Lighter Lemon Blueberry Cake with Lemon Buttercream
The title of today's post sure doesn't sound like something healthy - but I decided that today could be about making something healthyer (and yes, I know that's not how you spell healthier).Browsing through Hungry Girl's website, you can find many tips on how to lighten up desserts. I decided to try the trick of using non fat greek yogurt in a cake mix in place of the oil and eggs. I had been craving the lemon-blueberry combo for a while and decided to put the cake mix that was in my cupboard to good use. This recipe makes 12 servings and is 10 points per piece of frosted cake.
What you will need:
1 moist-style Lemon Cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Lemon Supreme)
1 cup non fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani, but another brand is fine)
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Combine cake mix and 1 cup non fat greek yogurt in a large bowl. Then, add 1 cup water. Mix all ingredients together until smooth.
Put mix into a greased pan - I used two 9 inch round pans. This mixture is almost brownie like in consistency, but don't worry, it will bake like a cake. I was pretty skeptical as I scooped it into the pans.
At this point I remembered I wanted to add blueberries, so I took some out of the freezer and quickly rinsed them in a strainer. Then, I just placed them throughout the batter that was already in the pans and then smoothed the batter over them with a spoon.
Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For me, this was sooner than the bake time listed on the box when using oil and eggs - so just be sure you keep and eye on it/check it after about 15 minutes.
Now - on to the frosting (which is REALLY good, by the way). I followed the recipe from The eMeals Blog but halved it - which was still enough to cover the cake.
What you will need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
In a stand mixer, beat butter, lemon zest, lemon juice and milk with a mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread over top and sides of cooled cake.
The verdict? The cake was SO moist and the frosting was really refreshing. I don't think I'd ever make a cake using oil and eggs again. Not only is this version less fattening, but it tastes so much better! No one will know it's from a mix. I would make it again, but only if I was expecting company. This time around we had to ration it - one piece a day for my husband and me.
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