Rich, Thick, Creamy and Guilt-Free Chocolate Frosting

You might have read my post the other day when I finally came up with, imo, the best "diet" frosting out there.  You would never ever know it was low cal/low carb.  If you want to check it out, click here.

My mission today was to make a chocolate frosting that is just as good as its vanilla counterpart.  I think I came up with a good one.  Here's what you need:

Oops!  I forgot the Stevia...don't forget the Stevia!

1 small box instant sugar free chocolate pudding mix
1 C 1% milk
2 C lite whipped cream
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 Tbsp Stevia

Mix together pudding mix, milk, cocoa powder and Stevia.  Whip until it's thick.  Mix in the whipped cream until well blended, smooth and creamy.  That's it!

The recipe will cover one 9x13 cake, and 1 serving is 3 Tablespoons.  For each serving there are:  35 calories, 5.3g carbs and 1.4g protein.  Pretty dang good compared to a store bought canister of Betty Crocker or Pillsbury frosting.  Cover and keep in the refrigerator.

My family really likes it a lot, and I hope yours will too!

Until next time,
Lisa
PS  Hover over the black bar on the right side of the screen to pull out more menu options for my blog, like the tab to follow me and the tab to search past posts with lots more great healthy recipes.
happyfairylove@live.com

Perfect Thick and Rich Vanilla Frosting That's Low Cal But You'd Never Know It

Eureka!!!  I am so excited!  If you've been reading my blog you know that I have a thing for the diet soda cakes (here and here) and that I've been having a hard time finding a recipe anywhere that was a suitable replacement for plain vanilla frosting.  I have been unsuccessful.  Nothing has worked out very well.

What's the solution when you can't find a suitable recipe?  Make one yourself, of course!  So I created my own concoction that is thick enough, has a great vanilla flavor and is creamy and decadently delicious.  And, it's super easy peasy!  (You know I like that part!)  All you need is:

Oops!  Don't forget the vanilla!

1 small box instant sugar free vanilla pudding mix (see *note)
2 C lite whipped cream
1 C 1% milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

*Note:  I used Wal-Mart brand sugar free french vanilla instant pudding mix, and I really like the flavor it has.  I also made a batch using Jell-O brand sugar free fat free vanilla instant pudding mix, and it was a little less vibrant.  If you use a plain vanilla flavor you might consider adding a Tablespoon of Stevia to the mix to give it a little sweet spring in its step.

All you do is mix the milk, vanilla and pudding mix together until it gets thick.  Then whisk in the whipped cream until it is well blended and creamy.

This frosting is different from other pudding frostings I have found because the trick that I came up with is using less milk than the box calls for and adding a splash of vanilla.  When you make the pudding by the box directions, the frosting does not have the right consistency or texture.  I decided to make the pudding thicker by adding in less milk and then finding just the right amount of whipped cream to get the right balance between thickness, fluffiness, taste and texture.  And I did it!

On top of that, it makes an amazing fruit dip!!! (click on pic for a larger view)

The best part?  The nutritional stats!  This recipe will frost one 9x13 cake.  For a 3 Tablespoon serving there are only 32 calories!!!  Can you believe that?!  Compare that to just 2 Tablespoons of Betty Crocker Vanilla Frosting.  That has 140 calories---over 100 more calories than my recipe.  Isn't that amazing?  My frosting has just 5g carbs per 3 Tablespoon serving.   Betty Crocker has 23g carbs per serving of only 2 Tablespoons.  I think it's pretty obvious the benefits in nutrition my recipe has over store bought frosting.

As I've mentioned, I've experimented with quite a few frosting recipes and mixtures.  My oldest daughter, 17, is quite finicky.  She has not liked a single one of them, and has been preferring to have her cake naked rather than have any topping.  Well, she tasted this one and exclaimed, "Delicioso!" and gave me a big thumbs up.  Woohoo!  And, I served it to one of my husband's friends last night and he thought it was excellent too.  This one definitely passes muster for imitation vanilla frosting.  You've really got try this one!  (Cover and keep in the refrigerator.)

