A very nice sorbet?

How about a Pavlova cake with sorbet in the center instead of the cream? You could put fresh berries on top.
Jo

I was on a no wheat diet for a while and my friends made me a fancy jello mold cake for my birthday, complete with whipped cream "frosting" and candles. I think you can do some kind of lowfat yogurt thing for frosting. Anyway, it was fun.

How about that Weight Watcher's Cake made with a box of angel food cake mix and a can of pineapple? Just mix a box of angelfood cake mix with an undrained 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, dump it in juice and all, stir it up.

It'll make a 9x13 cake, cut it into 12 pieces and you have 135 calories and less than half a gram of fat. You could top it with fresh fruit or some fat free topping, if you want it a bit fancier.

Or make 24 cupcakes, 68 calories each and 1/10 of a gram of fat, you could still afford some topping.

It's OK, very much like commercially available angelfood cake, but it's definately cake, and fits the calorie and fat requirements. It's not the best cake I've ever eaten, but it's cake!

Annie

Hey thank you all. A sorbet, I bet she would really like that. I've never tried that before but I'll do some reading. I don't know what a Pavlova cake is but it sounds yummy. Again I will investigate.

Thanks lpink. Jello does fit the criteria doesn't it? Great thoughts and much appreciated.

Kate

Well my my Annie, look at you go! Oh my gosh! That sounds as good as a real birthday cake:) I'm going to ask her workmates to do some sneaky checking and see if she likes Angel Food Cake. Aren't you just full of all the needed nutritional data also? I am impressed. Thank you.

Kate

Kate, I learned everything I know from a nutritionist. I lost quite a lot of weight and have been on cholesterol meds for years, so I've got experience and an arsenal of recipes with nutritional data included, LOL.

Really, though, if you like angel food, it's not bad and it's not loaded with artificial sweetener, which I don't like.

The Pavlova sounds really good and fancier, though, filled with mixed fruits and berries, or individual meringues filled with fruit.

Annie

I love cheesecakes but I worry about the fat and calories. So I use homemade non fat yogurt to make yogurt cheesecake. You could bake it or use jello to set it without baking the cheesecake; lemon or chocolate are both very nice. If you're interested I can give you a recipe. Al

Mmmm...pavlova!

I often make a Angel food cake, slice and make a sweet fruit sauce to spoon over the slices.

Thank you very much everyone. Question on the Angel Food Cake. Can I successfully bake (and remove) that from one of my bundt pans?

Kate

Kate, I doubt that it will come out of a bundt pan nicely, although I've never tried.

I did bake the Weight Watchers one in cupcake pans and they came right out easily, but those had straight sides and I could run a knife around the edge...

Annie

I suspect you are right Annie. Thanks for your input. Cupcakes are good also. Might be even better since I'm sure she will probably want to eat one and leave the rest to office mates. Much easier to control portions that way.

Have a great day!

Kate

If you're her friend and know that she's dieting, why not give her a birthday gift that supports her efforts? How about a bottle of really good olive oil in a festive wine bag? Or a selection of flavored vinegars or spice mixes?

I was in a similar bind with a friend who was on a very strict diet, so I stuck flowers and candles in a watermelon! It went over well and the birthday girl was able to enjoy a piece of her "cake."
Jane

Angel food cake topped with fresh fruit and just enough (hehehehe) whipped cream is our go-to birthday cake around here when we're feeling fat. It's awfully nice because it doesn't feel diety.

The watermelon though--tasty AND fun. I like that idea.

Thanks for the non-dessert suggestions folks. Neat ideas. I do understand what you're saying that creating a temptation for her doesn't seem very friend like. The thing is she is a major food lover. I just think there has to be a way to come up with a pretty innocent dessert for her without wrecking the diet. .

Thanks Fori. I'm liking the Angel Food cupcake idea more and more.

Kate

sorry ,im not good at make cakes ,
anyway happy birthday to your good friends!

Jane, we once stuck vodka in a watermelon, but I guess that would be something else entirely....(grin)

Kate, I hope whatever you decide it comes out well and your friend has a very happy birthday.

Annie

Fruit cobbler is another one that can be very low in calories and fat.

Mixed berries or other fruits (or her favorite one) sweetened, only if necessary, with a bit of Splenda or real sugar (or a combination).
Make a topping from oatmeal, canola oil, cinnamon and just a little sweetener. I like to use real brown sugar for the "caramel" taste, but just a little.

Drain the berries really well, especially if you use Splenda as it won't thicken as much as regular sugar.

Yummy and only a tiny bit of "guilt".

I love the Angel Food idea too. Even a store bought or homemade full sugar version of Angel Food isn't all that bad compared to other cakes. Top with the fresh fruit and light whipped topping. I keep a "can" of whipped cream in the fridge for quick indulgences now and then (I've been on Weight Watchers for 18 months now).

I think it's wonderful that you respect HER goals. That's a real friend!

Deanna

Appreciate the well wishes and good suggestions. That cobbler sounds yummy.

On a completely different note a friend told me yesterday about a brownie mix called 'No Pudge' that is good and fat free just as it plus they have a ton of recipes on their page. Going to pass that along to my friend.

Kate

Here is a link that might be useful: No Pudge Brownie Mix

I make an angel food cake, dice it up. Unfreeze some raspberries, add in raspberry liquer to make it even more flavourful. I mix up some vanilla pudding with ultra lowfat cool whip and layer them in a wine glass. It's my mini trifle and turns out to be about 150 calories. I made it for a friend who was on a strict diet at Christmas time. I couldn't not make her a dessert. It was really good. The rest of us had a chocolate torte - she's not into chocolate so it was a safe indulgent without her aching for some. The kids had both and liked them equally.

Cookie that sounds really lovely also. I might be able to make a version of that in plastic glasses as I am taking it into her office. There are about eight ladies in there altogether so I want something easy to eat that can be shared. That just sounds yummy though.

Annie I am baking the Pineapple Angel Food cake right now. I have a couple of questions that will probably soon be self explanatory:) You didn't say how long to cook it, I'm guessing around 20 minutes or so. Also most recipes talk about inverting Angel Food but since its in a 9 x 13 I presume that isn't necessary? Like I said soon we shall know:)

Thanks.

Kate

Oh heck, I'm sorry. 375 for 25-30 minutes. No, I don't invert it if I make a 9x13 or cupcakes.

Some fresh sliced strawberries and a drizzle of sugar free chocolate syrup is yummy on it too.

Annie

Angelfood cake also works in a jelly roll pan...line the pan with parchment...no grease of course and pour the cake batter into it and bake at 375 for about 10 to 12 minutes,,,until it's brown...do NOT under bake...
Remove from the pan, flip onto a linen towel and toll up....when cool unroll, remove the paper fill with fruit or whatever and re roll.
You can make a lovely vanilla cornstarch custard with skim milk and some of the yolks you didn't use in the cake and splenda....then add berries and re roll and no need tof whipped topping...
Linda C