HG's Frosty the Vanilla Cake

Cake as light as a cloud... frosting thick as a blanket... No, we're not hallucinating; we're just talking about our newest creation. This cake is generously frosted with a decadent vanilla topping and ready to party. Yum!

Ingredients:
Topping
3 tbsp. (about 3/4ths of a 4-serving box) Jell-O Sugar Free Fat Free Vanilla Instant pudding mix
3 tbsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated), or HG Alternative
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Cool Whip Free (thawed)
3/4 cup fat-free cream cheese, room temperature

Cake
Half of an 18.25-oz. box (about 1 3/4 cups) moist-style white cake mix
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cup club soda, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup liquid egg whites (about 4 egg whites)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" round cake pan with nonstick spray.

To make the topping, in a medium bowl, combine pudding mix, sweetener, and vanilla extract. Add 3 tbsp. cold water and stir vigorously until smooth and slightly thickened. Add Cool Whip and cream cheese, and stir until smooth. Cover and refrigerate.

To make the cake, in a large bowl, thoroughly mix cake mix with baking powder. Add club soda and vanilla extract, and whisk until completely smooth.

Place egg whites in another medium bowl. With a handheld electric mixer set to medium speed, beat until fluffy, 1 - 2 minutes.

Gently but thoroughly fold egg whites into cake mixture. Pour batter into the cake pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

Once cool, transfer cake to a large plate. Evenly spread with topping. Slice, serve, and enjoy! (Refrigerate leftovers.)



MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Frosted Vanilla Cake, Average

We'll admit it: Some situations just plain demand cake. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, the end of a really bad week... Cake makes everything better. The problem with cake is that a) it's frequently made with heavy ingredients like eggs and oil, and b) the sucker is usually topped with a huge layer of super-sugary, calorie-packed frosting. We've had the guilt-free cake thing down for years... but getting the thick layer of frosty topping just right took a little work. And guess what wound up working perfectly -- a variation on the creamy layer of our Very Berry Dreamboat Parfaits! So when the need for cake comes calling -- whether from a social obligation or just the insistence of your taste buds -- this cake recipe is ready and waiting.