Low-Fat Chocolate "Love" Cakes w/Strawberry Creme

Thank you Pinterest for yet another great inspiration.  After seeing these absolutely adorable cupcakes on Pinterest last week, I knew I could lighten them up and turn them into a guilt free dessert to serve to your sweetie(s) for Valentine's Day next week!  I was really happy with how these turned out!  And yes, they taste as wonderful as they look!

The cake part of this dessert begins with a boxed mix.  I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge.  I did the old Weight Watchers standby of mixing in soda and some egg white.  No oil.  No egg yolk.   I like to use flavorless club soda, but any diet soda will work.  For the filling, I pureed some fresh strawberries and folded the puree into a tub of Cool Whip FREE.  Really simple.

To make the heart "window", I carefully cut the top off of half of the cupcakes and then used a small heart shaped cookie cutter to cut the shape into the top.  I found cutting the shape out of the top was easier if I put the cut side up to do it.  The cake is very tender, and this prevented the cake from sticking to the cutting board. 

Once the cupcake top was cut out, I dropped a dollop of strawberry creme on the cut side of the cupcake and replaced the top, cut side down.  Then I dusted them with powdered sugar.  I did this with half the cupcakes.

For the remainder of the cupcakes, I frosted with the strawberry creme and then topped them with the cut outs from the first half of the cupcakes.  Sooo cute!

What I ended up with was a half and half mixture sure to please any Valentine looking to keep their waistbands from expanding!

Low-Fat Chocolate "Love" Cakes w/Strawberry Creme

inspired by a post by Glorious Treats

Printable Recipe

Servings - 18  Servings Size - 1 cake    Points Plus per servings - 3 Points +

Calories - 137.6,   Total Fat - 1g,   Carb - 25.4g,   Protein - 1.6g,   Fiber - 1.5g

For Cakes:
1 (18.25 oz.) box of chocolate cake mix without the pudding ( I used Duncan Hines)

1 egg white

1 + 1/4 cup club soda or any diet soda

For Strawberry Creme:

1 (8 oz.) container of cool whip FREE, thawed

1/2 cup fresh strawberry puree ( about 1 cup sliced strawberries whizzed in food processor or blender)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two muffin tins with paper liners.  ( Use paper liners here, as this cake is very tender and tends to fall apart...the liners will prevent that)

2.  Combine the boxed mix with the egg white and the club soda and mix with electric mixer on low until combined then on med speed for about 2 minutes.  

3.  Divide batter up equally into 18 cupcakes.  You want to fill them enough to get a little crown but not too much that they spill over while baking. ( I found 18 was just about the right amount to achieve this.  You end up filling them somewhere between 2/3rds of the way and 3/4th of the way up)

4.  Bake according to box directions, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.  I baked mine about 22 minutes.  

5.  Allow the cakes to sit for a few minutes in the hot pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  

6.  For the strawberry creme:  Fold the puree into the cool whip gently.  I was very surprised at how well this stood together.  Be gentle though, you don't want to loose the fluffy part of the cool whip.  It's ok to have a few white streaks.

7.  Once the cakes are completely cool, slice the tops off of half of them right at the base of the liner with a sharp knife.  Turn the tops cut side up, and with a small heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts.  Reserve the cut outs for the tops of the other half of the cupcakes.  ( see pictures above ) * tip, wipe off the cake that sticks to the cookie cutter and the knife between cakes for an easier cleaner cut. 

8.  Top all the cakes with a dollop of the strawberry creme.  Top the cut cakes with the cut out tops and the non cut cakes with the cut out middles.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Refrigerate leftovers.

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Everyone in my house agreed these were the cutest!  I loved the cool whip mixed with the fresh strawberry puree.  It really complimented the cakes nicely.  Next time I might throw a few mini chocolate chips into the cake batter for a bigger chocolate punch.  

I am not going to lie, cutting out the hearts was a bit intense, because this low fat cake is so tender.  I found wiping off my knife and the cutter between cuts made life easier, as the cake really wanted to stick to the utensils.  This is probably why I elected to do only half...besides...what else was I going to do with those pretty hearts I cut out?  I liked how they both looked and I liked how they both looked on the serving platter together and 3p+ per cake?  I am so in!
They are a little messy to eat, so I suggest a fork...instead of out of hand....

We don't have any big plans for next week.  We really never do.  But who knows?  Maybe hubby will surprise me this year?  Sometimes he does that.  How about you?  Do you have any plans for VD?  

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Tastetastic Thursday@A Little Nosh