This amazing low carb cranberry white chocolate cake makes an ideal Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert recipe. It feeds a crowd and tastes like pure holiday joy.
So I appear to have entirely skipped over Thanksgiving this year and gone straight to Christmas. I don’t know why but I am ridiculously excited to get into the Christmas goodies this year. I have zillions upon zillions of ideas and not even a snowball’s chance in hell of having time to make them all. I will probably manage to make a small fraction of them but if you’re talking zillions, that’s still a lot of holiday recipes to be made. And since I actually got started on them a few weeks back, I am well on my way to making this the best low carb Christmas season ever. That’s my plan, anyway.
I used to have a rule a silly little rule that I mustn’t start my holiday baking until after Thanksgiving. But as I’ve grown older and infinitely wiser, I’ve realized that this is an absolutely arbitrary and senseless impediment to my holiday enjoyment. ‘Tis the season of joy, after all. Why put limits on enjoying the joy? So this year, I quite unabashedly got an early jump on it and now I am bringing you the first low carb Christmas recipe of the season.
And what a recipe it is. Tender grain-free white cake, creamy white chocolate frosting, tart-sweet cranberry filling. And I maintain that because of the cranberries, this could easily be a contender for your Thanksgiving dessert instead. You know, if you aren’t like me and haven’t already skipped ahead in your mind to December.
I am also unabashedly proud of the various parts of this cake too. The white chocolate buttercream was a recent “discovery” when I was making my daughter’s birthday cupcakes. For some reason, it got lumpy and weird and I realized I’d probably added the cream when it was too cold. So I melted a little cocoa butter and beat it in, and the frosting became creamy and smooth again. And tasted delightfully like white chocolate.
And the “sugared” cranberries…I have tried making these several times by soaking fresh berries and then rolling them in Swerve. But since Swerve doesn’t get sticky like sugar, it would all fall off as the cranberries dried. But a flash of inspiration when my eye fell on some isomalt fiber syrup in my pantry. I use it sparingly because I think it’s not as diabetes-friendly as other sweeteners. But 2 little teaspoons was enough to coat my berries in something sticky so that the Swerve would stay on. Worked like a charm!
So here’s to the holiday season, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas or both. This is a showstopper of a cake and serves a crowd. Enjoy!
Cranberry White Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1/3 cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 cup Swerve Sweetener
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream room temperature
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cranberry Filling:
- 3 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/3 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
White Chocolate Frosting:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 3/4 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 3/4 cup whipping cream room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 ounces cocoa butter melted (and cooled a bit)
"Sugared" Cranberries (optional)
- 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 tsp isomalt fiber syrup
- 1 tbsp Swerve Sweetener
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325F and grease 3 (three) 9-inch or 8-inch round baking pans very well (if you only have two pans, you bake the cake layers in batches.
- In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with sweetener until well combined and fluffy. Beat in the egg whites. Add half the almond flour mixture and beat in, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the beaters as needed.
- Beat in the cream, water, and vanilla extract, then beat in the remaining almond flour mixture until well combined. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and spread to the edges. Smooth the tops.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges are just golden and the cake layers are firm to the touch. Remove and let cool 10 minutes, then flip out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cranberry Filling:
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring cranberries and water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the berries have all burst and can easily be mashed with a fork, about 10 minutes. Whisk in sweetener.
- Place on cake layer on a serving plate and top with half of the cranberry filling, spreading all the way to the edges. Repeat with a second layer and the remaining filling. Top with the final layer of cake.
White Chocolate Frosting:
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sweetener together until well combined. Beat in whipping cream and vanilla until smooth.
- Drizzle with melted cocoa butter and beat in until well combined. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
Sugared Cranberries:
- In a bowl, combine the cranberries and syrup. Sprinkle with sweetener. Place on top of the cake.
