1 cup Water
1 cup Honey
1/2 cup Applesauce
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Vinegar
2 cup Whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached white flour
3/4 cup Cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
SYRUP
1/2 cup Water
1/4 cup Honey
2 Thin lemon or orange slices
1/3 cup Kirsch
ICING
3/4 cup Raw cashews
3/4 cup Water
2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 cup Honey
10 oz Firm tofu
3 oz Semi-sweet chocolate, melted
16 oz Jar pitted cherries, drained
Yield: 12 servings
CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine liquid ingredients in a large bowl and whisk well. Sift dry ingredients together and whisk into liquid mixture. Pour into greased and floured 9″ cake tin and bake for 35 minutes or until springy. Cool cake completely and remove from pan. With a serrated knife, cut cake horizontally to make 3 thin layers.
SYRUP:
Combine first 3 ingredients in a small pot and boil for 3 minutes. Let cool and then add kirsch.
ICING:
In a blender, combine cashews, water and vanilla. Blend till smooth and creamy. Add honey and tofu and blend again. Set aside 2 cup for the vanilla icing to go on top and sides of cake. To the rest of the mixture, add melted chocolate and 3 tablespoon 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 and spread half of chocolate icing over it. Place the middle cake layer on top and brush with syrup and icing. Put down a layer of cherries and dot with a little vanilla icing to help the top layer stick. Place the top layer on the cherries and brush again with syrup. Frost top and sides with vanilla icing. Decorate with cherries and 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.