Recipe Rehab: 7Up Cake

Desserts are often the downfall when trying to cut down on cholesterol and sugar. Ellen from Lindenhurst, Ill., loves to bake, but she is a senior citizen and is trying to be cautious about what she eats because she is in the high-risk category for developing heart disease and diabetes. 7Up cake was very popular in the 1950s and one of Ellen's family favorites. The recipe is similar to pound cake but uses the carbonation from 7Up soda as the leavening agent and for its lemony flavor. With three cups of sugar and three sticks of butter, the cake is drowning in sugar and saturated fat. It's definitely in need of a recipe rehab.

I was able to cut the calories in half by replacing some of the butter with nonfat Greek yogurt and reducing the amount of sugar. Using Splenda will reduce the calories even further. I also used a combination of whole-wheat pastry flour and cake flour in order to add fiber without weighing the cake down. And for a little boost in fluffiness, I replaced the eggs with stiffly beaten egg whites.

Top with fresh berries for a sweet summertime treat.

Ingredients:
•1/2 cup butter
•1 1/2 cups sugar or 3/4 cup Splenda
•1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
•2 tablespoons lemon extract
•1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
•1 1/2 cups cake flour
•3/4 cup 7Up
•5 egg whites, beaten until stiff

Instructions:
1. Grease and flour a Bundt or angel food pan. Preheat oven to 325° F.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (original recipes call for 20 minutes of hand mixing, but 5 to 7 minutes with an electric mixer will work). Add the yogurt and lemon extract. Stir to combine.
3. Alternately stir in the flour and 7Up until they are incorporated into the mixture.
4. Fold in the egg whites and pour into baking pan.
5. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes.

Serves: 12

Nutrition Content (per serving):
279 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 52 g carbohydrates, 27 g sugars, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein, 36 mg sodium
Note: Using Splenda instead of sugar and Diet 7Up will reduce the calories to 181, carbohydrates to 26 g, and sugars to 2 g.

Try some of my other lightened-up sweet treats: chocolate cake and carrot cake.

Readers, I would love to hear from you! Please send me your most favorite fattening recipes that need a RECIPE REHAB! Everything from your mom's meatloaf to your kid's favorite dessert -- let me lighten it up.

Celebrity dietitian and motivational life coach Tanya Zuckerbrot, author of www.ffactordiet.com and founder of www.skinnyandthecity.com and www.theskinnyondietitians.com, has helped thousands of people lose weight and keep it off with her program. Her philosophy? Tanya believes you should never sacrifice taste, even when you're eating healthy foods. Have a recipe in need of rehab? Send us your recipe!