You know when you have certain things in your family health history that you know will affect you some day? I knew one day that my cholesterol would no longer stay controlled. I have been lucky so far that I have been able to keep my bad cholesterol in check by diet and exercise. Well this week the tipping point occurred. My numbers came back bad fall of last year. No improvement after six months. Looks like I will have to face the fact of a statin. I feel like a bit of a failure. Only people who don’t take care of their health have these numbers. I do and I have these numbers. Sometimes you have to face the facts. Family health history catches up with you.

This week I am going with a lighter dessert. The one from last week was great, but a bit on the rich side. It’s spring and I thought a lemon cake would do. I am starting off with recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction for Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream. As usual, I plan to lower the sugar and carbs as well as calories. This should hit the spot.

Here are the original stats:

Here’s what I changed:

• I replaced all of the sugars with their sweetener equivalents to reduce the carbs.
• I replaced the whole milk with unsweetened coconut milk to remove the dairy.
• I replaced the cream cheese with a plant based cream cheese to remove the dairy.
• I replaced the butter in the cake with unsweetened applesauce to reduce the calories and saturated fat.
• I replaced the all purpose flour with almond and coconut flours to reduce the carbs.
• I increased the servings from 10 to 12 to reduce the calories.

Here are the final stats:

Here is the final recipe:

Lemon Layer Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

Serves 12

• 2 1/4 cups almond flour
• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 and 3/4 cups (350g) granulated sweetener
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk, at room temperature
• 1 heaping Tablespoon lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 8 ounces plant based cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
• 4 and 1/2 cups (540g) confectioners’ sweetener
• 2 Tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 8-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper rounds, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the cakes seamlessly release from the pans. You can also do this in a half sheet pan without adjusting the recipe.
2. Whisk the flours, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the applesauce and granulated sweetener together on high speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on high speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, add the coconut milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be a little thick.
4. Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 21-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling. The baked cakes are fluffy, but they are not thick—about 1 – 1.5 inches.
5. Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until completely smooth and combined. Add confectioners’ sweetener, lemon juice, and vanilla extract with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add more confectioners’ sweetener if frosting is too thin, more lemon juice if frosting is too thick.
6. Assemble and decorate: Using a large serrated knife, slice a thin layer off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface. Discard (or crumble over ice cream!). Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand, cake turntable, or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 cup of frosting. Top with 2nd cake layer and evenly cover the top with about 1 cup of frosting. Top with the third cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides.
7. Refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
8. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.