When it comes to dieting, we all wish we could have our cake and eat it, too. But if you are trying to lose weight, there can be ways to splurge without completely jeopardizing your diet.

There are three components to a delicious low fat cake: the frosting, the texture, and the toppings. In full fat cakes, these qualities are usually determined by using high fat ingredients like butter and eggs. Here are a few ideas to achieve these three important qualities by rethinking those conventional recipes. After all, what is better than low fat cakes?

Frosting For Low Fat Cakes

Usually delicious cake frosting gets its superb taste and texture from a fat source. This means that cake frosting is usually loaded with butter, cream cheese, or both, and not to mention tons of sugar. Basically, there is nothing nutritionally redeeming in conventional frosting. But don’t worry – there are ways to substitute healthier ingredients for those high fat favorites. One low-fat idea is to substitute the butter with sour cream and the full fat cream cheese with low fat cream cheese. Sour cream can be combined with sugar free pudding mix and low fat cream cheese goes great with fat-free whipped cream and pure flavor extracts.

How To Get Good Texture In Low Fat Cakes

One of the simplest switches you can make when you are low fat baking is to only use egg whites instead of the whole egg. Egg whites will give your recipe a wonderful fluffy consistency, and you certainly won’t miss the calories and fat you get from egg yolk. You can also make cupcakes moist and bake low fat vanilla cake that melts in your mouth by reducing or replacing the butter, shortening, oil, and sour cream in your recipes with low-fat or no-fat yogurt.

Additionally, one cake that is low fat by nature is the angel food cake. This cake has a very distinctive spongy texture that is achieved by using egg whites, sugar, flour, and vanilla and almond extracts. Though this cake isn’t calorie free, it is blissfully low fat, and usually topped with healthy strawberries or other fruit.

Healthy Toppings For Low Fat Cakes

You’ve created a wonderful low fat cake with amazing texture and delicious low fat frosting. Now what are you going to put on top of it? One healthy choice is to load up your cake with nature’s candy – fresh fruit! Berries, peaches, pineapple, mango, lemon zest, sliced banana. Use your imagination! Healthy nuts like slivered pecans or walnut pieces can add a delightful crunch as well.

When you’re dieting, having a few tricks up your sleeve can make all the difference. Treat yourself to one of these low fat cakes every once in a while to celebrate your commitment to a more healthy meal plan!

Sources:

• “Healthy Cake Recipes and Cooking Tips”, Eating Well Magazine

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