Tag Archives: cake

Black Forest Trifle

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This recipe is not quite as simple as typical recipes on Guess Who’s Cooking, but it can be adapted/simplified in a few ways:

  • Make the pudding as a simple stand-alone dessert
  • Make the pudding without the soy milk and use it as a simple stand-alone mousse, or use it as frosting for any cake
  • Make the chocolate cake and frosting (pudding without the soy milk) and make cupcakes, a sheet cake, or a round layered cake
  • Make just the cake and frost it with your favorite frosting

You may not believe that a dessert with this much tofu would be good, but it actually took first place in the Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival 2018 dessert competition.

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Black Forest Trifle (Triple Tofu)

This trifle has three main layers, and believe it or not, every one of them is made with tofu! It is decadent, rich, tender, silky, moist, creamy, and not overly sweet. Juicy cherries provide a pop of flavor in every bite. This recipe also happens to be completely plant-based, as long as vegan dark chocolate (and sugar) is used. People will have no idea it’s vegan or made with tofu!

Course Dessert
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • 32 ounces silken tofu drained
  • 1 3/4 cup cake flour
  • 12 ounces frozen cherries thawed, juice reserved
  • 1 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup canola oil plus 1 tablespoon for greasing pan
  • 1/4 cup agave syrup divided
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract divided
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 ounce dark chocolate bar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 8x11” baking pan with 1 tablespoon canola oil and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

  2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine. 

  3. In a food processor, puree 12 ounces tofu until very smooth. Add sugar, ¾ cup soy milk, ½ cup canola oil, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and puree until well combined. 

  4. Pour tofu mixture into dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. 

  5. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

For the chocolate pudding

  1. In a food processor, puree 12 ounces tofu until very smooth. Add ½ cup soy milk, 2 tablespoons agave syrup and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and puree until well combined.

  2. Melt chocolate chips in a small bowl by microwaving for 30 seconds at a time, stirring, and repeating until melted (about 1 ½ minutes). 

  3. Pour melted chocolate into tofu mixture and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until needed for assembly.

For the vanilla cream

  1. In a food processor, puree 8 ounces tofu until very smooth. Add 2 tablespoons agave, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt and puree until smooth. Refrigerate until needed for assembly. 

To assemble the trifle

  1. Cut cake into 1-inch cubes. Cut thawed cherries in half and place reserved juice in a shallow bowl.

  2. Dip one side of the cake into reserved cherry juice. Place 1 layer of cake cubes into serving dish, dipped side up. Spoon a light layer of cream on top of the cake. Add a sparse layer of cherries. Top with a fairly generous but not solid layer of pudding. 

  3. Repeat steps above. Use a vegetable peeler to shave dark chocolate on top as a garnish. Serve cold.

 

Pita Sandwich “Cake”

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No, this is not intended to be a sweet dessert! It is basically a pita sandwich in disguise, a veggie wrap formed into a cake for a fun presentation for a party or potluck.

Variations:

  • Substitute other veggies if you’d like
  • Try a flavored hummus
  • If you only want to use raw vegetables to save time and skip the eggplant, try something like shredded carrots, thinly sliced bell peppers, or more of the other suggested vegetables
  • If dairy is not an issue, feta cheese would give a nice boost of flavor
  • Sliced olives in the middle layers or sliced or whole olives on top
  • Other fresh herbs such as basil (middle only, it will turn dark if on top)

Pita Sandwich “Cake”

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Looking for a fun new way to serve sandwiches/wraps at a party? Try making this pita "cake" that will impress your guests!

Ingredients

  • 4 whole wheat pitas
  • 2 cups hummus (Large (16-17 oz) container of storebought hummus, or homemade hummus made from 1 can of chickpeas (see below))
  • 2 cups tomatoes (thinly sliced, organic preferred)
  • 1 English cucumber (or 2-3 smaller cucumbers ( organic and thin skin preferred, such as Persian or Japanese))
  • 1 Medium eggplant
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes (cut in half, organic preferred)
  • 1 bunch flat leaf parsley (minced)

