Let Them Eat (Diet) Cake!

Hungry Girl's email blast this morning was The Great Cake Debate: boxed cake variations involving everything from yogurt to pumpkin to diet soda.  I'm definitely going to try the pumpkin, applesauce and greek yogurt options, but I've been doing the diet soda thing for years and years.

Basically, you take a boxed cake mix you like, mix with 1 unchilled can of your favorite diet soda. Mix, pour into a non-stick pan (hit it with cooking spray first) and then bake at 350° according to the package instructions.  Easy peasy!

While Lisa (Hungry Girl) says the texture is light and fluffy -- and this is true -- it can get a little gummy, depending on the soda or cake mix you choose. I'm not sure why, but I've found that sometimes the top gets a bit tacky/sticky and after a day or so, the whole thing kind of gets dense. So if you plan on making this, I'd suggest serving immediately and, if stored tightly, not keeping it around for more than couple days.  But likely, it'll be polished off before then!

Lisa (Hungry Girl) likes the cream soda/yellow cake mix combo -- and I like that, too, but I think my personal favorite is Devil's Food cake with Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper or Red Velvet cake with Diet Chocolate Fudge Soda by Canfield.

But she brings up a good point -- if you're sensitive to aspartame (I've recently discovered that I am -- and suspect many people are and don't realize it), you might opt for a soda that contains Splenda (sucralose) or Stevia.  I personally loathe Stevia and find it really bitter, but I definitely recommend Hansen's Diet Natural Sodas, sweetened with Splenda.

Margarita Pie

On the 4th, a bunch of us went to a friend’s house for a party.  Because she knew I was coming, she made this Weight Watchers recipe for Margarita Pie.  Not only was that so very thoughtful, but that pie is good!  GOOD!  Holy holy, good.  It was really surprising, but I could probably eat the whole thing.  But, you know… I didn’t.  No, really!

Margarita Pie

• 2 1/3 oz pretzel(s), miniature twists (about 2 cups)
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
• 6 oz frozen concentrate limeade, slightly thawed
• 4 cup light vanilla ice cream
• 1 1/2 oz tequila, about 3 tbsp
• 1/2 oz orange-flavored liqueur, about 1 tbsp
• 1 tsp lime zest

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F. In a food processor or blender, crush pretzel twists until crumbs form. Add sugar; pulse until combined. Add margarine and mix well. With machine running, add 2 tablespoons of the limeade concentrate, processing until well mixed.

Place mixture in an ungreased 9-inch pie plate. With back of spoon, press mixture firmly into bottom and up sides of pan to form pie shell. Bake at 375F until set, about 5 minutes. Place in freezer for 10 minutes to cool.

Meanwhile, in a clean food processor or electric mixer, combine ice cream, remaining limeade concentrate, tequila and liqueur; process or mix until just blended. Spoon into cooled pie shell and sprinkle with lime zest. Freeze for 2 hours before cutting into 8 slices.

POINTS value | 4
Servings | 8
Preparation Time | 25 min
Cooking Time | 5 min