I think it’s nearly impossible to live in Vancouver for a certain amount of time, and not eventually develop a liking for at least one soy product.
Don’t get me wrong, I love meat. And not in the PETA way – in the kill and devour it charred and bloody way.
But I also really like edamame, agedashi tofu, and soy beverage (for its own sake, not as a milk substitute). As do most other people I know.
What I don’t like – in fact I consider it a complete abomination of food as we know it – is soy products masquerading as meat.
Tofurkey, Fake-on, Ground Round… If you’re going to be vegetarian or vegan that’s fine, but that means you DON’T GET TO ENJOY THE MEAT. Enough torturing the market with your sad and inadequate meat substitutes. I don’t even want to know how you mimic the flavour of turkey using no animal products.
So it was much to my surprise, that I encountered the following recipe for a cake made with tofu, that’s actually DELICIOUS and a pretty much constant coffee cake standby for when guests drop in (which in reality means the man and I end up eating it all our damn selves because who just “drops by” on anyone anymore?):
1. Take 1 Betty Crocker Cake Mix
2. Empty cake mix into food processor or mixer
3. Add 1 package of Surise or Pete’s Tofu dessert tofu. Blend
4. Add 1/4 cup of water. Blend just until mixed. Note: do not add eggs or oil
5. Bake as directed on box.
It really is just that easy. And it tastes GOOD. It does not taste like a regular cake-in-a-box, rather it’s much more moist and dense. Just like a coffee cake. I make mine in a fluted pan, although you could certainly use regular cake or cupcake tins as well.
The best thing about it is that it doesn’t taste like a “cake substitute.” It just tastes like dessert. Tofu because it’s tasty – not as a piss-poor substitute that will only leave you longing for the way things used to be, before you grew a beer gut and/or an environmental conscience.
Another fun bit, for me anyway, is playing with flavour combinations. The two I’ve had the most success with are a French Vanilla cake with Peach-Mango tofu and a Devil’s Food cake with Caramel tofu (excellent warmed up a bit and served with vanilla ice cream, and liberally doused with Blackberry dessert wine) .
Think it can’t get better? OH YOU’D BE WRONG.
Not only does this not taste like tofu, it’s also one of the lowest fat/calorie desserts you’ll ever enjoy:
Made the regular way (oil & eggs), a serving of Betty Crocker cake (1/12 of the total batch) will ring in at 120 Calories, 11g of Fat, and 45mg of Cholesterol.
Using tofu instead? One serving (same size) is a mere 35 Calories, 0.5g Fat and 0g Cholesterol.
Considering the holidays are coming up, you may want to introduce this to your kitchen, as an alternate temptation to the mincemeat tarts and shortbread that I’m sure will be making their way around soon. Consider the recipe a holiday gift from my stomach to yours!
Thanks for the cake the other night – it was delicious! I think I’m going to try a cake with the coconut tofu soon and see how that goes…
I had no idea they made “dessert tofu”. If I am unable to find such a thing in my small Michigan community, do you think “regular tofu” would work?
Thanks!
tcottontail
Yum sounds great, will try it tx. The Pete’s dessert tofu is also great blended up in smoothies, would not even know it’s there and the protein keeps me feeling satisfied throughout the morning.
I’m sold on trying this out because of the diminished calories and fat count!
(Loved tofu before I moved here and so a little blase – except that edamame in a restaurant is such a rip-off!)
Okay, for those of us who can’t find dessert tofu, what’s the size of a package? I assume I could substitute the soft, pudding-consistency tofu for dessert tofu, right?
tcottontail: as long as you use tofu about the consistency of (as Hannah mentioned) pudding, it should work out fine.
Hannah: it’s a 300g package here. Hopefully the conversion works – it’s super tasty.