Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Icing

I was thinking about cake yesterday, not that that’s any different from any other day, but yesterday I had the ambition to follow the thought into the kitchen and actually make the cake. I didn’t have any particular idea as to flavor or kind of cake, but we had some nice looking lemons lying on the counter, and so the idea for a lemon pound cake popped into my head.  Boy am I glad it did; this cake is amazing!  Nobody would ever guess it’s vegan, least of all made with tofu, so go out there and make those vegan haters into lovers; they won’t know what hit ’em :).

The lemon in this cake might knock you on your feet with its sweet pucker-y goodness; there is no subelty here!

OH, and hey, if you’re on twitter, I just started my tweeting career.  Follow me for recipe links (not just dessert, I also cook on occasion), updates, and insight into the vegan world of food: @lazyveganbaker

Special equipment you will need:  Blender or Food Processor, Loaf or Cupcake pans

Lemon Pound Cake (makes 1 5×9 loaf, or 6 mini loaves, or 12 cupcakes)

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6oz firm silken tofu, pureed until completely smooth (see below for advice along with picture of the kind I use)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk substitute (I used almond milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon zet

Lemon Icing

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (may need more, depending on consistency)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

******NOTE:  I’ve added a new feature.  At the end of the recipe there will be pictures showing some of the steps or unique ingredients I use.  I decided not to include these pictures in the actual instructions because I think it makes the instructions harder to read.  Any feedback is appreciated :).

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray or brush your pans with oil and then lightly dust with flour.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk substitute, lemon extract and lemon zest and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream together the butter substitute and sugar until light and creamy.
5. Add the pureed tofu and mix until all combined.
6. Add the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk, mixing after each addition until ingredients are just combined.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 50 minutes in the 5×9 loaf, or 25-30 minutes for the smaller pans (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean).
8. To make the icing, whisk together all the ingredients until they are completely combined and there are no lumps.  You may want to add more powdered sugar or lemon juice depending on the consistency you like the glaze).
9. After the cake comes out of the oven, pierce it in 8-10 places with a toothpick and pour 1/2 the glaze over the cake.  After the cake has completely cooled, pour the remaining glaze over.
10. Cake can be stored for 2-3 days covered at room temperature, or 5-6 days covered in the refrigerator.

The Cakes when they came out of the oven.  I used several different sized pans, just for fun, because I only had two mini loaf pans.

This is the silken tofu I prefer: Mori Nu Firm Silken Tofu.  It always has the same consistency and I’ve never had a problem with it. I get it at Whole Foods but I know it’s available in many regular supermarkets or Asian grocery stores.  You don’t have to use this kind, but if you use another one, make sure it is Silken!

The pureed tofu in my mini bullet blender.  Smooth and creamy, no lumps.

Adding the pureed tofu to the butter/sugar mixture.

When alternating the drys and liquids, don’t mix them all they way in before adding the next: see how the flour isn’t entirely mixed in and I added the first half of the liquid.  Not overmixing helps maintain the fluffiness of the cake; it’s not the end of the world if it gets overmixed, but the cake won’t be quite as awesome.

MMMMMMMmmmmmmm…….