Mango Chocolate Tofu Pudding

This is just something I whipped up the other day in the kitchen, trying to use up the last of the mango curd. This chocolate pudding is very bitter by itself, so if you are going to attempt it without the curd, I suggest adding more sweeteners and perhaps even some melted chocolate, as the chocolate flavor is a bit mild with just cocoa powder. With the mango curd swirled in, it is heavenly. The curd sweetens the chocolate without cutting the dark chocolate tones and adds the interesting combo of chocolate and lime. Surprisingly delicious! Serve with fresh berries for a sweet summer dessert.
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Mango Chocolate Tofu Pudding

INGREDIENTS

• 4 oz silken soft tofu
• ½ teaspoon chocolate extract
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 2 heaping tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
• dash of salt
• 1/2 cup mango curd

DIRECTIONS

1. Dissolve coffee in the chocolate and vanilla extracts. Pulse in a food processor with the silken tofu.
2. Add cocoa powder, corn starch, yogurt, and sweeteners to mixture. Puree until smooth.
3. Heat mixture in a small saucepan over medium heat until thickened, stirring frequently.
4. Add salt.
5. When mixture reaches a pudding consistency, remove from heat and allow to cool.
6. Chill in the fridge until completely cool.
7. Swirl with mango curd and serve with fresh fruit.

Coconut Cake with Mango Curd

At last! The long awaited for coconut cake with mango curd and cream cheese frosting!

Well, ok. Long awaited by me, at least. Can you blame me? Look at this little gem. Granted, not so little. And not so innocent. Make no mistake; this is no angel food cake. These mini bundt cakes flirt with devilry, but are restrained by a few choice substitutes (ah, yes, that inevitable word). Nevertheless, delicious.

Oh, and if you think I was content with the topping portions shown above, you are wrong. That's enough to at least give you the idea, but I was moving past the idea. I was getting the big picture. In other words, I smeared on additional curd and frosting with each bite. So, yeah... now you get the whole "not so innocent" thing. These babies are tricky that way.

So you know how I was also going to make a tiered cake and even doubled my mango curd recipe so that I would have enough for layers? Yeah, so that didn't happen. I'm lazy; what can I say? But the good news that comes with me being an overachiever is that I have more mango curd to play with! Which means vegan mango-saffron creme brulees and chocolate tofu mousse swirled with mango curd and fresh berries. Forgive me? Thought so.

So here are the four components of the mini bundt cakes (or, if you just have to be an overachiever, a layer cake! ;) )

1. Coconut Milk Cake
Adapted from this recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups Splenda
• 1/3 cup Smart Balance Light, softened
• 1/2 cup egg substitute
• 1 14oz can light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat one mini bundt pan (makes six) with cooking spray and spread until lightly coated with a paper towel, absorbing the excess.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
4. Place sugar, Splenda, and Smart Balance in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (for about 5 minutes).
5. Add egg substitute, in two rounds, beating well after each addition.
6. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
7. Stir in the vanilla.
8. Pour batter into prepared molds, filling above the core/center-piece of each cake mold.
9. Sharply tap the pans once on the countertop to remove air bubbles.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Cool in pans ten minutes and remove cakes from pan onto a wire rack.
12. Cool completely.
13. Slather with cream cheese frosting, a dollop of mango curd, and a sprinkling of toasted coconut.

2. Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from this recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 8oz package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Pop ingredients in an electric mixer with a whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until fluffy. It really is that easy.

3. Mango Curd

4. Toasted Coconut

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup desiccated, sweetened, shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup desiccated, unsweetened, shredded coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Place coconut shavings in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until golden brown.
2. Warning! This will smell delicious.

Vegan Mango Curd

Curd. Vegan. Lowfat. Seriously.

This is part one of my future mango coconut cake. Doesn't it look scrrrrumptious?

Instead of using one recipe this time, I fused two different curd recipes: vegan grapefruit curd from Vegan Visitor and mango curd from smitten kitchen. The mango curd would have been perfectly fine, of course, but I found the egg yolks and butter unnecessary. I want to be able to enjoy the cake, instead of reaching my richness quota after a couple of bites.

Oh, and I am posting a doubled recipe, as I needed enough curd for at least two layers in the cake.


Vegan Mango Curd

INGREDIENTS

• 2 15oz. mangoes, peeled and pitted, cut in 1/2 inch cubes (or whatever)
• 1 cup sugar (I think you could get away with less, though)
• 6 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup soy milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Puree mangoes and sugar in a food processor until uniformly smooth.
2. Strain through a sieve into a saucepan. Discard solids.
3. Whisk lime juice, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl.
4. Heat mango puree over medium heat until bubbly, whisking constantly.
5. Whisk in lime mixture. Continue whisking until thickened. (It does not take long.)
6. Take curd off heat and whisk in soy milk.
7. Cool and store in the fridge overnight.
8. Make coconut cake. Eat an absurd amount... almost guilt-free. (disclaimer: not really.)

Look at that Rolex spoon. Word.

Disclaimer 2: The Wire Season 5 arrived today. I've already watched four episodes. Prepare for some serious urban vernacular. Please refer to your urban dictionary.