243 cake light recipes

This brown sugar angel food cake swaps plain white sugar for molasses-rich brown sugar, giving each cloud-soft slice a deep caramel flavor. Light, fat-free, and whipped to tall, airy perfection from a dozen egg whites.

Low-fat ricotta cheesecake with ginger and nutmeg on a Grape Nuts crust, set with agar instead of eggs. A no-bake, lighter cheesecake topped with fresh strawberries.

Chocolate banana pie sets sliced bananas under chocolate pudding on a peanut butter rice cereal crust. A no-bake light dessert with three pantry-staple flavors stacked tall.

Low-fat pumpkin raisin cake made with egg whites, no butter, and pumpkin pie spice. Served with a strained yogurt cream sauce for a lighter fall dessert.

Reduced-sugar chocolate cake uses egg substitute, margarine, and nonfat dry milk for a lighter tender cake. Cake flour gives a fine crumb in a 9-inch pan, cut into 16 modest squares.

Delicious dirt cake made sugar-free with devil's food cake, chocolate pudding, cream cheese filling, and crushed cookie crumbs on top. A lighter dirt dessert.

Cherry and almond Christmas cake: maraschino cherries, apricots, ginger, and almonds macerated in amaretto and brandy, baked into a lighter apple-puree batter, then soaked in more amaretto. A boozy, fruit-packed festive cake that keeps for a month.

Cinnamon apple bundt cake made with whole wheat flour, fresh apple slices, walnuts, and apple juice. A lighter oil-based cake dusted with powdered sugar, best served warm.

Low-fat cocoa spice cake made with applesauce instead of oil, egg whites only, and a hint of cinnamon. A lighter chocolate cake that still bakes up moist and satisfying.

No-fat no-cholesterol coffeecake with cherry pie filling and a crumb topping, made with egg substitute and yellow cake mix. A lighter breakfast cake ready in 1 hour using simple pantry ingredients.

A no-egg, no-butter, no-milk chocolate cake you can mix right in the pan. Eight pantry staples, 40 minutes, and zero cleanup headaches. The classic "wacky cake" that's been saving dessert since the Depression era.

Easy fruit cake made with applesauce instead of butter for a lighter, lower-fat version. Packed with mixed dried fruit, baked low and slow. No oil, no egg yolks. Makes one dense, fragrant loaf.

Upside-down apple tart with caramelized Golden Delicious apples on a flaky cake-flour crust, finished with a brown sugar yogurt drizzle. A lighter take on classic tarte Tatin.

Low calorie Irish trifle cups layered with sherry-soaked pound cake, vanilla pudding, fresh raspberries, and whipped topping. A lighter take on classic trifle, no baking needed.

Apple topped cake with whole wheat flour, honey, egg whites, and yogurt in the batter, crowned with sliced apples and a cinnamon-sugar drizzle. A lighter bake.

Soft, cake-style pumpkin spice cookies built on egg whites and pumpkin puree with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, baked tender for a lighter holiday cookie tin.