Enjoy this spring-y, refreshing lemon coconut cake without the guilt! Smart ingredient swaps make this indulgent cake guilt-free!
Ingredients
1 box lemon cake mix
4 egg whites
1 & ¼ cup water
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 small box sugar free/fat free instant lemon pudding mix
2 tsp lemon zest (about one medium-sized lemon)
1 box instant coconut pudding mix
1 cup cold fat-free milk
⅓ cup powdered sugar
4 ounces fat free or reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces Cool Whip Free, thawed
Shredded coconut
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease two 9" cake pans with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, egg whites, water, applesauce, lemon pudding mix and lemon zest with a handheld electric mixer until combined. Portion the batter evenly among the two greased cake pans and bake for approximately 18-20 minutes or until the cakes spring back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before gently inverting them onto wire racks to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make your frosting: in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the coconut pudding, powdered sugar and milk and whisk until smooth. Stir in the cream cheese until combined. Then fold in the whipped topping into the mixture. Refrigerate the frosting until ready to serve, or about 1 hour.
Place a cake round on a serving platter or cake stand. Top with HALF of the frosting mixture, spreading it just to about the border -- don't actually spread to the border or else it'll all mush out. Top with the remaining cake and frost the top. Generously pat on the shredded coconut to cover the top and sides of the cake. Serve!
Recipe by The Domestic Rebel at https://thedomesticrebel.com/2014/04/24/guiltless-lemon-coconut-cake/