• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipe Index
  • FAQ
  • About
  • Cookbooks

All Day I Dream About Food

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • FAQ
  • About
  • Cookbooks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • FAQ
    • About
    • Cookbooks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Gluten Free » Cranberry White Chocolate Layer Cake

    Published: Nov 20, 2016 · Modified: Sep 8, 2019 by Carolyn

    Cranberry White Chocolate Layer Cake

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    9.8K shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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. 

    Low Carb White Chocolate Cranberry Layer Cake Recipe.

    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.

    Low Carb Keto Cranberry White Chocolate Cake. LCHF Banting THM recipe

    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.

    A gorgeous low carb holiday dessert. White Chocolate Cranberry Layer Cake

    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.

    Low Carb Sparkling Cranberries. Sugar-Free

    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!

    Creamy sugar-free white chocolate frosting and tangy cranberry sauce make this stunning low carb cake a perfect holiday dessert.

    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

    This amazing low carb cranberry white chocolate cake makes an ideal Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert recipe. It feeds a crowd and tastes like holiday joy.
    4.73 from 11 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Dessert
    Prep Time: 35 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    Servings: 1 9-inch cake
    Calories: 392kcal

    Ingredients

    Cake:

    • 2 ½ cups almond flour
    • ⅓ cup coconut flour
    • ⅓ cup unflavoured whey protein powder
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup butter softened
    • 1 cup Swerve Sweetener
    • 5 large egg whites room temperature
    • ¾ cup heavy whipping cream room temperature
    • ¾ cup water
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Cranberry Filling:

    • 3 cups fresh cranberries
    • ½ cup water
    • ⅓ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener

    White Chocolate Frosting:

    • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
    • ½ cup butter softened
    • ¾ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
    • ¾ cup whipping cream room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ ounces cocoa butter melted (and cooled a bit)

    "Sugared" Cranberries (optional)

    • ½ cup fresh cranberries
    • 2 teaspoon isomalt fiber syrup
    • 1 tablespoon 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

    Serves 16. Each serving has 5.79g NET CARBS.
    Food energy: 392kcal
    Total fat: 34.41g
    Calories from fat: 309
    Cholesterol: 77mg
    Carbohydrate: 9.51g
    Total dietary fiber: 3.72g
    Protein: 8.13g
    Erythritol: 31.9g
    Nutrition Facts
    Cranberry White Chocolate Layer Cake
    Amount Per Serving (1 slice)
    Calories 392 Calories from Fat 310
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 34.41g53%
    Cholesterol 77mg26%
    Carbohydrates 9.51g3%
    Fiber 3.72g15%
    Protein 8.13g16%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    SaveSave

    9.8K shares

    free email series

    Secrets to Keto Baking

    Tips and tricks to delicious and healthy recipes!


    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

    Reader Interactions

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Jocelyne Slattery says

      September 26, 2019 at 12:02 pm

      Wow! This is a lovely cake. I have to make a wedding cake for my daughter in a couple of weeks and this would be a great recipe… I hope. 2 questions, 1. how do I make it so it doesn’t fall apart (I ask because of comments I read)? 2. do you think it could make a good naked cake? Thanks in advance for your tips! I am a desperate mom who used to make amazing cakes but never keto! I hope to get back into the swing of baking.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 26, 2019 at 3:30 pm

        I didn’t have an issue but try adding 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to give it more stability.

        Reply
      • Holli says

        December 03, 2019 at 11:58 pm

        Hi Carolyn 😊
        Could I freeze this cake for a couple days? Then thaw it for a couple hours? I thought I saw a comment of yours that said we could add some xanthan gum to the cake batter to make it more stable to handle? Is that true and if it was, how much xanthan? Thank you.

        Reply
        • Carolyn says

          December 04, 2019 at 3:32 pm

          Try 1/2 tsp xanthan. I think this one should freeze okay.

          Reply
    2. Cate says

      April 09, 2019 at 3:04 am

      4 stars
      Wow, made the cake and all it’s extra yummy bits and besides the cake disintegrating on me I put it together in small glasses layering the cake and “raspberry coolie” then slathering with the white choc cream. Darling daughter couldn’t get enough.

