------------------------------------CAKE------------------------------------
1 c Water
1 c Honey
1/2 c Applesauce
1 ts Vanilla
1 ts Vinegar
2 c Wholewheat pastry flour or
-- unbleached white flour
3/4 c Cocoa powder
1 tb Baking powder
1 ts Baking soda
-----------------------------------SYRUP-----------------------------------
1/2 c Water
1/4 c Honey
2 ea Thin lemon or orange slices
1/3 c Kirsch
-----------------------------------ICING-----------------------------------
3/4 c Raw cashews
3/4 c Water
2 ts Vanilla
1/2 c Honey
10 oz Firm tofu
3 oz Semi-sweet chocolate, melted
16 oz Jar pitted cherries, drained
CAKE: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine liquid ingredients in a large bowl &
whisk well. Sift dry ingredients together & whisk into liquid mixture.
Pour into greased & floured 9" cake tin & bake for 35 minutes or until
springy.
Cool cake completely & remove from pan. With a serrated knife, cut cake
horizontally to make 3 thin layers.
SYRUP: Combine first 3 ingredients in a small pot & boil for 3 minutes.
Let cool & then add kirsch.
ICING: In a blender, combine cashews, water & vanilla. Blend till smooth
& creamy. Add honey & tofu & blend again. Set aside 2 c for the vanilla
icing to go on top & sides of cake. To the rest of the mixture, add
melted chocolate & 3 tb of syrup. Blend till smooth. Chill both icings
before using.
TO ASSEMBLE: Carefully remove the top two layers of cake. Brush some
syrup onto bottom layer & spread half of chocolate icing over it. Place
the middle cake layer on top & brush with syrup & icing. Put down a layer
of cherries & dot with a little vanilla icing to help the top layer stick.
Place the top layer on the cherries & brush again with syrup. Frost top &
sides with vanilla icing. Decorate with cherries & pipe rosettes if
desired.
Chill several hours before serving. The cake can be kept covered if not
being served till the following day. However, the frosting may discolour
after about 3 days.
