Strawberry Shortcake Anyone?

I have been on the road for a couple of weeks and it was so nice to get back into my own kitchen, unpack... and bake a cake! I am sure I have mentioned it before, but I am a midnight baker (yes, I made this term up, but I am sure there are others). Anyways, I had so many delicious vegan treats and desserts while I was gone that I felt I needed to.. well bake a cake.

I took stock of my ingredients as Edmonton is lacking in 24 hour grocery stores, so I was pretty much stuck with what I had in my place. Luckily my house / pig sitter, mom, left me some strawberries and with that the decision was obvious. Must make strawberry shortcake!

I did a little searching online and in the cookbooks and settles on what looked to be an amazing recipe at Honest Fare a lovely vegan blog with some yummy looking recipes. I have definitely bookmarked the page so I can take a closer look at what Gabrielle has on her site.

I tried to make the  cake and it was a completely failure. Similar to my last two attempts at baking, it was underdone and mushy in the middle. Further investigation uncovered devastating news... my oven is broken!

Luckily, this recipe involves hollowing out the middle of the cake to allow for a custard filling, so I made a second attempt (this time with a mix cake) and it turned out great! I cannot vouch for the cake recipe in the Honest Fare, but I can say the batter tasted great. So, if you are feeling lazy, follow my version with the mix cake. If you want a healthier and less-processed cake, follow Honest Fare or use your own favourite cake recipe.

Heavenly Strawberry Shortcake

• one cake in 9" round pan (I used a yellow cake mix, use whatever your favourite is!)
• 1 container firm silken tofu
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 sprinkle cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon oil
• A little soy milk
• ¼ cup cake (what you scooped out of the center of the cake)
• 2 cups of strawberries, chopped

First, make your cake following your recipe or package instructions. Bake in a 9" round pan and let cool completely. Once cooled, scoop out the centre of the cake. Leave about an inch around the edge and about 1/2 inch at the bottom.

Next, make the filling. Combine the remaining ingredients, except for the milk and strawberries (However, you could add a few strawberries in the custard for flavour and a pretty pink colour... I wish I had done that!). Blend with a hand blender or in a regular blender until it is smooth. It should be quite thick, similar to custard. Add a bit of milk if it is too thick and a bit more cake if it is too thin.

Pour the filling into the centre of the cake until it is filled. Add the chopped strawberries and cool for at least an hour before serving.

How easy is that? It takes a little time since you need to cool the cake then chill the finish product, but trust me... it is worth it!! And if you need further convincing... Strawberries are an excellent source of  dietary fiber, vitamin C and manganese and the tofu provides extra protein without any saturated fat!

Stay tuned for my full report on my travels in the beautiful state of Georgia this weekend and maybe some raw desserts since I am now short an oven!