Notes
Total fat: 34.41g
Calories from fat: 309
Cholesterol: 77mg
Carbohydrate: 9.51g
Total dietary fiber: 3.72g
Protein: 8.13g
Erythritol: 31.9g
Chrissy says
This was delicious! My kids wanted a red, white, and blue cake for Inauguration Day, and I knew you’d have something great for us. Like several others, my cake layers completely fell apart. There was no salvaging them; it was like a jigsaw puzzle. So I followed the advice from another reviewer and assembled it as a trifle in a beautiful crystal bowl. We did three layers each of cake/filling/frosting with a bit extra frosting saved to spread evenly over the top. In lieu of the sugared cranberries, my daughter decorated it with raspberries and blueberries to fit the occasion. It ended up so good that I’ll probably just bake it in a sheet pan and recreate the trifle next time rather than trying to troubleshoot. I think this will be on the menu again for the 4th of July! Four stars only because it would be disappointing if someone had their heart set on this becoming a beautiful layered cake, but it sure was good!
Patty says
I made this cake on Christmas eve and it was delicious! I did have trouble with “split” icing as others seemed to experience. Don’t give up if this happens! Mine was soupy and curdled, but I warmed it to about 70 degrees over a hot water bath and then proceeded to whip it again. At first the curdles disappeared and it was just soupy, but as I continued to mix on a high speed, it slowly began to be a beautiful creamy buttercream and turned out beautifully!
Thank you, Carolyn!
Megan says
Hi there!! Do you have any tips on split icing? I’m new to the keto world and I am continuously splitting icing, this one included:( I was so bummed! But the cake turned out wonderful! Ill certainly be making it again!
Thank you so much!!
Carolyn says
What sweetener did you use? I never have that trouble with Swerve but sometimes do with BochaSweet.
Mary says
I can’t find Cocoa butter. Would I be able to use Bake Believe white no sugar added chips
Thanks
Carolyn says
That should probably work!
Christy says
How much white chocolate Choczero chips would replace the cocoa butter?
Holli says
Carolyn, help! I’m making this cake tomorrow for a bday and for the 1st time. How much is 1 1/2 oz. of cocoa butter melted? I pray this cake turn out! I have a couple of your other cake recipes that are favorites in my house so this is my attempt to add another favorite. I love your work, it’s always exciting to try a new recipe.
Carolyn says
1/2 ounce of melted oil or butter is about 1 tbsp. That’s all you will need!
Holli says
Hi! (:
This recipe takes 1 1/2 oz. of cocoa butter so that would be 3 tbsps. right?
Thanks Carolyn, we appreciate you!
Carolyn says
Oh yes, sorry, I read that wrong. Have. Too. Many. Recipes!
Lynn says
Hi Carolyn – Already out of the oven cooling. I have family members that cannot have whey, very gassy! I decided to use the xanthan gum but no whey. For that reason no whey in my cooking or baking but was intrigued with this recipe. Came out of the pans ok but not real high but layers don’t look real high in picture either? Can tell very tender cake. Will see.
Lyn says
Anyone make the cake without the whey protein powder and 1/2 tsp xanthan gum? Plan on making for Christmas. Expensive ingredients if does work… Thank You ☺️
Carolyn says
It won’t rise as well or hold together as well. I feel you really need these things if you want it to turn out well. You could skip the xanthan but please don’t skip the protein powder. And the container will last you a long time and is useful in many keto recipes.
Holli says
Hi Carolyn (:
Thank you for being so attentive to answer the comments patiently! I really like your posts, they make me chuckle. My questions are; Would cherries work with these recipe instructions? And would you omit the isomalt for candied cherries? Also, does egg white powder work interchangeably with protein powder? Thanks! I want to make this before next weekend for my son’s 26th birthday. This cake looks so special.
Carolyn says
Hi Holli. Cherries would be fine, although not particularly low carb. I haven’t tried making any candied cherries at all. I might just wet them and roll them in sweetener if you want to avoid the syrup. Egg white powder is fine too!