For the Cake:
1 3/4 cups pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup Earth Balance margarine
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. apple-cider vinegar
For the Raspberry Purée:
1 cup raspberries
1 tsp. sugar
For the Frosting:
1/2 lb. firm tofu (approximately 1 cup)
2 Tbsp. oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
3-4 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
To Assemble:
Lemon curls, to garnish
Raspberries, to garnish
For the Cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan. Line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
• In a separate bowl, blend the salt, margarine, sugar, water, vanilla, and vinegar, using a wire whisk.
• Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack.
• Cut into 2 layers.
For the Raspberry Purée:
• Combine the raspberries with the sugar and purée until smooth.
• Strain through a cheesecloth or a fine sieve.
For the Frosting:
• In a blender, combine all the ingredients until very smooth, frequently scraping the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula.
To Assemble:
• Spread a layer of the raspberry purée on the bottom cake layer.
• Spread a generous amount of the frosting over the purée, then top with the remaining cake layer.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the entire cake.
• Garnish with the lemon curls and the raspberries.
Variation: Substitute mangoes, strawberries, or mint leaves for the raspberries in the fruit purée.
Makes 10 servings