and had to figure out a low carb version.
What You Need to Make Keto King Cake Earthquake Cake
Ingredients
- Pecans – I use a nut chopper as I find the “Chopped” size as bought still too large.
- Keto Yellow Cake Mix – 1 box // 300 grams // 10.6 ounces – If you want to make this in a 9×13-inch pan, you’ll want to use 1.5 boxes and make all of the other ingredients times 1.5.
- Water
- Eggs – I use jumbo eggs.
- Unsalted Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Allulose
- Powdered Erythritol
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla Extract
- Kosher Salt
- Heavy Cream
- Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- Granulated Erythritol – You’re going to divide this to make your 3 colors for decoration–purple, green, and yellow.
- Purple, Green, and Yellow Food Coloring Powder
Equipment
- Nut Chopper
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Stand Mixer or Large Mixing Bowl and Hand Mixer
- Whisk
- Rubber Scraper
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Fine Mesh Sieve – For sifting the Powdered Allulose and Powdered Erythritol.
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl – For the Frosting
- Small Whisk – For the Frosting
- 3 Small Bowls – Or plastic baggies for mixing the Granulated Erythritol and Food Coloring Powders
- King Cake Food Safe Baby – Optional. Only if you want to bake this in the cake.
Getting Started with Making Keto King Cake Earthquake Cake
We’ll break the making of this Keto King Cake Earthquake Cake down into the following sections:
- Pecans & Cake Mix
- Cream Cheese Layer
- Frosting
- Decoration
The actual preparation goes fairly quickly, so you should preheat your oven to 325°F before you get started.
Chopping Pecans and Making the Keto Cake Mix
The first stage of this recipe is simple. We’ll start by chopping ⅔ cup of Pecans and spreading them evenly on the bottom of an 8×8-inch pan that we’ve sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Then we’ll combine 1 box of Keto Yellow Cake Mix (this should be 10.6 ounces or 300 grams) with 3 Eggs and 3 tablespoons of melted Unsalted Butter. You’ll mix that until thoroughly combined. I usually just use a fork or a rubber scraper. This whole process only takes a few minutes.
Next we’re going to spread the cake batter on top of the chopped pecans. I will warn you that this batter is thick, so you’ll want to drop spoonfulls all around the pan and then press it down to cover the pecans.
Making the Cream Cheese Layer
Now we’ll move onto the creamier layer. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, you’ll combine 6 ounces of softened Cream Cheese and 6 tablespoons of softened Unsalted Butter. I beat them until they’re smooth. Then I sift in the powdered sweeteners–1.25 cups of Powdered Allulose and 1.25 cups of Powdered Erythritol. I suggest sifting them in to prevent any clumps. Now you’ll beat it again until they are fully incorporated.
At this point, you can add 2 teaspoons of Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract, and ¼ teaspoon of Kosher Salt. Then you’ll beat the mixture one last time.
Once that’s done, you’ll pour or spoon the cream cheese mixture on top of the cake batter. Then you’re ready to bake the cake in a 325°F oven for 35 – 40 minutes. However, I suggest checking it after 30 minutes as individual ovens will vary.
The center will still have a little wiggle but should no longer be liquid. The top will be medium brown in color. This is due to the allulose, which browns quickly. Once done, you’ll want to remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
If you want to bake a king cake baby in this cake, this is the step in which you want to push it down into the cake.
Making the Frosting
While the Keto King Cake Earthquake Cake is baking, you can make the frosting. In a small bowl, you’ll use a small whisk to combine 1.5 cups of sifted Powdered Allulose with ¼ cup Heavy Cream and 2 – 4 tablespoons of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. Start with 2 tablespoons of the almond milk and add more as needed. You want a smooth and spreadable consistency, not a liquid one.
Because we’re using allulose, this frosting isn’t going to harden up and get super stiff. What structure it has will be due to the bulk of the sweetener versus the quantity of liquid.
Once the cake is cooled, you can spread the frosting on it.
Decorating the Keto King Cake Earthquake Cake
The final stage of making your Keto King Cake Earthquake Cake is the decoration. We’ll do this with some simple colored granulated erythritol. Maybe you have better luck, but I do not easily find sugar free colored sprinkles or colored sugar substitutes. That being the case, it’s easy to make your own with a couple of ingredients. You just need Granulated Erythritol and Food Coloring Powder. You want the powdered version to keep the erythritol dry. Liquids and gels won’t work in this application.
