Vanilla Sponge with Berries (Coconut Flour)

coconutflourvanillaspongeberries This popular keto sponge cake (keto Victoria sponge) is soft and delicious, sprinkled with sugar-free sweetener and served with whipped cream or yogurt. An easy flourless cake that's sugar-free cake and diabetic-friendly.

butter, melted (110 g)
coconut flour (50 g)
4 Tbsp. granulated sweetener of choice or more, to your taste
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
8 medium eggs
frozen berries (100 g)

Preheat and oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Mix the melted butter, coconut flour, sweetener, vanilla and baking powder together until smooth.

Add the eggs one by one, mixing in between each addition.

Pour into a prepared baking dish, I use a silicon cake dish.

Press each frozen berry evenly into the cake. This allows the berries to be evenly distributed and not clump together. It also stops the cake from turning pink.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked in the centre.

Serve with whipped cream or yogurt and berries.

Makes 10 servings.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is coconut a nut? The FDA lists coconut as a tree nut but it’s actually not one. Instead, coconut is a seed of a group of fruits known as drupaceous, which also includes cherries, dates and apricots.
The bottom line is that while most people who are allergic to tree nuts can safely eat coconut, it’s important to speak to your doctor and follow their advice on this topic. Some people are allergic to both.
Does coconut flour taste like coconut? Coconut flour is a common low-carb flour that is light, incredibly absorbent and easily flavoured. Most readers tell me that coconut flour does not taste like coconut.
However, if you are sensitive to the coconut flavour, you can add a bit more pure vanilla extract to the flourless berry sponge recipe to help cover and hide the mild coconut taste.
How do you make this cake recipe dairy-free? If you cannot tolerate dairy, you may wish to use coconut oil instead of butter, but add a pinch of salt and some extra flavouring as the butter does add a rich buttery taste to the flourless sponge recipe.
Are almond flour and coconut flour 1:1 substitutes for each other? Even though people use both almond flour and coconut flour in dessert recipes for the low-carb diet, they are not exactly the same. They affect moisture content in the dessert in different ways, so it is important for you to follow the recipe.
I wrote an entire article about why you can’t swap almond flour and coconut flour if you’d like to learn more.
Does the keto cake have to be vanilla? You can add any flavour you like to the low-carb keto cake. My favourite is to add lemon zest and lemon juice combined with the berries is incredible.
Do I need to use organic eggs? Which eggs you use is up to you and your budget.
Why do some keto-friendly cakes use protein powder? Protein powder is often used in keto cakes and low-carb cakes to replace gluten that is found in wheat flour.
Do I need to beat egg whites? Many cake recipes require you to whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form with an electric whisk. This is such a great recipe because none of that is needed.