The
traditional recipe for pound cake includes a pound each of flour, butter, eggs,
and sugar. The way to make this “Vegan
Pound Cake” (page 448), while still a rich and satisfying treat, is much
lighter. And, when you replace the oil with applesauce, like I did, the health
profile improves a bit more. The recipe is very simple, using flour, sugar,
baking powder, non-dairy milk and tofu for the batter, flavored with vanilla
extract. Initially I was concerned that leaving out the oil would cause the
cake to be dry and crumbly, so I opted to stay with the all-purpose (white)
flour instead of substituting whole wheat
or whole wheat pastry flour. I also used a scant ½ cup of applesauce to
replace the ¼ cup of oil. This is the amount of applesauce found in the snack
size containers sold under many different labels (look for the no-sugar added
varieties). Happily, the final result was a delicious cake both moist and
delicious.
Slices of this
cake are perfect for topping with sliced fresh fruit, vegan whipped cream, or dessert
sauces, but is equally delicious with no additions at all. I made this treat
for a 4th of July gathering, and topped each slice with
strawberries, whipped cream, and blueberries for a red, white and blue theme. This
was a fun and festive presentation that was met with rave reviews!
Keeping it
“McDougall Friendly” checklist:
- Replace the ¼ cup
of oil with a scant ½ cup of unsweetened applesauce.
- Although I
didn’t try this myself, to make this even healthier, substitute whole wheat
pastry flour for the all-purpose (white) flour.