      Reply
    3. LIRAZ says

      January 30, 2019 at 2:16 am

      5 stars
      HI CAROLYN!
      THANKS FOR YOUR ANSWER.
      SO I WOULD CREAM UNMELTED SOFTENED COCONUT OIL WITH THE SWEETNER AND FOLLOW THR RECIPE
      AND INSTED OF THR HEAVY CREAM I WOULD USE COCONUT CREAM { NOT CHILLED } INSTED.
      THAT WOULD BE OK?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 30, 2019 at 9:18 am

        I am sorry, Liraz, I think you aren’t understanding me. I can’t say for sure if any of this would work, I have not tried this as a dairy free recipe. You will need to go it alone here and experiment.

        Reply
    4. LIRAZ says

      January 29, 2019 at 1:07 am

      5 stars
      HI CAROLYN!
      THANKE FOR THE REPLAY. CAN I
      MAKE THE CAKE BATTER DAIRY FREE NOT THE FROSTING?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 29, 2019 at 8:34 am

        Sure.

        Reply
    5. LIRAZ says

      January 28, 2019 at 6:54 am

      5 stars
      HI CAROLYN!
      HOW CAN I MAKE THE CAKE RECIPE DAIRY FREE?
      THANK YOU FIR THE REPLAY.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 28, 2019 at 8:30 am

        You can’t, this one takes cream cheese. Sorry.

        Reply
    6. LIRAZ says

      January 22, 2019 at 2:33 am

      5 stars
      HI CAROLYN!
      IF I HAVE A HIGH POWER BLENDER LIKE BLENDTEC OY VITAMIX ON A LOW MEEDIUM SPEED IT WOULD BE OK?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 22, 2019 at 8:05 am

        I honestly cannot say. You can experiment but I have not tried it myself.

        Reply
    7. LIRAZ says

      January 21, 2019 at 4:45 am

      5 stars
      HI CAROLYN!
      IF I DINT HAVE A MIXE ON HAND CAN I MAKE THIS CAKE IN A BLUNDER ON A LOW MEDIUM SPEED FIRST CREEMING THE BUTTER AND SWEETNER AND FOLLOWING THE RESY OF THE RECIPE?
      I WAS THINKING MAKONG YOUR PATISSIER CREAM WITH THE REMAINING EGG YOLK.
      THAMKS FOE THE REPLAY.ANN WONDERFUL RECIPE.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 21, 2019 at 8:27 am

        I think this batter would be too much for a blender.

        Reply
    8. Lynn says

      December 15, 2018 at 6:17 pm

      Can I use Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides instead of the whey protein powder?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 15, 2018 at 6:20 pm

        No, collagen will make it very gummy. Skip it if you have to, or use egg white protein.

        Reply
    9. TheaMaria says

      December 03, 2018 at 10:30 am

      Hi Carolyn. Do you think I could use this recipe to make cupcakes? If so, about how many would it yield? Also, I have read a few comments about people having trouble getting the cakes out of the pans as it is very fragile. Would adding some xanthan gum help make cake (or cupcakes) more sturdy? (I’m hoping to make birthday cupcakes for my husband’s 40th this weekend!) Thank you!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 03, 2018 at 1:10 pm

        It would probably make 12 to 15 cupcakes. Use parchment or silicone liners and you won’t need to add xanthan.

        Reply
        • TheaMaria says

          December 03, 2018 at 6:29 pm

          Excellent, thanks so much!

          Reply
    10. Anu says

      July 17, 2018 at 6:14 am

      I’m so looking forward to trying this for a birthday celebration this weekend, thank you SO much for a gorgeous cake 🙂 A quick question – Could I make the sponge and filling a couple of days in advance and then make the buttercream and assemble it after? If yes, how should I store the sponges for the two days? Fridge? Freezer? Wrapped in cling wrap, maybe?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        July 17, 2018 at 7:14 am

        Yes, as long as you wrap it up tightly and refrigerate, it should be fine.

