If you are a fan of Starbucks lemon loaf cake and can’t have it because you are now living a sugar free, keto or low carb lifestyle, This keto lemon pound cake will definitely meet your needs. Have it plain or rock it with some lemon glaze (made without powdered sugar) , this lemon loaf cake is about to make some sweet changes in your life. Step aside Starbucks lemon loaf cake, step in gorgeous keto friendly dessert.

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Keto Lemon Pound Cake (Lemon Loaf Cake)
One of the things I do that helps me stay on track on any lifestyle is having compliant meals in stock and available whenever I need it. I really love Starbucks lemon loaf cake but since I can’t have it on my journey, I needed something to keep me from thinking of it.
Besides my keto breads, This lemon pound cake and my chocolate chip muffins are usually in my freezer. I may not eat it as often but the fact that it’s there for whenever keeps me focused on my goals.
With just a few ingredients, you can make this keto lemon loaf cake that rivals that of Starbucks.
Ingredients needed to make keto lemon pound cake (lemon loaf cake)
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Sour cream or Greek yoghurt
- Melted butter or coconut oil
- Baking powder
- Xanthan gum
- Sweetener

How to make Lemon Pound Cake Keto friendly and healthier than Starbucks.
A little swap here a little tweak there and you’ve got yourself a delicious soft and fluffy lemon pound cake (lemon loaf cake) that’s keto, low carb, sugar free and lemony.
* This is an overview of the recipe with step by step photos. Full recipe and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Pic 1-3; measure out ingredient, mix dry ingredients then add beaten eggs

Pic 4-6; Add melted butter, sour cream and vanilla extract then mix

Pic 7-9; add the lemon juice, Lemon extract and mix

Pic 9-12; transfer batter into a lined loaf pan and bake. Glaze when cooled.

How to store
This recipe can be made ahead and stored for whey the your sweet tooth comes knocking. Here is how to store this lemon loaf cake Pin it 😀 just kidding that’s for when you haven’t made it yet 😉
On to when you have made this lemon cake and need to store it. Please follow the steps below.
- Let the cake cool completely in a cooling rack.
- Slice it up into 16 slices ( that’s what I recommend to keto carb count low)
- Place parchment paper (cut up in squares) in between the slices.
- Place in a freezer storage bag and freeze for up to 2 months
How to make lemon glaze
Most of us grew up to know how to make lemon glaze for cakes, pound cakes etc but not without powdered sugar aka the use of sweeteners, since the event of low carb sugar free keto living, the use of sugar free sweeteners have become even more popular.
Let me walk you through how to make Lemon glaze without powdered sugar, instead we will be using powdered sweetener. My sweeteners if choice are Erythritol, a monkfruit erythritol blend like So nourished or Lakanto Brand or Xylitol*
Before we go ahead, like your regular lemon glaze, you need to used a powdered form of sweetener for a perfect glaze. Therefore if what you have on hand is the granular sweetener, no need to panic or rush out to buy the powdered sweetener simply blitz your granular sweetener in a coffee blender like I did here and viola! you have your own homemade powdered sweetener.
* Xylitol is harmful to dogs please keep it or any products made with Xylitol away from pets.
Back to how to make lemon glaze without powdered sugar
Easy peasy, just mix the powdered sugar of choice with some lemon juice and water. No need for lemon extract if using lemon juice.
You need a mix of lemon and water to make this recipe. Using only lemon juice will make the sugar free lemon glaze too tangy and tastes weird. My point is that you might get away with it when making this glaze with regular powdered sugar but not with powdered sweeteners.
Love lemon recipes? You should also this lemonade cooler recipe. Remember to swap out the carbonated drink for a sugar free sprite.
Quick recipe notes and tips
- Though I prefer to use sour cream, Greek yoghurt works perfectly.
- If you don’t have fresh lemons. The bottled lemon juice not lemonade (those have a of sugar) will work as well. If you don’t have that either, lemon extract will work but, it may not be as fresh lemony tasting as when you use lemon juice.
- Melted butter gives me the best taste but If you are sensitive to dairy, swap out the butter for coconut oil and add an extra egg to the batter and leave the sour cream out.
Other easy keto desserts you might love.
More Lemon recipes to try.
Did you find this recipe helpful, leave me a comment and remember to share with family and friends and in your favorite Facebook group so others can enjoy it too.
To a healthy lifestyle,

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Nutrition per Serving: (makes 16 Servings)
Calories: 179| Total Fat: 22.1g | Carbs: 11.8g | Fibre: 6.5g | Protein: 4.7g | Net Carbs: 5.3g
Click here to pin this recipe for later.


Keto lemon pound cake
Ingredients
For lemon loaf
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ cup sweetener
- ½ teaspoon Xanthan gum (optional but recommended)
- ½ cup butter (melted)
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
For glaze
- 1 cup of powdered sweetener
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
Bake the cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F, line a 9 by 5 or 8 ½ by 4 ½ loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients with a whisk and set aside.
- Add the beaten eggs, butter, sour cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon extract to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
- Scoop batter into Prepared loaf pan, bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 mins.
- When it’s ready, let it cool for 8 mins in pan then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
- If using glaze, make lemon glaze while cake cools.
Making the glaze
- To make glaze, mix all glaze ingredients in a bowl till combined.
- Drizzle over the cooled cake and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Preheating the oven helps the cake begin to cook immediately and helps with rise.
- If you don’t have fresh lemons you can use store bought lemon juice.
- You can substitute almond meal in this recipe but be aware that there would be a difference in texture but still delicious.
- I usually exclude sweeteners from the nutritional info as well because I use mostly sugar alcohols which like fiber is subtracted for a net carb count and also because most sugar alcohols (except malitol) don’t impact blood sugar levels in most people.
Hello 😊
Your recipe for the keto lemon pound cake is absolutely amazing! It’s so moist
And delicious. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Thank you so much 💖
Hi Mira,
You are welcome! And Thank you so much for your feedback. 😀😀 Happy to hear you loved it. Can’t wait to hear from you when you try more of my recipes. Stay safe!
- Chichi
❤️
Just made the cake myself and it's absolutely amazing. Very fresh, moist and has the perfect consistency.
It's definitely going into my cook book!
Thank you
Hi Martina,
Happy you loved my lemon loaf cake recipe It’s hit here too. We make it almost weekly.
I don’t quite understand what you mean by ‘it’s definitely going into my Cookbook’. Please Can you shed more light so I can understand you better. Thank you 😊
- Chichi
I like to try new recipes and if i like them i write them down in my "cook book" so i can make them at any time i want in future 🙂 is just my way of keeping my favourite recipes.
Hi Martina,
Thank you for clarifying. I am honored that one of my recipes are in your favorites collection. ❤️ Hope you get to try more. 😊 stay safe!
-Chichi
Just in case, you can also bookmark the page on your phone if you like. ❤️