Easy And Inexpensive Cake
I just wanted to share a quick and inexpensive tip for making cakes. Buy a box cake mix on sale. If it is a white or yellow cake, add 10 oz. diet sprite, diet 7-up, or the zero calorie sparkling water. Then cook the cake as instructed on the box. You do NOT need to add eggs, butter, oil, water or anything else to the mix, just the soda and the cake mix itself.
Diet Dr. Pepper or Diet Coke are fine for chocolate cakes, but if added to the yellow cake mix, it makes it a yucky gray color. NO added calories, no eggs, no milk, no water, no oil…. Voila! A VERY MOIST cake for .99 + soda (you can get the whole 2 liter for .99 cents and you only need to use 10 oz.)
Ok, I admit, this does sound strange but I just might have to give a try. I have heard of doing this with pancake mix before so maybe it would work with cakes too.
-Tawra
For more money saving recipes and tips check out Dining On A Dime Cookbook.
photo by: kimberlykv
Is this an April fools joke?
I have tried this and it is very good!
Hello, this is a very common Weight Watchers recipe. Once, I was trying to make one and had no soda at all, and I made it with just water.
It worked very well, now I save the cost of the soda, and just make the cake mix with a cup and a half of water. Really, no April fooling! :)
This is actually REALLY yummy. But it does work better with the canned soda…a little fluffier. 7-up with lemon poppy seed muffing mix works great too!
i made a spice can with 1 can of the pumpkin puree (not the pie mix) … it was soooo moist and delish!… and then i frosted it with cream cheese frostin…
i will have to try this recipe the next time i bake a cake! :D…
thanks for sharing :D
Is there a reason that it needs to be diet pop?
Hi … and thanks for the recipe – I will be giving this one a try this weekend (Diet Dr Pepper and Chocolate).
To Mom of 4 – it calls for diet pop because it was originally a Weight Watchers recipe. No added sugar or fat = a less “guilty” treat. Anything lemon-limey works well with the light coloured cake mixes, and I’ve used orange pop too. The cake turns out very fluffy, not as dense, so it can fall apart a bit, but it’s yummy.
Along the same lines you can use club soda in your pancakes and waffles to make them really light and fluffy.
Jill
I have done this for my daughter who is allergic to milk and eggs, too. It is great for people with food allergies, if you get a cake mix without the allergens. It is so much easier than making a cake from scratch the way I used to do! And my whole family likes it- it’s delicious!
I’ve never tried adding 7-UP to cake mix, but I have used it (or club soda!) in pancake mix or in a pancake recipe from scratch, and the bubbly in the pancake batter really is wonderful.
Sounds like a great way to cut calories. HA HA Having your cake and eating it too. YUM.
Tawra or Jill – does the club soda alter the taste of the pancakes at all? I detest club soda but if the flavor stays the same I might give it a try.
I haven’t tried it but I’ve tried pancakes and biscuits with club soda and you can’t tell a thing.
I don’t like the taste of club soda either Char and you can’t tell a change in taste. The “fizzy” just makes the food lighter. It is like adding extra baking powder to something.
Just wanted to say that before Weight Watchers started spreading this recipe wit diet soda it has been used by people who cook with dutch ovens for years and years. Most of them time when people do it in a dutch oven they put a can of pie filling in the bottom of the dutch oven, sprinkle the cake mix over that and then pour on a can of soda over it and let cook. Makes a great cobbler that way.
I think just using water like Marilyn suggested sounds interesting too.
I have been making cakes using this method for years and believe me, these cakes come out so moist! You all need to give this a try.
Yea! My fathers birthday is coming up this week so now I will be making this cake! I am on a diet so now I can have a piece and not feel so guilty! I will also try it with pancakes.
I just got done making this. There is a different texture to the cake, but it is still moist. The batter came out more thick than making it the regular way, so I had a hard time spreading it into the pan. I had to wet the back of the spoon to smooth it out easier. I’m wondering if I just use a little more than 8 oz. would it be better. Guess I could try it next time.
This sounds like a clear winner for summer potluck parties. I LOVE recipes with five ingredients of less:)
Debbie, try the 10 oz. they suggest! :)
Sounds good. I’ll have to give it a try.
I had a Betty Crocker Butter Pecan cake mix in my cupboard so I decided to make this cake. I used a cup and a half of club soda and it came out great. Real yummy and smelled so good while baking. I put a couple of tablespoons of cool whip on top with some rainbow spinkles and it was GOOD!
I bet chocolate or devil’s food would be super with cherry cola —
Oh yum and top it with cherry pie filling. You may as well do it up royal. :)
That sounds good Jill. I would love that cake. It sounds like a Black Forest Cake. Yum!
those cakes sound soo yummy :D … i have a couple of cake mixes too.. my son’s b-day is this week ..i will have to try this and add the sprinkles .. and coolwhip for the topping .. :D ..
Rose, The club soda works good. Use 1-1/2 cups so batter isn’t too thick. And the cool whip and sprinkles make it so good.
This can also be done with a box of angel food cake mix and a can of crushed pineapple or a can of pumpkin. I use cool whip for the topping. Also, Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper and French Vanilla cake mix go well together. You can also mix jello or pudding with the cool whip for added flavor to coordinate with cake.
thanks bea .. i will try that ..
