Healthier Chocolate Cake!

       The one thing that most people have a hard time giving up when trying to eat healthy is their sweets. This is because they have this stigma that modified sweets don't taste as good. How can you have your chocolate cupcakes and not feel as guilty?

       My mother always finds interesting recipes where it instructs you on a healthier version of our favorites foods and about a year ago, during a project I needed to do, found a great one. I am not too sure where she found the article but the idea behind it is that you substitute the oil and eggs in a cake/cupcake recipe with a 12 oz. can of seltzer water.

     At first I was hesitant, does it rise? does it bake? does it taste good? all of the questions I'm sure you are asking yourself right now! But it indeed works!!!

How it works...
    The eggs serve as an emulsifier in cakes. Emulsifiers are the foundation of what holds the cake together.  The oil provides that smooth, soft taste that fat contributes. The pre made powder provided by companies like Pillsbury and Betty Crocker have baking powder or soda that contribute to the leavening (rising) of the cake. Although you are removing the eggs, there is still a network created between the soda and the mix that will keep it together. The substitution will merely decrease the calories, but the seltzer, because of its carbon dioxide content, will also encourage leavening. The heat and the CO2 when combined also make the cake rise, and bake.

How it tastes... 
   The flavor of the cake or cupcakes are not altered all that much. I prefer to use the chocolate mix because it has more powerful of a flavor than vanilla. The only real difference I noticed was the little bubbles inside of the cake, because of the carbonation from the seltzer. The only ingredients you will need are the box mix of whatever cake or cupcake mix and the 12 oz. can of seltzer.


How is it nutritionally altered...
The box I used was the Pillsbury Chocolate cake mix and a  12 oz. can of canada dry seltzer.
The nutrition facts panel provided a mix and bake panel with different amounts depending on what you used the results are as follows:

The original recipe (oil and eggs)                   The modified recipe (seltzer)
Serving Size: 1/12 package                             Serving Size: 1/12 package
Servings per container: 12                              Servings per container: 12


Calories: 260                                                 Calories: 160
Calories from fat: 110                                    Calories from fat: 25
Total fat: 12g                                                Total fat: 2.5 g
Saturated Fat: 8g                                           Saturated fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 54mg                                         Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 360mg                                              Sodium: 340mg
Total Carbohydrates: 36g                                Total Carbohydrates: 34g
Dietary Fiber: 1g                                            Dietary Fiber: 1g


**The biggest difference is among the fat, that you get from the oil and eggs, and the cholesterol that you get from the yolk.

** The nutrition facts panel is for only ONE cupcake! Make sure that you always read the serving size because if you consume 2, the values double. 

    If you want to indulge in a sweet I suggest using this to make it that much healthier. Its the little changes that we make that can make a difference. You can also use it in other diet sodas, I prefer seltzer because it has no calories or sugar. ENJOY!!