Happy Indulgence (but don't go overboard!)
Lisa
PS Hover over the black bar on the right side of the screen to pull out more menu options, like the one to follow my blog or to search previous posts for more great healthy recipes.
happyfairylove@live.com

Skinnier Cream Cheese Frosting for a Diet Soda Carrot Cake (or whatever kind of cake you want)

I've been making the diet soda cakes quite a lot.  In case you missed that post, click here to see it.  I've done some experimenting since that post.  I've made chocolate cakes with diet Dr. Pepper and diet Cherry Coke.  imo, I don't think it matters what type of diet soda you use, because really I can't taste any difference.  But I've also experimented with the flavors of cake mix, too.  I made a cherry chip cake and yesterday I made a carrot cake.

But, they were always naked (except the first one that I linked you to with the lemony cream topping birthday cake).  I searched and searched for some better recipes for low calorie/low carb frostings, but I couldn't really find any.  I experimented with some chocolate recipes, and they were horrible!!!  Definitely not something I would share here.

Then the other day I got a Hungry Girl email that was all about frostings.  So, I decided to try one of them but instead of Splenda I used Stevia, and less of it.  Here's what you need:

3 Tbsp sugar free vanilla instant pudding
2 1/2 Tbsp Stevia
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C lite whipped cream
3/4 C fat free cream cheese, room temperature

It's pretty easy to whip some up, too.
1.  In a medium bowl combine pudding mix, Stevia, and vanilla with 3 Tbsp cold water and mix well until smooth and thick.

2.  Add in cream cheese and mix well, incorporating the vanilla in with the cream cheese until it is really combined.  It really does make a difference that the cream cheese is room temperature.  It blends much better and easier. 

3.  Add cool whip.  The original directions said to "stir until smooth", but when I just stirred and folded it, the cream cheese/pudding mixture stayed in clumps throughout the whipped cream.

(it's kind of hard to see, but click on it to enlarge it and you'll see what I'm talking about.)  So, I used my hand mixer on low speed with the whisk attachment on it instead of the beaters.  But I'm sure the beaters would work just as well.  Now, the whipped cream with be less fluffy from beating it together with the cream cheese, but I think the end product is much better this way rather than clumps of cream cheese and pudding.  It looked like curdled milk, and it just wasn't appetizing.  Here's what mine looked like after I used the mixer...

And here's what it looked like on top of a delicious piece of carrot cake...

The numbers on this cream cheese frosting are incredible!  This recipe is enough to frost one 9x13 cake, and I cut the cake into 12 servings.  So, for 1/12 there are only 28.3 calories and 3.5g carbs!  Fantastic!  The cake itself has 133 calories and 33g carbs per piece.  Not bad for an occasional dessert, treat or celebration!

The frosting is so much more subtle than store bought full fat and sugar cream cheese frostings you find on carrot cakes.  They are so heavy and overly sweet.  This recipe is lighter, creamier, and not as tooth-aching sweet as those.  It's mild, you can taste the cream cheese and it has just the right amount of sweetness between the Stevia and whipped cream.  And, imo, it tastes even better after it has been covered and refrigerated for a little while.

Hope you enjoy it!
Lisa
PS  Hover over the black bar on the right side of the screen to pull out more menu options for my blog, like the one to follow my blog.
happyfairylove@live.com

Go Ahead and Have Your Cake! (Recipe, Pics & Review)

It's my husband's birthday!  I have been searching high and low for a healthier cake recipe.  I mentioned on Facebook that I was looking, and Tawnya came to my rescue.  She told me about a recipe that she says is from Weight Watchers that uses diet soda and cake mix.  That's it.  Then, after I had been searching for 2 days on dLife and other sites, all of a sudden the same exact recipe showed up in front of me literally 5 minutes after she mentioned it.  How weird is that?  I took that as a hint that I should make it.

I ran to the grocery store as soon as it opened this morning, and I bought what I needed.  With one major mistake.  I didn't buy diet 7up.  Duh!  I bought regular.  omg, what an idiot.

Make sure you buy DIET soda!!!  Not like me who bought regular. 'doh!

I didn't realize it until after I already poured 1 cup into the cake mix.  The other 1/2 cup I used my diet Citrus Drop.  So that's all you do...12oz diet soda mixed in with a yellow cake mix.  Stir it up, pour it in a pan with pan spray on it, and bake it according to the box.  Sooo easy!!!!