Please do continue to give good,simple recipes for ones like myself who do not like to cook.
Another great cake idea is to use angel food cake mixed with 1 can of crushed pineapple. Yummy and diet friendly!
A friend of mine makes this using a yellow cake and orange soda. It’s really good! She frosts it with cool whip.
I use Sprite when I cook a turkey. Put the thawed turkey and some onions in a baking bag. Pour the soda over the turkey and bake as suggested. The acids in the soda help make the meat very moist. I’ve used RC on a turkey and it was good, too!
I’ve also used Sprite using Jiffy baking mix for biscuits. They were extra fluffy. I still prefer my “from scratch” though.
Blessings–
Dana
I made my cake with a yellow cake mix and diet cola (I had no diet Sprite etc). It was a little darker looking while mixing but baked up fine and tasted great. I usually like to add a diet cream soda to yellow or white cake.
I plan on trying this soon as it sounds easy and economical. The fact that the “fat” content is so reduced helps those of us with IBS as limiting fat is so important to avoid painful cramping flare ups. I have also heard of doing the dutch oven style baking with the added pie filling. Thanks for all the tips!
Not quite the same, but I make Sundrop Cake, or you can use Mello Yello, or Mountain Dew, or generic brand. You take a yellow or white cake mix, add one package of lemon pudding, eggs, oil as directed on the package, use the cola for the liquid amount in the recipe. Makes a yummy bundt cake, can be frosted with either powdered sugar, or a glaze with a little lemon juice added. A favorite at our home!
Does anyone know the nutrition information for just the cake mix? Maybe it tells on the box. I don’t have one around to check.
How much club soda do you use with pancake mix? Also, what is a Dutch oven? Thanks
Bettijo just replace the liquid (like the milk or water) or you could try 1/2 soda and 1/2 water and milk.
jill/tawra.. a lady i work with made pina colada cupcakes .. so light and fluffy (she said) .. (we work online so i didnt get to sample any) .. but wanted to share the recipe with everyone ..
she said it was a weight watchers recipe ..
1 box of the betty crocker super moist yellow cake ..
1 can (20 oz) of crushed pineapples ..
mix ingrediants and then bake as usual…
she said she used pineapple cream cheese frosting .. i was only able to get this part of the recipe for the frosting.. 8 oz of cream cheese and the pineapple ..
as per the other parts of the directions i wasnt able to get but when i do i will let u know ..
and hte cake ? .. i am not sure if she used any eggs or etc .. i will have to clarify this with her when i see her in our chat room ..
but i did want to share this part of the recipe with everyone bc if there is anyone here on the weight watcher diets maybe they can too clarify this ..
thanks :D
i was able to get better info on that dessert .. the pina colada cake ..
1-box betty crocker super moist yellow cake (that was what she used)
1-can crushed pineapple (20 oz)
dont drain the juice .. mix these 2 ingrediants and bake as recommended on the box (no other ingrediants needed) ..
frosting:
8 oz cream cheese 1/3 lss fat
1-20 oz crushed pineapple (drain the juice)
1- cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup sugar
mix all with mixer
then refrigerate
frost cupcakes when they are cooled and then enjoy! ..
sorry to make everyone wait but i had to ask her when she was working again ..
enjoy! :D
Thanks Rose this cake sounds yummy. Tawra loves pina colada anything and this sounds like something she would love. Would make a great summer dessert too.
yw jill .. the lady who gave me the recipe said the cake tastes good even without the frosting or if u want to add a dollop of the cool whip too .. .
and its a weight watchers recipe so its on that point system . (i am not sure about that diet but she says she makes it all the time and it doesnt hurt her points) ..
glad i could get with her and get better directions on the recipe ..
enjoy !.. and u r right jill . it would also make a nice summer dessert too :D .. ;D
Rose, I made this recipe using the yellow cake mix and can of crushed pineapple last night. I made them as cupcakes. I got 15 cupcakes from the batch. I put some vanilla frosting on a couple of them, but after eating one I decided they don’t even need frosting, because they are very rich tasting and yummy plain. A little cool whip would be nice. YUM AND THANKS.
yw bea .. i am glad u liked it .. i will be trying this next weekend ..
Hi being outside the US could anyone describe cool whip please as its not something we can buy here. How would I whip up my own version please? Thanks
Cool Whip is what we use in place of whipped cream. It is artificial whipped cream that is frozen in a plastic container and we just keep it in the freezer until we need it and we don’t have to mess with whipping it because it is all ready to go. You can substitute real whipped cream in place of it in our recipes. If it calls for 8 oz. (about 3 cups) of cool whip (or whipped topping) then usually 1 cup of heavy cream whipped up will equal the same amount.
Let me know if you have other questions.
I recently discovered depression era cooking and discovered this cake recipe. It’s fantastic! My 12 year old declared it as good as a bakery cake.
Vanilla Depression Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons oil
2 cups water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 – 9 inch round cake pans.
Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl.
Add the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix with a whisk until well-blended. Do not over beat. It will still turn out even if there are a few small lumps.
Divide the batter between the 2 greased cake pans.
Bake on a middle rack of oven for 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.