Lower Calorie Hawaiian Dream Cake

My birthday was a few days ago, gaaa... I am getting old! And I wanted CAKE! But wait, most cakes are 500 calories a serving. That takes a big hit out of a girl's daily calorie budget!

So, I made my lower-calorie Hawaiian Dream Cake. People do not believe me that this cake is half the calories of a normal cake with frosting.

My Hawaiian Dream Cake is my go-to recipe when I have to take a dessert to a gathering.

Speaking of... that is one of my tools in my arsenal that I am not sure that I have shared before! I am pretty social. We have work friends and family that require eating at social gatherings at least twice per week, usually more frequently. It would definately throw a wrench in my physique goals if I just threw caution to the wind and ate whatever that frequently.  My tool is to take one or two things to the gathering that I know I can eat and plan them in. Usually one of the items needs to be very filling but lower calorie- so like a vegetable tray with Greek ranch dip or a shredded chicken salad. That way I will not be crazy hungry.

If we are eating out, I find a menu online in advance and pick out my order ahead of time. Family owned restaurants usually have "fall-back" items on the menu depending on what type of food they serve- a lean protein with a vegetable. I find that most protein topped salads do not have enough meat on them, so I usually order a steak or grilled chicken (or fajitas) with a side of lettuce and make my own salad with salsa.

Anyway- I think you are going to love this recipe.

 

Lower Calorie Hawaiian Dream Cake

The Stuff:

• 1 box (18.5 oz) of white cake mix
• 1 can (12 oz) Fresca (or Diet 7up or Sprite Zero)
• 1 can (15 oz) of manderin oranges (in Splenda)
• 1 box (1 oz) of Sugar Free Jello Banana Cream Pudding Mix
• 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple (in juice)
• 8 oz container of sugar free cool whip, thawed
• 3 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 12 maraschino cherries

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Mix cake mix and fresca until just blended and pour into 9x13 dish. Cook for apprx 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean from center. Cool on rack. Poke about 10 holes throughout cake with the end of a wooden spoon.

Mix undrained can of oranges and pudding mix. Pour over cake evenly. Drain pineapple, then evenly pour over cake. Top with container of cool whip. Lightly toast coconut and pecans in oven for about 5 minutes. Pour over cake. Decorate with cherries on top and enjoy!

We ate this cake UP!

Nutritional Facts per serving:

• 12 servings
• 275 cals
• 51 g carbs
• 8 g fat
• 1.5 g protein

(Compare that to the same portion of a 9x13 carrot cake with frosting at 650 cals, 99.5 carbs, 25 g fat, 9.5 g protein... winning.)