        Reply
        • Anu says

          July 17, 2018 at 7:51 am

          Thank you so much! I really appreciate the quick reply, and will let you know how it goes 🙂

          Reply
          • Anu says

            July 24, 2018 at 4:36 pm

            So I made this over Thursday-Saturday last week, trying to collect all the advice and tips from the wonderfully written recipe and the others that have tried it, but sadly my baking skills were just not up to the task. One of the cake layers completely disintegrated as I was taking it out of the pan, the second one developed a crack in the middle and only the third one survived unscathed. Not one to give up, however, I crumbled the first layer onto a baking tray and dehydrated it on a low oven overnight, planning on using it as a crumb topping – worked a charm! My fatal mistake, however, was using the good layer at the bottom and the one with the crack on the top. Needless to say once this layer was placed on the cranberry filling, the crack basically broke the layer into two halves and I watched in dismay as the two tectonic plates of my top layer floated gently away from each other. And that’s when the trifle plan was put into place, and what I ended up with was a delicious trifle, but sadly not a birthday cake. Still, the yummy flavours more than made up for it – as suggested by one user I added some orange zest to the cake and it was gorgeous! Thanks again, maybe some day I’ll improve my baking skills enough to attempt this again with more success! 😊

            Reply
            • Carolyn says

              July 24, 2018 at 5:49 pm

              What kind of pans are you using? Do you line them with parchment? That helps a LOT!

            • Anu says

              July 25, 2018 at 11:29 am

              I used 8-inch metal pans, greased generously with butter and lined with this wonderful reusable baking parchment I found here in the UK (Lakeland). The problem wasn’t that anything stuck to the sides or bottom, the crumbling/disintegration was when I flipped them onto a cooling rack from the pan, the layers are sooooo delicate. I got one right, though, so I must have some technique, I guess I just wasn’t consistent with it. Oh well, you live and learn 😊

            • Carolyn says

              July 25, 2018 at 12:04 pm

              Okay, so the best way to flip out a cake is to put the wire rack right on top of the pan and hold them together, and then turn the whole thing upside down. Make sure you’ve loosened the sides of the cake already, if it’s sticking to the sides. Mine usually don’t stick but I use very good non stick cake pans.

            • Anu says

              July 25, 2018 at 5:20 pm

              5 stars
              Thank you, Carolyn, you are so kind to reply so quickly, and always with very useful information. I will give this a go next time (with a little more patience and care than before!!) and let you know how it turns out.

    11. Rebekkah Davies says

      June 06, 2018 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe! I make it often, comes out beautiful. I love everything Carolyn does!

      Reply
    12. Kristine Cavanagh says

      March 06, 2018 at 3:35 pm

      Is there an alternative to isomalt fiber syrup?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        March 06, 2018 at 4:18 pm

        Not really, no. Nothing that will get the sweetener to adhere to the cranberries.

        Reply
    13. Barbara says

      February 14, 2018 at 6:25 am

      5 stars
      This is a delicious cake but as others have said very fragile. All three layers broke apart as I took them out of the pan. I had to put them together like a puzzle on the cake plate. It really didn’t matter since I covered one layer up with lemon curd and the other layer with raspberry sauce. After I covered the whole cake with whipped cream and coconut, no one knew the difference. Family loved it. Winner!

      Carolyn, is this just typical of this cake? Did I do something wrong? I use honeyville and swerve so not that. I’d really like to rely on this cake to be a regular.

      Thanks so much for all your recipes. They are great as I’ve said many times.

      Reply
    14. Michele says

      December 26, 2017 at 7:25 pm

      The cake layers did not hold together for me, but that turned out to be a happy accident! I shifted to Plan B and made a trifle, and it was the most beautiful trifle in its clear glass bowl with those alternating red and white layers. Fortunately I made extra cranberry sauce, so I layered cake pieces, frosting, and cranberry sauce three times. It was a hit with my family. Thank you, Carolyn, for creating recipes that work even when everything doesn’t turn out as planned.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 26, 2017 at 8:23 pm

        Glad you found a way to make it work! That’s so creative.

        Reply
    15. Carol Verge says

      November 12, 2017 at 10:15 am

      I am so making this! Thanks again Carolyn. You are so awesome. One question: do I have to use the isomalt fiber syrup in the frosting? I will buy it, but it is kind of expensive for 2 tsp. Thanks again.

