Phebe's Famous Chocolate Cake - My most requested recipe!

Here it is, at long last. I think pretty much anyone who's ever eaten this cake has asked me for the recipe, and many people have told me it's the best chocolate cake they've had. It is incredibly moist and not too sweet. I got the original version from a Sunrise Tofu Cookbook ages and ages ago (I don't even have the original book anymore) and have tweaked it since.

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix together:
• 1 c. cocoa powder
• 1 & 1/2 c. flour (see note)
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• a dash of salt

In a separate bowl beat together:
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sugar (see note)
• egg replacer equal to 3 eggs (see note)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Add to wet ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, top and end removed, with skin, finely grated.


In a blender or food processor, puree:
• 1 300 gram package of soft, silken or dessert tofu (see note)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Add pureed tofu mixture alternately with dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Line one 9 x 13 rectangular pan or 2 smaller (8-10 inch?) cake pans (if you want a layer cake) with waxed paper. Fill the pan/each pan to about 1 or 3/4 inch from the top.

Cake is done when inserted toothpick comes out clean (40-45 minutes).

Don't remove the cake from pan until it has at least partly cooled. It will fall apart.

Frost when completely cool.

I've used lots of different kinds of frosting on this cake. The most basic one is:

• 1/2 c. softened non-hydrogenated vegan shortening
• 1/2 cup softened non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
• 1 tsp pure vanilla or other  flavouring (adding a tsp of instant coffee granules is very tasty).
• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder (can use more or less depending on how chocolatey you want it)
• 3-4 cups icing/confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk (soy, almond, coconut)

Blend the fats and flavouring with a whisk or electric mixer. Add in just enough sugar till the frosting texture is a bit dry and clumpy. Then add in the "milk." Add in more sugar if needed to bring frosting to a spreadable consistency.

 Notes:
• Typically, I use either unbleached white flour or whole wheat pastry flour. For a gluten free cake (the one you see here that says "congrats Dr. Dilia" is gluten free) I use 1/4 cup bean flour, 1/4 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup quinoa flour and 1/2 cup tapioca flour. These measurements are approximate, since I basically just spooned the different flours into two measuring cups until they were full. I don't think the ratios are as important as having a mix of flours. When I make a gluten free cake, I use flax as my egg replacer. See more gluten-free baking tips.
• I typically use granulated raw cane sugar but I have made this recipe successfully with white sugar or a combo of brown sugar and white sugar
• I have used several different things in place of eggs with success. I have used soft or dessert tofu, if I have a bigger package than the recipe calls for (3 Tbsp pureed tofu = one egg). I have also used ground flax seeds (1 Tbsp ground flax seeds + 3 Tbsp water =  1 egg). I have also used corn starch or pre-mixed starched-based egg replacer  (1 tbsp + 4 tbsp water for each egg). This is really a very forgiving recipe in terms of what binder you use, because the tofu, and possibly the zucchini as well, already provide some binding capacity.
• The exact amount of tofu isn't really that important, as long as you get it in the ballpark. I have used slightly smaller packages and slightly larger packages than the recipe calls for with success. And, as I noted above, if the package is a bit too big, you can use the extra as the egg replacer. If it's, say, a 500 gram package, just estimate a little less than half, scoop that our of the package and toss it in the blender. I've never had this cake fail on me, and I mess around with the proportions all the time.