Tag Archives: cake

Strawberry Shortcake

Where do I begin? Sweet angel food cake? No, that was good, but that’s not the start. Luscious homemade whipped cream? No, as decadent as that was, it’s not the start of the story. The best, best part of this was the strawberry mix – – combing the balsamic and sugar along with the berries enhanced the flavor so much that it was like eating strawberries to the 10th power. It was just wonderful ! When you combined that flavor with the whipped cream and cake, this was just the most perfect dessert. I think it was way better than regular Strawberry Shortcake !

At only 160 calories, there is plenty of room to add some chocolate sauce – I’ll have to try that next time 🙂

Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake

4 servings
160 calories per serving

4 2 ½ inch thick slices Angel Food Cake (prepared)
1 pint strawberries, sliced
½ T balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar
¼ c heavy cream
¼ t vanilla

Mix berries with vinegar and ½ T sugar and let sit. Combine cream, vanilla and ½ T sugar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Top each slice of cake with cream and strawberries.

Apricot Cake

This is a great cake that can be left rather plain or you can dress it up with a drizzle of heated apricot jam or some whipped cream. The apricot flavor is so sweet and the brown sugar is so homey – this is a perfect way to jazz up a box cake mix !

Apricot Cake
Apricot Cake

12 servings
285 calories per serving

1 moist white cake mix (240 calories per serving prepared as directed)
2 16 oz. cans apricot halves, drained
½ c Splenda brown sugar substitute
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix with water, oil and eggs and prepare as directed. Pour into 2 8×8 squared or 8 inch round baking pans sprayed with Pam. Drop apricots on top rounded side up (they will sink). Sprinkle with Splenda and bake 35-40 minutes. Optionally, squirt with some canned whipped cream.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

You won’t even miss the frosting when you make this awesome raspberry sauce – the extra flair is a nice touch to add to a holiday table.

Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Chocolate Raspberry Cake

8 servings
210 calories per serving

Cake:
9 oz. package devil’s food cake mix
1/3 c light sour cream
¼ c water
¼ c Egg Beaters
2 t powdered sugar

Pan prep:
Pam
1 T flour

Sauce:
10 oz. frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
3 T sugar
1 t cornstarch
¼ t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch round cake pan with Pam and then lightly flour it. (INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO) Combine all cake ingredients except the powdered sugar and beat 2 minutes at medium speed then spread into prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool ½ hour and then invert onto a plate and sprinkle with sugar. In a blender puree berries until smooth and strain out the seeds by pushing the puree through a sieve. Combine puree, sugar and starch in a saucepan and cook on low heat until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm sauce over cake. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

Caramel Apple Pudding Cake

This was sooooo easy to do and everyone just loved it ! You pour a whole lotta liquid over the top but by the end of the backing time, all the brown sugar makes its way to the bottom and drizzled over the top, it is pure heaven !

Caramel Apple Pudding Cake
Caramel Apple Pudding Cake

9 servings
140 calories per serving

9 oz. yellow cake mix
1 t apple pie spice
1/3 c skim milk
1 medium apple peeled and coarsely chopped
¾ c brown sugar
1 ½ c water heated to 120 degrees
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch cake pan with Pam. Combine cake mix, spice and milk then stir in apple and spread the mix in the prepared pan. Combine brown sugar and water and mix well and then pour over the batter. Bake ½ hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Spoon warm cake into dishes and serve immediately.

Cardamom Cake

Cardamom is a great nutty flavored spice that I have just added to more of my meals. It is a great addition to many dishes and this cake just takes such advantage of its distinct and enticing flavor.

Cardamom Cake
Cardamom Cake

10 servings
281 calories per serving

2 c whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
1 t ground cardamom
1 T grated orange zest
1 T grated lemon zest
¾ c Egg Beaters
¼ c canola oil
1 ½ c no fat plain yogurt
¼ c honey
1 c chopped prunes or raisins
1 c chopped walnuts
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour with baking soda and cardamom. Beat eggs, oil, yogurt, and honey and then stir into the flour mix until smooth. Fold in fruits and nuts. Pour into a bundt pan sprayed with Pam and bake 45 minutes. Eat plain or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

The good folks at PlentifulPantry sent me a couple of their dessert mixes to try and here is the first installment….Chidester Farms Key Lime Cheesecake Bars.

Key Lime Cheesecake Bars
Key Lime Cheesecake Bars

The big box comes with enough ingredients to make 2 batches – 2 batches would fit in a 9×13 baking dish while 1 fits nicely in an 8×8 baking dish. These are amazingly easy to put together and the results are outstanding – the bars definitely taste completely homemade. I had doubts about a chocolate crust with a citrus dessert, but it was a perfect accompaniment.