I put about 1 tablespoon of Granulated Erythritol in each of 3 small bowls or plastic zip top sandwich bags. To each bowl or bag, add about 1 gram of the Food Coloring Powder, using Yellow, Purple, and Green.
Lori Note: Realistically, this coloring is the only thing that actually designates this cake for Mardi Gras. Feel free to change up the colors to go with any other special occasion.
Sprinkle the colored sugar substitute on top of the frosting to decorate. I usually just do 3 wide stripes.
Related Recipes
Wondering what else to serve with this Keto King Cake Earthquake Cake? Check out my Mardi Gras Dinner Party menu for some suggestions.
Looking for some other fun cakes? You might want to try one of these:
Keto King Cake Earthquake Cake
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup Pecans Chopped
- 10.6 ounces Keto Yellow Cake Mix 1 box // 300 grams
- ½ cup Water
- 3 Eggs I use jumbo eggs.
- 9 tablespoons Unsalted Butter Divided: 3 tablespoons melted with the Keto Yellow Cake Mix; 6 tablespoons softened with the Cream Cheese Mixture
- 6 ounces Cream Cheese Softened
- 2.75 cups Powdered Allulose Sifted and Divided: 1.25 cups in cream cheese mixture; 1.5 cups in frosting mixture
- 1.25 cups Powdered Erythritol Sifted
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- 3 tablespoons Granulated Erythritol Divided: 1 tablespoon for each color–purple, green, yellow
- 3 grams Food Coloring Powder 1 gram each each Purple, Green, and Yellow
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread ⅔ cup Pecans (Chopped) evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan / dish.⅔ cup Pecans
- Combine 10.6 ounces Keto Yellow Cake Mix, ½ cup Water, 3 Eggs, 3 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (melted). Pour or spread the mixture evenly over the chopped pecans.10.6 ounces Keto Yellow Cake Mix, ½ cup Water, 3 Eggs, 9 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat 6 ounces Cream Cheese and 6 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (softened) until smooth. Add in 1.25 cups Powdered Allulose (sifted), 1.25 cups Powdered Erythritol (sifted), 2 teaspoons Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, and ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt. Continue beating until thoroughly combined.6 ounces Cream Cheese, 2.75 cups Powdered Allulose, 1.25 cups Powdered Erythritol, 2 teaspoons Cinnamon, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt, 9 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the cake batter.
- Bake at 325°F for approximately 35-40 minutes. The center will still have a little wiggle to it but will not be liquid. The edges will be firm. The color will be a medium brown. (The allulose causes it to brown quickly.)
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.
- Optionally, you can press a king cake baby into the cake at this point.
For the Frosting:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine 1.5 cups Powdered Allulose with ¼ cup Heavy Cream and 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. Stir until you have a smooth but spreadable frosting. It should not be overly liquid. If it becomes too thin, you can add a little more powdered allulose. If it is too thick, add a little more Unsweetened Almond Milk.¼ cup Heavy Cream, 2 tablespoons Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, 2.75 cups Powdered Allulose
- Spread the frosting on top of the cooled cake.
For the Colored Granulated Erythritol:
- Divide 3 tablespoons Granulated Erythritol evenly across 3 small bowls. Mix 1 gram each Purple, Green, and Yellow Food Coloring Powders with the Granulated Erythritol in the separate bowls.3 tablespoons Granulated Erythritol, 3 grams Food Coloring Powder
- Decorate the frosting by sprinkling the colored erythritol on top in a pattern of your choosing. (I just use stripes.)
Equipment
- Nut chopper
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Stand Mixer Or Large Mixing Bowl and Hand Mixer
- Whisk
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Fine Mesh Strainer or Sieve For sifting the Powdered Allulose and Powdered Erythritol.
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl For the Frosting
- Small Whisk For the Frosting
- 3 Small Bowls Or plastic baggies for mixing the Granulated Erythritol and Food Coloring Powders
- King Cake Baby Optional. Should be washed and food safe.
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