Diet Soda Cake

I'm at a quandary as to what to call this post.

Do I call it Living with Sugar? This is the first day I have felt truly well in 3 weeks. I won't go into the icky details but it's a side effect my gluten intolerance.  For the last week I've been off sugar completely.  Those of you who know me may have gasped at that last line.  I can't believe it myself.  I actually went an entire week without sugar, fruit and all starches.  I really should lower my future sugar intake too but not today.  Today I want to try a chocolate cake recipe that is crazy simple.  Those of you who don't like processed foods of any kind are excused now.  Those of you who occasionally indulge keep reading.

I could call it Living with Substitutions.  This recipe is inspired by Lori.  Lori is a sweet bubbly co-worker who has been making this lighter version of your standard cake mix for co-workers.  The recipe is simply your favorite cake mix and a can of diet soda.  The ones she's been bringing to work are chocolate with diet cola.

The third possibility is Living with Calculations.  You see the cake mix I had on hand was Pamela's chocolate gluten free cake mix.  The standard cake mix off the grocery shelf contains 18.5oz of ingredients.  Pamela's cake mix is 21oz.  A can of soda is 12 oz.  So how much soda do I add for the larger cake mix?  I could say that I calculated it out on my own but I'd be lying.  I am capable, with time of figuring this out but I have an incredibly intelligent father-in-law who was about 5 feet away.  He is also, after my husband, the sweetest man on earth.  He loves helping so I simply asked him.  He happily showed me the formula for the conversion and calculated it out for me.  Below are the results.  Of course this left me with 10 oz of diet cola which I am now enjoying as a side treat.

Diet Soda Cake
Mine: 1 21oz pkg Pamela's chocolate cake mix & 14 oz (this was rounded from 13.62oz) of diet cola

Mix and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

I couldn't wait for it to cool and am eating a piece warm.  It really doesn't need frosting or the whipped topping.

Yours: 1 pkg of your favorite cake mix and 1 or more diet soda.  I've heard vanilla and cream soda are good together.  Lori provides light Cool Whip with her cake but I'm not a fan of whipped toppings unless they're real cream and sugar.  That would kind of defeat the diet soda addition.

As you see, I've decided to just call it what it is...Diet Soda Cake