Better Than “Have You Lost Weight?” Cake
My mother has always called this Better Than Robert Redford cake. No disrespect to Mr. Redford, but in 2008, I feel its time for a new name. I have often heard it referred to as Better Than S__ Cake, but I am not really keen on actually saying that. I mean, I need a name I can actually use around the children. This is where you come in.
Help me come up with a new word to fill in the blank for this cake.
Better than _________ Cake
So tell me, what is this cake better than?
I’ll choose a winner before I put up my next post and officially change the title of the cake! Have fun, get creative, or just say the first thing that comes to mind!
It pretty much goes without saying that I love this cake. I make it a point not to post any recipe that I don’t love (Which is why you will never see a tuna or shrimp recipe on my blog, at least not authored by me – sorry seafood lovers!).
My mother first made this when I was in middle school and she has always chosen the low fat, sugar free, or light versions of ingredients, as do I. I don’t necessarily do this for health purposes though, I just do it so I can eat more with no guilt! The buttery pecan crust is divine, add a layer of cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cool whip mixed together? I’m sooooooo in! Add some thick chocolate pudding on top? Oh yeah! Make that pudding sugar free? YEAH BABY!
( For those of you interested in notes from my Disney trip, you can view them here! )
First, we have to make our crust. You’ll need: flour, margarine or butter, and chopped pecans.
Melt margarine and pour into mixing bowl with flour and pecans. Mix until well blended.
It will look like this.
Press that into a 9×13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for twenty minutes. Cool completely.
I am using two 8×8 pans for mine because I am freezing one to bring out when my in laws come to visit in two weeks!
Now lets make the filling! You’ll need: cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, and cool whip. I used light but you can use whichever variety you like!
Place cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar in mixing bowl. Take a photograph and use the flash so it practically blinds everyone who will gaze upon it later.
Beat until well blended and creamy. Add one cup of whipped topping, mix again until well blended.
It will look like this!
If you don’t stick a spoon in there and have a lick at this point, you weren’t raised right!
Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust.
Now lets make the next layer! You’ll need two large boxes of instant chocolate pudding and five cups of milk. I used sugar free pudding and whole milk but you can use any variety of pudding and milk that you choose!
Pour milk into mixing bowl…
You know whats coming next, don’t ya?
Add both packets of pudding and mix well.
Until thickened.
Pour that over your cream cheese layer.
Spread it out. See those little lumps of unblended pudding in there? Do you see me being too concerned with those? heck no!
Drop dollops of remaining whipped topping over the top.
Spread it out nicely, careful not to get the pudding mixed up in it. Refrigerate for several hours before serving. If you are impatient like me, just stick it in the freezer for a bit!
Better Than __________ Cake
(Can’t wait for you to fill in the blank!)
Crust
1 C flour
1 stick margarine or butter, melted
1/2 C chopped pecans
Mix all together until well blended. Press into bottom of 9×13 inch dish. Bake at 350 for twenty minutes. Cool completely.
Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 cup whipped topping (Buy a 12 ounce tub, reserve remainder for topping)
Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until fluffy. Fold in one cup of whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust.
Pudding layer
2 Large boxes instant chocolate pudding (sugar free or regular)
5 Cups mlk (whole, skim, or nonfat)
Beat together until thickened. Spread over cream cheese layer.
Top with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Thank you for reading Southern Plate!!!
Christy
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Posted by
Christy Jordan
on Sep 22 2008. Filed under
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Have you noticed that every family seems to have a “Better than ______” Cake?
The cool thing is, most of them are entirely different recipes! What a wonderful pool to choose from!
I use this recipe frequently, and years ago a friend of mine named it “Goody, Goody” because that is what you say when you see it enter the room. Can’t make it fit your Better Than, but wanted to share.
What about “Better than Sin Cake”?
OOOOOOh Jordan, that IS a good one!
Better than Christmas Cake!
How about “Better than DISNEY Cake”!
BTW – tried your country casserole Friday and oh, my, it was wonderful. Glad I doubled it and have one in the freezer for later.
We called this cake “Chocolate Delight” because it’s just that, a DELIGHT
I think I would have to agree with Jordan — I like “Better than Sin Cake”.
I’m going to have to add “Better than Shoe Shopping Cake”, cause I love to go shoe shopping
I too was thinking along the lines of a better than shopping cake, but to truly capture the greatness (and give a worthy comparison), I think I’d go with better than Manolo Blahniks… or maybe stick with the original idea, and go with better than Jack Bower (but maybe that’s one that only makes sense to me.
)
For the guys:
Better than “that new car smell” cake
Better than “You’re my Husband, Of course You’re Right” cake
Better than “Your a God, Honey” Cake
Better than “Honey, I made all your favorites” cake
——————————
For the girls:
Better than “Haven’t you Lost Weight?” cake
Better than “Mommy, I Love You” cake
Better than “Yes dear, I love Shopping with you” Cake
Better than “Of course I’ll watch The Notebook instead of The Super Bowl” Cake
Ok, thats all I got for now. In the meantime.. I have new blogs if anyone is bored.. It’s Karaoke.. be gentle…
Better than “Shopping” Cake!
Better than “eating out” Cake!
Lord, I love you guys! I am laughing myself silly at these great ideas!
Keep ‘em coming, this is fun!
I just fixed the post, by the way. Now the link is there to click on it and see the rest of the post! It wasn’t before in case anyone was thinking I had forgotten to post the tutorial and recipe…….
My poor, heat addled brain!
hehe!
christy
Om my that looks so good Christy. I am trying to come up with some names. All i can think of so far is
Better than Heaven Cake because it just looks Heavenly.
