Vegan Heirloom Tomato Devil's Food Cake with Fluffy White Buttercream Frosting (Yup, it's chocolate and tomatoes . . . and my rollerblading/knitting escapades)

If you think you're a purist with chocolate, like I am, you may very well look askance at the very idea of tomatoes and chocolate and tsk-tsk this recipe away. Well don't. It's rich, decadent, moist, chocolate-y and has a to-die-for crumb. Top it off with a luscious vegan buttercream frosting and you'll be sooo happy your kitchen has become tomato central--you'll keep this cake in your weekly rotation. . . because the world would be a much better place if we all sat down and had a piece of cake at least once a week. Right now, we're on the "daily" piece of cake ration plan.

 Happiness ensues. 

The tomatoes starting rolling in about three weeks ago. And they haven't stopped. Something had to be done. And with tomatoes coming in by the bucketfuls, I've made every iteration of pasta you can imagine. No. Seriously. I have. Basil's the same way--coming in by the bunches! Normally, I would never in a million years complain about eating pasta. Ever. It's in my DNA to love it: Croatian/Italian--we LOVE our pasta. But a woman has her limits.

Thanks to an old book sale cookbook find ($4) from many years ago: Greene on Greens by Bert Greene--I was gifted yet one more use for The Tomato, and this cake. (And yes I am aware of the other 'tomato soup in the can' cake recipe out there)--but I think this one was first. According to Mr. Greene, an Incan plucked the first tomato and called it a tomatl. He adds the Italians (my ancestors)--retain the Borgia inheritance of pomodoro. The French, German and Spanish still call it tomate. I like tomate the best, lest I'm left wondering if and when the tomato gets the added "e".  

Somewhat of a red velvet appearance, wouldn't you say? But it is so much more than that.

See what I mean. So many tomatoes! (And zucchini, but we'll wait for a post about that later.)

Everything you need: pureed tomatoes, block of chocolate, some brown sugar and other stuff.

The chocolate gets blended into the rest of the "tomato" mixture, then baked. You will love this, I promise!

Summer has been swift and painless. . . for the most part. We've had a few hot, miserable, feels-like- you're-walking-around-in-a-steam-bath-all-day days, but overall, we've been lucky. Which concerns me. 

Meantime, no post would be complete without a some knitting updates. I've been busy--with lace. I received 2000 yds. of lace yarn in my Yarnbox last month! It took me completely by surprise. I mean, I would not have personally ever brought this much lace into my world--but here it is. So I think I want to knit Hannah Fettig's Featherweight Cardigan. Here's my sample knit. But my gauge is off. So I had to start over. Dang it. But I do love the color. That's. A. Lot. Of. Yarn.

Yarn: Unique Chic

Airy

Color: Fresh

I brought an old love out of the closet: my rollerblades! Well, these are not those rollerblades. These are the new and improved. I grew up on Lake Michigan and in our neighborhood, there was a pond that froze over every winter. One of my favorite memories is of ice skating on that pond. I used to skate quite a bit. Being tall and a little clumsy, sadly, I was never recruited for the Roller Derby. But a girl can dream.

 Nearly one year ago, I broke my ankle. As a result, my balance has been a bit off ever since. I tend to fall. One would think, and rightly so: Why on earth are you on rollerblades, Kelly? Well. . . I recently read an article about the benefits of rollerblading and its improving balance. With some very good protective gear, along with my bike helmet--(all mandatory rollerblading equipment) I was off to the races. Or off to the flattest park I could find. And trust me, even if the pavement looks flat--it still has dips and valleys. And it was in those valleys--the downhill ones in particular, that a very understanding husband accompanied me as I screamed, and then quickly composed myself, wrapping my arms around him tightly, almost pulling him to the ground with me. Because, note to self--lower to the ground, slower the going. People were very nice. Some biking around me saying, On your left. . . Okay, on your right. . . or whatever works! Then there was the woman passing me and told me I was "brave". That was so nice. Then when the biker passed us again, he shouted--You're doing great! Wow. So two miles later, I was feeling much better. More confident. And not a single scrape. Yay! More rollerblading will happen. But not without DH by my side. He got his share of a workout, too, trust me. I didn't realize he could sprint so quickly. (Sans rollerblades.)  

So here's some other scenes from summer so far. 

I know!? I'd been trying to catch a picture of this monster hummingbird for days. Finally!

One morning, the girls and I were walking and suddenly someone spotted something. 

A new baby turtle. I know! So adorable, with its little baby turtle paws. Or whatever you call them.

Whoa. These are our resident Mississippi Kites birds of prey which return to the neighborhood every year. I am constantly amazed by them.

The butterflies have finally arrived, too. 

Vegan Heirloom Tomato Devil's Food Cake with Fluffy White Buttercream Frosting

*Adapted from Greene on Greens by Bert Greene

2 medium heirloom tomatoes (about 1 pound in total)

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used a bar of Ghirardelli)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon Ener-G Egg Replacer

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick Earth Balance Vegan Butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray two 8" cake pans with nonstick spray, then line with parchment paper. Next, cut tomatoes into four pieces, squeeze out seeds (and save 'em for next year!), place in blender and mix until you have smooth tomato juice--you should have 1 1/4 cup of juice--if not, add water to the mix to make it so. In a small mixing bowl add the flour, baking soda, egg replacer and salt. Set aside. Place the brown sugar, chocolate, milk and olive oil in the top of a double boiler--stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the tomatoes and melted chocolate sugar to the granulated sugar mixture and blend until incorporated. Add the flour in three additions to the wet ingredients. Pour into baking pans--divide batter evenly between the two pans, and bake for 25 minutes. Don't over bake the cake! Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for ten minutes. Then remove cakes to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before frosting. Store in an airtight cake keeper.

White Buttercream Frosting 

1/4 cup vegan vegetable shortening 

1/4 cup vegan butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons soy creamer

1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (which really helps making the frosting appear more white)

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together the butter and shortening. Add the powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time, then add the soy creamer and vanilla extract. Continue blending until smooth. *If you need more powdered sugar, add a 1/4 at a time until the frosting is at desired consistency--which should be fluffy and yummy!