I had a sizable chunk of silken tofu left over from the tofu tomato kick I was on this week (Cantonese-comfort-food-style with ginger and scallions). So when I saw this recipe for Kyotofu's chocolate souffle cupcakes in New York Magazine, I knew that this was the time to try baking with soy! http://nymag.com/restaurants/recipes/inseason/54065/ As usual, I couldn't help fiddling with a lot of the ingredients and almost all the proportions (I have very strong opinions about how a cake should be). I couldn't be bothered to make cupcakes, so I made a loaf. And I had a lot more tofu to get rid of than the recipe called for! But despite tripling the amount of tofu, the result was a very delicious, moist, flavorful deep black-brown cake that didn't taste bland or of tofu at all. I suspect that the tofu is the secret to the moist, but fluffy crumb. And while the cake tastes decadent, it makes for a filling breakfast or snack because of the protein.
The original recipe called for a spoon of miso, not something I keep on hand. But I wanted to compliment the chocolate with something strong, anticipating flavor dilution from the tofu. I used a tablespoon of matcha (a Japanese green tea powder), the flavor of which you can just detect in the finished cake. Next time I will try instant coffee, or peanut butter. It needs to be a rich, warm flavor, if that makes sense? I also used olive oil instead of butter, which I always do for cake, mainly because I am always baking for myself and don't want to eat pounds of saturated fat. But health considerations aside, using oil instead of butter makes for a more moist and tender cake. Because this was a chocolate (and matcha) cake, I didn't want the olive flavor to be too strong, so I used Filippo Berio Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil.
2 cups chopped dark chocolate (I used Trader Joe's bittersweet)
1/2 cup light tasting olive oil
1 tablespoon matcha powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (this depends on how sweet your chocolate is)
1/2 cup flour
3 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup silken tofu
1/2 cup milk
a splash of bourbon (this has almost become a ritual for me, I couldn't taste it in the finished cake)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat the chocolate chunks and the olive oil in a saucepan over very low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted. Stir the matcha powder in, don't worry if it is a little lumpy. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until foamy and, while beating, pour the chocolate and oil mixture in slowly. Continue to beat until the batter appears to pull away from the sides of the bowl, indicating that the oil is fully incorporated. Add the rest of the ingredients and gently mix until all are incorporated. The batter should be fluffy, almost stiff resembling chocolate frosting. Spread the batter into an oiled 4.5" x 8/5" loaf pan with a rubber spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the top looks puffed and cracked, but a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs still attached. Cakes continue to bake a little after they come out of the oven, so I always try to take them out just before they are well done. As the cake cools, the center will fall in a little, like a souffle.