Better than Hitting the Lottery Cake
Better than almost anything cake.
Ok thought of another one. Better than mud cake or better than dirt cake since its chocolate.
Better than Alan Jackson
Better than Whistlin Dixie
Better than a Bubble Bath
Actually, that title’s too long, it just looks like an mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm to me
Better than Chocolate, Candy, Kids, Love, Crafts. I’ll think some more.
Swedie
Better than Elvis.
He will always be King to music lovers.
Swedie
Does it have to start with an S? Because if so, I’m with Jordan…..Better than Sin.
Otherwise, I like Better than pampering at a spa cake. But not really. That sounds lame.
Better than NO SCHOOL TODAY cake!
I’m not in school anymore but my husband teaches so I can still appreciate that!
Hey Angie! It doesn’t have to start with anything, just any old something that this cake is better than is fine!
I just called my mom and read some of these to her! Y’all had her cracking up!
This is fun!
Christy
Better than “A Walmart cashier opening up a new register” cake.
Better than “Finding out a dessert was lowfat AFTER you ate it” cake
Better than “Kids not getting underwear for Christmas” cake
Better than “an honest mechanic” cake.
I can’t think of a sexier man than Tom Selleck, so “Better Than Tom Selleck Cake”.
And this one has absolutely nothing to do with the first, but how about “Better Than A Sunset Cake.”
Love all the other suggestions too.
I know this one won’t win but it made me think of my grandmother. One of her favorite sayings (and she had several unusual ones) was “it’s better than snuff!”
So in my Tennessee Nanny’s memory – “Better than Snuff Cake”
How about “Better than Beating USC” cake? Of course, being a Domer AND living in Ohio, I don’t know what it actually feels like to beat USC – but I’ll bet eating this cake WOULD be even better.
Better than you remember cake.
“Better than a Day Off Cake”
Oh. Poor Robert Redford. to be thrown over for…. hmmmm, I have to think about this one. LOL
Better than CANDY Cake!
Better than a backrub cake!
I made the Raisin Bran Muffins and they were great! They will never last a MONTH! About a week is all they survived in my house! The first batch I added cinnamon and the second batch I added pecans. Great for quick breakfasts!
Better than a butterbean cake!
Gosh…I could go crazy with this.
Better than Vin Diesel Cake
Better than a Foot Massage Cake
Better than the laundry’s done Cake
Better than Perfection Cake
Better than Sunday Cake (my fav day of the week)
Better than I came home from work
and someone else cooked dinner Cake
Better than a little boy that actually hits the toilet Cake
Ok…that last 2 were kind of long
Y’all are killing me! LOL!
Teri, the pecans and cinnamon sound great!!!!!!! I need to try those. I had a little of my raisin bran batter left before our trip so the night before I baked it all up and we had muffins to snack on for twelve hours! I won’t tell you how many I personally ate….
These are all too good! I may have to do what any mature adult would do…..and make my Mama choose!
Christy
How about better than report card day cake?
Mmmmm, Better Than CLOONEY Cake.
Oh how I could eat the whole pan of this.
How about Better than the rest?
Now THIS is a recipe I know quite well! I got this from my step-mom a few years ago and every time I’ve made it for other people I can’t even describe enough how much it’s loved. For some reason I could never figure out she calls it Baskin Robbins pie which makes absolutely no sense! LOL She said the person she got it from called it that so she stuck with it.
For some reason there is always just enough of the cream cheese layer for me to have a little. But you didn’t hear that from me.. I always sprinkle chopped pecans over the top because it’s purdy.
better than Ice Cream cake?
Looks pretty yummy to me!
Better than Brad Pitt cake.
How about “Better than a dream cake”. It reminds me of a cloud when its done and they are dreamy!
It also rhymes with creamy!
Ha!
Joan
I grew up in NC, and my grandmother used to make this in two halves to please the entire family. One half with chocolate and one with butterscotch. I fell on the butterscotch side—I always had more sophisticated taste. It was great fun looking at your website. I grew up with ALL of these. I now live in NYC and have a farm in upstate NY, but you can take a boy out of the South, but never the South out of the boy
Better than “your house being robbed by a cross dresser who looks better in your clothes than you do” cake
Too much?…
Better than Coke Cake (coca cola, that is)
Swedie
All these suggestions are fun! I don’t envy your choice
I’ll throw these kid friendly ideas in to the ring:
Better than Box Cake
Better than Snow Day Cake
Better than Anything Cake
Better than Snuggling Cake
Better than Pie Cake
Love your blog! Just found my way here last week, and immediately subscribed – thanks for such a great resource!
Thanks Christy, I just posted on the simple family favorites carnival.
Still haven’t thought of a good name to replace the Robert Redford cake tho.
Hey Christy!
I am really enjoying your blog! I love all of your recipes! (Belle205 from Southern Living)
How ’bout…
Better Than Yo Momma’s Cake
Better Than Birthday Cake
Better Than Banana Split Cake
Better Than A Coke Float Cake
Better Than Butter Cake
This is FUN!!!
There ya go….Better Than Fun Cake
Better Than LOL Cake
” Better than Whoopie Cake”
Better than free money cake!
haha
Umm for truly a southern name for this cake…. Better than a Poke of Posies Cake… Gee was I confused when my uncle sent me to get a poke for the Poke Salad he was about to gather for my Mom but still not as eventful day as when they all had to get my picture on a bull LOL.
This cake is delicious, it is “better than bliss cake”.
Better than “The day the hot flashes stopped” cake