Allergy Mom - learning to live with it

For the past week I've had a number of guests drop by so I've had to bake several different things. Actually that's a lie; I didn't have to bake anything but you know me - any excuse to bake. I've made so many cookies, squares and cakes (more than I count at any rate). I've even dabbled in some pastries but I had to stop making them. It was easier to stop making them than to stop eating them. Needless to say, I prefer generosity when it comes to serving food, especially to guests. If they do not leave my house with full and happy tummies then I have not done my job. And my job is to make everyone happy or that's what my mother keeps telling me anyway. My mom could make anyone happy by just feeding them. You know that skillful art of the way to a man's heart is his belly? Yeah, she's conquered that. I, on the other hand, have a ways to go, although I come close sometimes (or hubby seems to think so). I try... I try very hard.

The star of today's show is Lemon Lush Cake. It's not like the traditional lush cake which involves cream cheese, butter and a shortbread crust. This is a much lighter and quicker version but quite tasty. At first glance this cake seems like it takes a lot of work when in fact it's quite simple to make and comes together in very little time. Now, I'm going to make a very serious confession here, folks. On occasion, (not all the time) I will cut corners when it's appropriate and will use boxed foods (gasp!) when short on time. Really, when you have unexpected guests, you cannot afford to spend 3 hours in the kitchen. Unless it's a guest that really gets on your nerves whereby it's totally acceptable to hide in the kitchen. Anyway, back to the Lemon Lush. It's light, fluffy, sweet and refreshing after a hearty meal. And I don't mean light in a non-fat way. Fat definitely makes a guest appearance here. Yes, I have a date with the exercise bike tonight. Given the amount of baking that's been happening in our household this past week and given that my waist has the ability to rapidly expand to the size of Ontario, I will be dating the exercise bike for at least the next week if not the foreseeable future. Moving on...

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it's a total crowd pleaser. It makes a big sheet cake with generous size portions and the lemon flavor is not so overpowering which allows the blueberries to shine through. Try it, you'll love it. Take it to your next bbq or family gathering. It's the perfect summer dessert.

Dairy, Egg & Nut Free Lemon Lush Cake
Yields 18x13 sheet pan

Cake Layer
1 box cake mix, lemon (dairy, egg, nut free such as Dr. Oetker's Added Touch)
1 pack instant pudding powder, lemon (3 oz size) (dairy, egg, nut free such as Kraft's JELL-O)
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Lush
1 pack instant pudding powder, lemon flavour (3 oz size)
3/4 cup soy milk or rice milk
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries
2 cups Nutriwhip (or any dairy free whipping cream)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease an 18x13 sheet pan with dairy free cooking spray. Mix the cake layer ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.

Prepare the lemon lush by combining pudding powder and soy milk. Whisk for two minutes then set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. Combine lemon juice and blueberries in a blender until smooth, or use a hand blender. Pour blueberry mixture onto pudding and mix until well combined. Set aside.

Whisk Nutriwhip on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes while adding sugar gradually until stiff peaks form. Take half of the whipped topping and add to pudding mixture. Mix gently so as not to deflate but enough so that no white streaks are visible. Pour pudding mixture on the cake layer making sure to smooth around the edges. Add the remainder of whipped topping and smooth around the edges. You can use a little bit of yellow icing to create zigzag lines or any design if you wish. Alternatively, you can add some yellow sprinkles or even a few fresh blueberries. Chill until ready to serve.

Note
- You can use two 9x13 inch glass dishes for easier storage in the fridge. 
- You can also substitute blueberries with raspberries, strawberries or blackberries
- If you have fussy family members who don't like seeds (and call them weeds instead of seeds)you can strain the berries once they are blended before adding to the pudding mixture

Nutritional Info (per square, 1/24)
Calories 202.22, Total Fat 9.75g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 198.17mg, Potassium 54.71mg, Total Carbohydrates 27.18g, Fiber 0.59g, Sugar 20.13g, Protein 1.3g

Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.