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel eggplant and slice thinly. If you have time, lay on a baking sheet or large cutting board and sprinkle generously with salt, then let sit for 30-60 minutes to extract the bitter juices. Rinse and pat dry. Toss with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. Spread into one layer on a baking sheet and bake until tender, flipping over halfway, about 10-15 minutes. You can also move the baking sheet to the top rack and turn on the broiler for a few minutes to brown. Let cool completely.
Step 2
Use a serrated knife to carefully cut pitas in half, creating two thin rounds (rather than two half circles). Cut about half of the cucumber into thin discs. Use a vegetable peeler to cut long, thin strips.
Step 3
On a serving plate, place one halved pita, cut side up. Spread a thin layer of hummus, then add a layer of the cucumber discs, using about half of the discs. Add another halved pita, thin layer of hummus, then half of the sliced tomatoes. Add another halved pita, thin layer of hummus, and half of the cooled eggplant. Repeat all layers one more time and top with a halved pita, cut side down.
Step 4
Use remaining hummus to frost the "cake." Spread evenly with a rubber spatula over the top, then spread about 1/4 cup at a time around the edges.
Step 5
Decorate the "cake" with the long thin ribbons of cucumber around the outside and cherry tomatoes on top. Sprinkle with optional parsley. Feel free to get creative with other vegetable decorations!

 

Basic Hummus Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (can also use white beans such as cannellini or navy beans
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 cup
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • salt to taste
  • water to thin if necessary

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until very smooth. Add water as needed to thin it out. Hummus will thicken when refrigerated.

Pita Sandwich "Cake" | Guess Who's Cooking | Healthy, plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, whole grain

Pita Sandwich "Cake" | Guess Who's Cooking | Healthy, plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, whole grain Pita Sandwich "Cake" | Guess Who's Cooking | Healthy, plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, whole grain Pita Sandwich "Cake" | Guess Who's Cooking | Healthy, plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, whole grain

Watermelon “Cake”

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RDN Day

Today, March 11, 2015, is Registered Dietitian Day!

Happy RD Day to all the hardworking dietitians out there!

FYI, all dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. Trust the credentialed experts!

Watermelon Cake - guesswhoscooking.com | healthy, vegan, low-carb, no-sugar-added, gluten-free, dairy-free.

This “cake” will be a pleasant surprise at a party! It requires 3 basic ingredients – watermelon, coconut milk, and vanilla! Decorate it as you wish with fresh fruit, toasted nuts, and/or toasted coconut flakes.

Watermelon “Cake”

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Serves 12
This stunning no-sugar-added "cake" is made from 3 ingredients - watermelon, coconut milk, and vanilla! It can be decorated with fresh fruit and toasted nuts or coconut.

Ingredients

  • 1 large seedless watermelon (refrigerated)
  • 2 cans full-fat coconut milk or cream (without guar gum as an ingredient, refrigerated for 24 hours)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or contents of 1 vanilla pod)

For decoration

  • 1 cup sliced almonds (toaster)
  • 1-2 cup berries, such as strawberries and blueberries

Directions

Step 1
For best results, place a glass or metal mixing bowl in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Carefully open the cans of coconut milk and spoon out the thick layer of cream that has separated from the liquid at the top of the can. Place into chilled mixing bowl. Discard the liquid, or save for another recipe such as a smoothie.
Step 2
Beat the cream on medium speed with a hand or stand mixer for 2-4 minutes, or until it becomes light and fluffy and soft peaks form. Add vanilla and beat until just mixed. Set aside. If it becomes too thin to frost the "cake," refrigerate to stiffen the frosting. If it becomes to stiff from refrigeration, beat with the mixer for a few seconds.
Step 3
Cut the ends off the watermelon, then place it on one of the flat ends. Use a large knife to cut vertically around the melon to remove the rind, creating a cylindrical form. As desired, shape the watermelon so it resembles a round cake, cutting off part of the tapered ends if desired.
Step 4
If not frosting the watermelon right away, keep it in the refrigerator until ready. Once ready, pat try the outside of the melon with a towel. Cover with frosting, then decorate with desired toppings.

Watermelon Cake - guesswhoscooking.com | healthy, vegan, low-carb, no-sugar-added, gluten-free, dairy-free.

Watermelon Cake - guesswhoscooking.com | healthy, vegan, low-carb, no-sugar-added, gluten-free, dairy-free.

Confession: The pictured cake was made using coconut milk with guar gum, so the frosting wasn’t as stiff as it should have been. However, if you also make this mistake, it will still turn out pretty well!