      Reply
      • Leonor says

        November 13, 2017 at 3:05 pm

        I was wondering the same exact thing. What would be a good substitute for the syrup?

        Reply
      • Carol Verge says

        November 30, 2017 at 10:00 am

        I wonder if we could use vegetable glycerin instead if the syrup?

        Reply
        • Carolyn says

          November 30, 2017 at 4:28 pm

          Sure.

          Reply
    16. Tess says

      September 01, 2017 at 6:10 pm

      I live in Central Queensland Australia and I cannot get fresh cranberries or cocoa butter, however I can get dried cranberries and copha. Could I soak the dried berries over night and what replacement would work for cocoa butter please.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 02, 2017 at 11:13 am

        I have no idea what “copha” is? Yes, you can soak some berries. For the frosting, I suggest more cream cheese and just leaving out the cocoa butter.

        Reply
    17. Lucinda says

      August 14, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      Could i sub the cranberries for something else like raspberries, also do you put the filling on warm or do you let it cool first?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        August 15, 2017 at 8:28 am

        Sure, any berry will be fine. Let the filling cool a bit because it thickens up.

        Reply
    18. Cheryl says

      August 14, 2017 at 1:42 am

      Tried another of your cakes..another winner! Thank you for all your recipes!

      Reply
    19. Diane Downing says

      April 15, 2017 at 9:32 pm

      I made the fatal error of using strawberries and it was so soupy. Did put a little glucomanan in it but not enough. Question about the frosting. Had cream at room temp. Melted cocoa butter in micro and let it cool. Butter and cream cheese soft at room temp. Used my kitchenaid with whisk but it turned out soupy and not stiff. What do you think I did wrong. Was cocoa butter suppose to be warm? It was very delish even though it did not turn out pretty! Almost like strawberry shortcake cake!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        April 16, 2017 at 8:06 am

        What sweetener did you use for the frosting?

        Reply
        • Diane Downing says

          April 16, 2017 at 9:45 pm

          This sugar blend. I pretty much exclusively use this now because it doesn’t have a funky aftertaste.

          Sugar Blend & Baking blend
          (Trim Healthy mama gentle sweet sweetener substitute)
          http://joyfilledeats.com/sweetener/
          Cup measurements:
          • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 T. erythritol
          • 2 cups plus 2 T. xylitol
          • 2 tsp. Better Stevia

          Reply
          • Carolyn says

            April 17, 2017 at 6:19 am

            Well, that would be why your frosting was soupy. Because the frosting relies on a certain amount of powdered erythritol to hold its shape. When you use a sweetener that’s more concentrated, you don’t use as much. Additionally, xylitol doesn’t give frosting as much structure.

            Reply
            • Diane Downing says

              July 04, 2017 at 1:39 am

              I forgot to mention that I put all of the sugars in my vitamix and make it into a powder. So would the xylitol still be an issue? I really like the blend than straight up erythritol.

            • Carolyn says

              July 04, 2017 at 8:02 am

              Probably.

      • Amanda Kitson says

        July 29, 2020 at 10:16 am

        I thought it was just me!! I made two batches of the frosting to no avail. Just gloupy.

        Reply
        • Carolyn says

          July 29, 2020 at 10:38 am

          What sweetener are you using?

          Reply
    20. Kelly says

      January 04, 2017 at 10:15 pm

      Is there anyway I could use blackberries instead of cranberries ? Not a cranberry lover ? Lol

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 05, 2017 at 8:19 am

        Yes but blackberries are much juicier so you will want to drain some of that extra liquid. Or thicken it with xanthan gum or ground chia seed.

        Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Primary Sidebar

    FREE Secrets to Keto Baking

    Tips and tricks to delicious and healthy recipes!

    NEW E-COOKBOOK!
    The cover of Easy Dairy-Free Keto Desserts ebook.

    Carolyn Portrait

    Looking for the best low carb recipes? You’ve come to the right place! I’m Carolyn, a major carnivore and an unrepentant sweet tooth. Here you will find all you need to enjoy the low carb keto lifestyle to the fullest! Read more

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 · ALL DAY I DREAM ABOUT FOOD · DISCLOSURE POLICY · PRIVACY POLICY

    Copyright© 2022