Red Velvet Cake with "Cream Cheese" Frosting

This one was a bit of a challenge as cream cheese frosting calls for powdered sugar and red velvet cake requires buttermilk. I found solutions to these issues at www.godairy.org and www.splenda.com

Red Velvet Cake

Originally Paula Deen's Red Velvet Cupcakes (www.foodnetwork.com)

.2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

.1 ½ cups splenda

.1 teaspoon baking soda

.1 teaspoon salt

.1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I bought this in bulk at Whole Foods Market

.1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce

.1 cup buttermilk alternative, room temperature

o 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

o 2 tsp cream of tarter

§ Mix both together with a fork then let it sit for 10 minutes

.2 large eggs, room temperature

.2 tablespoons red food coloring

.1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

.1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 round pans with baking spray or grease and flour the pans.

In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, splenda, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the applesauce, buttermilk alternative, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes. Test the cakes with a toothpick or knife for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Originally From http://dairyfreecooking.about.com

.¼ cup dairy-free soy margarine

.½ 8-oz tub dairy-free cream cheese, such as Tofutti

.1 ½ cups powdered sugar alternative

o 6 tablespoons cornstarch

o 2 ¼ cups splenda

§ Put both ingredients in blender and mix until it resembles powdered sugar

I1. In a mixing bowl blend all of the ingredients with an electric mixer until creamy and fluffy. Frost the cakes or cupcakes. If you want to frost the sides of a cake, you may want to leave the frosting in the fridge for a little bit until it is more solid.

I only ate 1/16 of the cake as it's extremely rich and that's what I had left in calories for the day.  I was totally satisfied with that slice.  I would recommend putting a decent amount of frosting in between the 2 cakes instead of just a thin layer (which is what I did).

1/8 of a 2 layer round cake has the following nutritional info:

295 calories

10g fat

53mg cholesterol

455mg sodium

2g protein

80g carbohydrates

2g fiber

4g sugar

Introduction

Welcome to my blog. Overall, I'm not really into blogging, but every time I look for a recipe that's dairy free, it also contains sugar or is really high in calories so I end up modifying nearly everything I make. Maybe you have the same issues as me and that's why I'm sharing my recipes.  In all honesty, they don't always taste like the original, but if they taste good, then I will post them.

I won't share my current weight, but I will say that at my highest I weighed 291 lbs. I had weight loss surgery in 2004 and have failed to do what was needed and have gained back some of the 100 lbs I had lost. I am now trying to make positive healthy changes in my life.  I have lost about 25 lbs so far but still have about 100 or so to go. I am trying to eat 1200 calories a day and exercise regularly, both of which are a daily struggle for me.  I use www.myfitnesspal.com to keep track of my calories and as I make new dishes, I will post the information into the database and share it with other members.  My hope is that this blog will help you, but also hold me accountable.

So follow along and make comments and hopefully we can learn from each other!

Kelly