Ingredients
1
cup whole wheat pastry flour
1
cup unbleached white flour
1/2
cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
1/2
cup light organic cane sugar
2
tsp aluminum-free baking powder
2
cups chocolate or vanilla soymilk (1 1/2 cups of rice milk can replace the 2 cups of soymilk)
1
tbsp pure vanilla extract
2
tsp apple cider vinegar
Chocolate Cream Filling and Frosting
3
(12.3-ounce) aseptic boxes firm silken tofu
3/4
cup light organic cane sugar
3/4
cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
4
tsp pure vanilla extract
18
ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
3
to 10 tbsp chocolate, vanilla, or plain soymilk, if needed
Directions
1.
Preheat to 350 degrees. Oil the sides and bottoms of two 9 x 3-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper cut to fit.
2.
Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add the pastry flour, white flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the strainer. Sift the ingredients. Stir with a wire whisk to distribute the ingredients.
3.
Whisk the oil, maple syrup, soymilk, vanilla and almond extracts and vinegar in a separate medium bowl until well blended. Pour into the dry mixture and stir with a wire whisk until the batter is smooth. This batter is meant to be thin; don't worry.
4.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Tap the pans lightly on the counter to eliminate air bubbles.
5.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are set, the sides have started to pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
6.
Cool the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife between the cake and inside of the pan, and invert each layer onto a rack. Remove the pans and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Invert again topside up on a rack to cool completely.
7.
To protect the layers from cracking or breaking, slide a cardboard circle (or another flat surface) under each one. Wrap the layers with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold before filling and frosting.
8.
Chocolate Cream Filling and Frosting
9.
Combine the tofu, oil, and salt in a food processor, and process about 1 minute until pureed. Use a spatula to clean the sides of the bowl and add the sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Process 1 to 2 minutes, until the tofu mixture is smooth.
10.
Add the melted chocolate and pulse the processor three or four times to incorporate. Process 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is very creamy. Refrigerate in the processor for 20 minutes. If you used the aseptic boxes of tofu, the cream may need to chill for 1 to 6 hours in order for it to become firm enough to spread.
11.
The degree of firmness will determine the amount of soymilk needed to create the final texture. It should be thick but easy to spread. Dip an icing spatula into the cream to test to the texture. If the cream is too stiff to use, add 3 tablespoons of the soymilk and process 1 minute. Add more soymilk, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. When the cream is ready to use, spoon it into a bowl and begin to assemble the cake.
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