I also found a recipe for a "Low-Sugar Whipped Topping" on dLife.  I bought the stuff to make it.  Here are the ingredients:
1/2 c non-fat powdered milk
1/3 c cold water
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (WARNING:  I only used 1 Tbsp, and it came out plenty strong.  I advise to only use 1 instead of 2 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 c sugar substitute (equal to 1/4 c sugar)...I used Stevia.
1/2 tsp vanilla

1.  Add cold water to powdered milk and mix.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes
2.  Beat milk mixture at high speed for 4 minutes and then add lemon juice.
3.  Beat at high speed for another 4 minutes.
4.  Mix together the sugar and sugar substitute and then gradually add to the whipped milk.
5.  Stir in the vanilla and refrigerate until ready to serve.

It seemed like I was having problems with it because it was very loose.  Not the consistency I expected for a "whipped topping".  And it tasted funny.  The lemon juice to me made it taste like sour milk, and I actually only used half the lemon juice.  Not a pleasant taste.  I could see where it was going, trying to have a lemony zest to the cream, but it didn't come out as I expected.  Now, however, when I checked on the cream again in the refrigerator it is thickening up as it gets colder.  What I think I might do is try folding in just a little of this cream into the generic brand lite Cool Whip I bought on my way home from my taxi rounds this morning.  Maybe if the "Low-Sugar Whipped Topping" was mixed in with the plain whipped cream it will make the flavor a little less intense and become more of what I expected.  I will get back to you on that to see how it goes.

In the meantime, I cut a piece of cake (1/12th of the cake pan) and topped it with 3 Tbsp of lite Cool Whip (Kroger brand has 1 less g of carbs than Cool Whip).  I put just a dash of sprinkles on top with a candle, because it is, after all, in celebration of Jeff's 46th birthday.

Doesn't it look wonderful???  And let me tell you what.  The taste and texture are just divine.  It's got such a good flavor, and the lite whipped cream on top was just the right amount of sweet and lite.  Doesn't it look festive?  I will absolutely, definitely be making this again.  It crumbles a little easily, but that's not a huge problem if you're just careful cutting and serving it.

Here are the nutritional facts for 1/12 of the cake with 3 Tbsp lite whipped cream:

163 calories, 2.75g fat, 2.33g saturated fat, 265.5mg sodium, 16.7mg potassium, 33g carbs, and .83g protein. (4 Points Plus) You are saving 17.5 calories per serving in eggs and a whopping 82.5 calories per serving by eliminating the 1/2 c of canola oil.  That's exactly 100 calories less per serving, and that is quite significant in my book.  And absolutely NONE of the taste was sacrificed for the changes.

On top of that, cake normally has a frosting.  I don't know what you get, but I always get Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Funfetti.  But per 2 Tbsp that crap has 150 calories, 6g fat, and an additional 23g carbs!  So if you do the math, a "typical" piece of cake with frosting on it is normally like 410 calories and 56g carbs!  With this diet soda cake and whipped topping you are saving about 230 calories per serving.  Amazing, huh?  I'd say with the great taste and better nutritional values, this is definitely a SCORE! 

If you are celebrating a birthday or other special occasion, go ahead and have a piece of this cake with a little whipped topping.  Just don't say everyday is a celebration! lol

A BIG thank you to Tawnya M. for bringing this recipe to my attention!!!

UPDATE:  I mixed in a little of the lemony cream to the plain lite whipped cream, and the flavor is much more pleasant than the straight lemon cream.  It adds just a little zing and zest without being overpowering.  Just start off with a little...maybe 1 part lemon cream to 3 parts lite whipped cream.  That's a guesstimate.  Taste it a little at a time as you go along until it's to your preference.  So, the "Low-Sugar Whipped Topping" was not a total failure after all.  It just needs to be modified from it's original version.  So if you used maybe 1 Tbsp of lemon cream to 3 Tbsp of lite whipped cream you would add 15 calories, 2.7g carbs and .75g protein to the total dessert.  Yes, I just now went and tried those measurements and it tastes good.  Just right, I think.  So, go ahead and make the "Low-Sugar Whipped Topping" after all!  It adds a nice little flair to the whipped cream.

ANOTHER UPDATE:  Matthew just came home from school and had a piece of cake with the mixture of lemon cream and lite whipped cream, and he devoured it!  It passed the 12 year old taste test!

If you would like to leave a comment here, it's so nice to get them and know someone out there is actually reading what I have to share. :)  Or, if you'd like to drop me a line you can always reach  me at happyfairylove@live.com.

Happy Celebrations!
Lisa