Birthdays are a time of celebration. Kids look forward to the gifts, balloons, candy, cake and ice cream. It is a time to indulge. However, indulging does not mean you have to regret eating a second piece of cake. It does not mean you give up on health and reasonable portion sizes for the day. Sure, you can stretch the boundaries of your diet a little. I know my son wants to have his cake and eat it too on his birthday. Yet, he also knows that an influx of sugar and fat are not good for his health. While, he may not care too much about that, I do. I prefer to make things I can feel good about eating.
The following is a recipe that was sent to me years ago by a friend. My only issue with the cake is the Splenda. I do not eat nor do I ever recommend artificial sugars. I just use real sugar….I know…I know.
Low Fat Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups Splenda
2/3 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup low fat margarine, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups skim milk or 1% milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13″ pan with Pam or another fat free non-stick spray. Measure out the 2 cups of skim or 1% milk and add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to it. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Add milk mixture, vanilla, and melted margarine to dry ingredients. Pour into greased cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on cake rack before covering with chocolate icing.
Chocolate Icing for Low Fat Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup water (or more/less as needed for spreading consistency)
Mix the powdered sugar and cocoa together. Gradually add water until you reach the desired spreading consistency. Spread on cake.
Other Ideas for Simple Low Fat Cakes
If you are into simplicity and don’t mind using a cake mix then try these combos for a low fat and awesome tasting cake:
Substitute the oil for applesauce
Cake mix plus Diet Pop: Try different combos to suit your taste. Simply mix the two and bake.
Add canned pumpkin puree to a cake mix. Just two ingredients and low fat…wow!
Low Fat Birthday Cake Toppings
- Slivered almonds
- Sliced fresh strawberries
- Sprinkling of powered sugar
- Fat free whipped topping