Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 128

VANILLA-YOGURT POUND CAKE.

MAKES 1 LOAF.

TIME: ABOUT 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES.

Pound cake should be simple: just sweet enough, with a hint of vanilla, citrus, or other aromatic flavors. Densely textured yet moist. Lovingly delivers abundant calories directly to your thighs and waist with each meltingly tender bite. Without the usual pound of b.u.t.ter and eggs, in this recipe we've made good use of vanilla soy yogurt and silken tofu to get the job done. The flavor and texture of this cake develops as it cools, so be sure to allow the loaf to cool to room temperature before slicing. And don't forget that pound cake loves to be adorned with fresh berries, or sliced and lightly toasted with a little dab of your favorite vegan margarine.

cup vanilla soy yogurt

cup blended silken tofu (blend the tofu first, then measure it out)

cup vanilla or plain soy milk

1 cups sugar

cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

teaspoon lemon extract, or teaspoon grated lemon zest

teaspoon orange extract, or teaspoon grated orange zest

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1 teaspoons baking powder

teaspoons baking soda

teaspoon salt

PREHEAT THE oven to 325F. Lightly grease and flour a 9 5-inch loaf pan. A metal pan with a dark finish is the best choice for this cake.

In a large bowl, combine the soy yogurt, blended silken tofu, soy milk, sugar, oil, and extracts. Use an electric mixture to beat until everything is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Sift in the flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a rubber spatula to combine, then beat with electric beaters for 1 to 2 minutes, until a very thick batter forms. Don't overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Use the rubber spatula to sc.r.a.pe all of the batter out of the bowl and smooth the top of the loaf. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick or thin sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean (a little moisture is okay). Don't open the oven to peek for at least the first 45 minutes of baking!

This cake has a very thick batter and requires a well-preheated oven at just the right temp to rise properly. Allow the oven to heat for at least 20 minutes and, as always, use an oven thermometer.

For best results, use a pan that's no bigger than 9 x 5-inches. Using an 8 x 4-inch pan also works great.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Store the cake in an airtight container.

Variations: Nut, Chocolate Chip, and/or Fruited Pound Cake: Stir in to 1 cup of any of the following: toasted chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, raisins, dried sweetened cranberries, dried chopped cherries (if using cherries, omit the citrus extracts and use 1 teaspoon of almond extract instead).

Lemon Pound Cake: Use lemon yogurt and up the lemon extract to a full teaspoon. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon.

Rose Water Pound Cake: Omit the orange and lemon extracts. Reduce the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon. Add 1 teaspoons of rose water.

PUMPKIN CRUMB CAKE WITH PECAN STREUSEL.

MAKES 16 SQUARES.

TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES.

How does moist, sublime, spiced pumpkin cake get better? A crummy mess of pecan streusel topping would get our vote any day. Perfect for autumn high tea.

Pecan streusel: cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons brown sugar (granulated sugar is okay, too)

teaspoon ground cinnamon

teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup coa.r.s.ely chopped pecans

Cake: 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

cups soy milk

cups canola oil

1 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons light mola.s.ses