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
Nutrition
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.
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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!
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!!
What sweetener did you use? I never have that trouble with Swerve but sometimes do with BochaSweet.
I can’t find Cocoa butter. Would I be able to use Bake Believe white no sugar added chips
Thanks
That should probably work!
How much white chocolate Choczero chips would replace the cocoa butter?
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.
1/2 ounce of melted oil or butter is about 1 tbsp. That’s all you will need!
Hi! (:
This recipe takes 1 1/2 oz. of cocoa butter so that would be 3 tbsps. right?
Thanks Carolyn, we appreciate you!
Oh yes, sorry, I read that wrong. Have. Too. Many. Recipes!
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.
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 ☺️
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.
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.
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!
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.
I didn’t have an issue but try adding 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to give it more stability.
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.
Try 1/2 tsp xanthan. I think this one should freeze okay.
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.
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?
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.
HI CAROLYN!
THANKE FOR THE REPLAY. CAN I
MAKE THE CAKE BATTER DAIRY FREE NOT THE FROSTING?
Sure.
HI CAROLYN!
HOW CAN I MAKE THE CAKE RECIPE DAIRY FREE?
THANK YOU FIR THE REPLAY.
You can’t, this one takes cream cheese. Sorry.
HI CAROLYN!
IF I HAVE A HIGH POWER BLENDER LIKE BLENDTEC OY VITAMIX ON A LOW MEEDIUM SPEED IT WOULD BE OK?
I honestly cannot say. You can experiment but I have not tried it myself.
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.
I think this batter would be too much for a blender.
Can I use Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides instead of the whey protein powder?
No, collagen will make it very gummy. Skip it if you have to, or use egg white protein.