CAKE!

Yes, it's a post about cake. Who doesn't L-O-V-E cake?! Well, there are some people (who in my book are just "not right") - so this post isn't for them. It's for you, and you, and you, and ME!

Some days you don't have time to wait around for nearly an hour while your favorite cake bakes because it's too late at night, or those other days when you just don't want to turn on the oven. Some days you just want need a little cake because it's been one of those days. If that's the case, this first cake is for you! It's really a cheater cake that I found on the Weight Watchers message boards. You know you can mix a whole cake mix with 10 oz. of diet soda and have a perfectly fine WW friendly cake, right?! Really, it's just cake mix & diet soda. You do want to match the color of the soda with the color of the cake - light cake mix & dark soda = muddy colored cake (that still tastes just fine). Oh wait, I was going to tell you about a hurry-up cake for one person, not a whole cake. If you have time to wait for a cake to bake in the oven by all means use the version I just mentioned. If not, read on . . .

Cake in a mug:
2 Tbsp. dry cake mix of your choice (mine is usually chocolate of some kind)
1 Tbsp. diet soda
1 Tbsp. caramel ice cream topping

Mix dry cake mix and diet soda in a mug or ramekin then drizzle the caramel ice cream topping over the mixture and microwave for 30 seconds. If you really have a hankering for more cake than the few bites this makes you can easily double it and still use a mug or ramekin but you'll need to microwave it a bit longer.

(the cake in the picture uses Dr. Pepper Cherry dessert topping I found at SWM near the other ice cream toppings - wow! that was a good find. Mmmmm!)

This next cake is one you have to wait for. I found it by way of the Weight Watchers message boards too. It's online over at Jaime's Kitchen. She has so many tasty recipes. I've made a bunch of them and keep going back to try new ones. The cake below is Almond Chess Squares. Like Jaime I've never had a real chess pie, but this cake takes the cake. It's moist, the top gets a little crunchy, and it kind of reminds me of a dense version (flavor-wise) of angel food cake. Dave and I had a piece last night before it cooled completely - oh so yummy. You really should try it.

Almond Chess Squares 

Ingredients:

1 (18.25-oz) package yellow cake mix
2½ cups sifted powdered sugar
½ cup reduced-calorie margarine, melted
1 tablespoon water
1½ teaspoons almond extract
1 tsp imitation butter flavoring (or substitute with 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3 egg whites
¼ cup Eggbeaters (equivalent of 1 whole egg)
1 (8-oz) package nonfat cream cheese, softened
Vegetable cooking spray
2 teaspoons powdered sugar


Directions:

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth. Pour batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons powdered sugar.

Yields: 36 squares 

from Jaime Jerozosko
Original recipe: Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 1995