As well as the mix, you will need a few ingredients:
1 c hot water
2 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese
6 T butter

1 batch yields 16 servings
120 calories per serving

Just follow the package instructions and in an hour you will have delightfully rich cheesecake bars with just the right amount of lime flavoring.

Be sure to visit PlentifulPantry and check out their products – they have a whole bunch of ‘partially prepped’ products that get you out of the kitchen faster without skimping on quality.

Pineapple and Orange Dream Cake

Light and refreshing is the best way to describe this elegant and tempting cake. This is an easy to make dessert that tastes like you spent hours preparing, but it only take a bit of time to put it together 🙂

Pineapple and Orange Dream Cake
Pineapple and Orange Dream Cake


16 servings
212 calories per serving

CAKE:
1 box yellow cake mix
¼ c applesauce
4 eggs
1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges (including the juice)

FROSTING:
8 oz. cool whip lite
1 3.4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding
1 15.5 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice (not syrup), mostly drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and mix all the cake ingredients until moist then beat by hand 2 minutes. The oranges will all break up – that is fine. Spray a 13×9 pan with Pam and pour in the batter and cook 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. Mix together all frosting ingredients and spread on the cake. Store cake in the frig.

Strawberry Brownie Cake

Since you start with brownie mix, this one couldn’t be easier. And the results are quite elegant, quite decadent and very chocolatey Make this one the next time you have guests over and you can have a full portion of dessert for under 400 calories !

Strawberry Brownie Cake
Strawberry Brownie Cake

8 servings
350 calories per serving

Brownie:
15.8 oz. package of fudge brownie mix
¼ c water
2 T oil
1 egg
Pam

Filling:
8 oz. Cool Whip Free
2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 nine inch round (you could use square as well) cake pans with foil and spray with Pam. Be sure to start at one side and press the foil down into the crease before moving around – if you try to do it all at once, the foil invariably rips. Combine brownie ingredients and mix well with a spoon and pour into the 2 pans and spread out so the whole pan is covered then bake 18-20 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool the pans 20 minutes and then lift out foil and then cool cakes 1 hour longer. Place one brownie top side down on plate and spread with ½ the Cool Whip and lay on ½ the strawberry slices. Place the second brownie on top, top side up and spread with the rest of the Cool Whip and the rest of the strawberries. Placing the first one down with the top toward the plate means the 2 layers where the cakes meet are both nice and flat and this way you don’t get one sliding off the other 🙂

Mocha Bundt

This is a very dense cake – almost more like a brownie consistency. But no matter the consistency – it’s CHOCOLATE ! Served with a nice spritz of whipped cream, it hit the spot.

Mocha Bundt
Mocha Bundt

16 servings
250 calories per serving

3 1/2 c cake flour
2/3 c cocoa powder
3 T dry milk powder
1 3/4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
7 T margarine, softened
3/4 c Splenda
1/3 c Splenda brown sugar blend
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 c low fat buttermilk
3/4 c strong brewed coffee
Pam
Whipped Cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray a bundt pan with Pam. Sift flour, cocoa, milk, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl beat margarine and both sugars until mixed and then beat in eggs and egg whites one at a time beating 1 minute after each egg. Combine buttermilk and coffee in a cup. Beat 1/3 if the flour mix into the margarine mix on low speed and then beat in half of the coffee mix and continue beating until the liquid is absorbed. Repeat and then pour batter into pan and smooth the top. Bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes and then on a wire rack until completely cool. Serve with whipped cream.

Banana Cake

This was so incredibly delicious ! The cake is moist, the frosting is decadent – and at only 120 calories per serving, it is pretty much guilt free!

Banana Cake
Banana Cake

24 servings
120 calories per serving

Cake
1 2/3 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 c mashed ripe bananas
1 1/3 c skim milk
2 T pineapple juice
2 large eggs
3/4 c Splenda
6 T butter, melted
2 t vanilla extract
Pam

Frosting
16 oz. fat free cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 c light butter, at room temperature
1/3 c Splenda
2 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13×9 pan with Pam. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. Mix bananas, milk and juice and set aside. Beat eggs and Splenda at high speed for 4 minutes and then add melted butter, and vanilla extract and beat at medium a minute longer. Alternately add flour mix and banana mix and beat at low speed just until blended being sure not to over mix. Put the batter in the pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan. To prepare the frosting, beat the cheese and butter until creamy then gradually add Splenda and beat on medium. Mix in vanilla and then spread over a cooled cake. Chill 30 minutes and then cut into squares. Try serving with a few slices of fresh banana on the side.

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