Pumpkin time again, this time in the form of a cake. A cake with 55% LESS CALORIES THAN THE ORIGINAL (!!!) Say hello to this light pumpkin cake!
I came across this recipe and immediately fell in love. I guess I’m back in the swing of pumpkin things. Or I just really love cake. Either or.
The issue is even though I looove 3-layer cakes, I had to be a little practical here. I do not need a 3-layer cake. That’s right. I do not need a 3-layer cake.
Because I would rather have a lightened up 2-layer pumpkin cake AND maybe make some cookies, than just the 3-layer pumpkin cake alone. I’m all about variety. I should probably love Tapas-style restaurants more.
In addition to reducing the size of the cake, I replaced whole milk with vegetable oil with applesauce, full fat cream cheese with 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese, and maple syrup with sugar free pancake syrup, saving a whopping 486 CALORIES!!! Just for a few lower calorie swaps!!
Ingredients
- CAKE
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 7.5 ounces (half a 15 oz can) pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup milk
- FROSTING
- 6 ounces/8 wedges/an entire package The Laughing Cow Smooth Sensations Light Cinnamon Cream Cheese Spread
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar-free pancake syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with nonstick spray.
Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice to a bowl and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until mixed. Add the vanilla, pumpkin, and applesauce. On low, stir in half the flour mixture. Add half the milk. Finally stir in the rest of the flour until uniform.
Pour half the batter into each cake pan and smooth out until level. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
In the meantime, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and uniform. Beat in the syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
Pop one of the cake layers out of the pan and onto a serving platter. Frost the top layer, taking care to leave enough frosting for the top and outsides of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, and cover top and sides with remaining frosting.
Original recipe, per serving: 878 calories, 40 g fat, 532mg sodium, 136g carbohydrates, 8g protein
Lightened Up recipe, per serving: 392 calories, 15g fat, 301mg sodium, 63g carbohydrates, 4g protein