Iced Lemon Pound Cake

So, by day (and sometimes night), I manage a small Starbucks in a cute, little college town.  I really enjoy the coffee, in case you haven't deduced, and I used to really enjoy the food (ask my waistline).  That is, until I stopped eating eggs and dairy and it became, more or less, off-limits.

We taste our coffees together regularly to be familiar with our line ups and to feed our own caffeine addictions, oftentimes pairing them with complimentary food to bring out key flavors.  Enter Lemon Loaf.  One of the most complimentary pairings with my favorite African coffee, Kenya.  Exit Lemon Loaf.  Definitely not vegan.

WAIT A MINUTE!  I thought this blog is supposed to be about loving food despite being vegan.  Why would I give up that easily?

Enter Iced Lemon Pound Cake (vegan).  I stumbled upon a vanilla pound cake with lemon icing recipe in the Veganomicon the other night when I was unexpectedly home for an extra few hours.  I had to make do with a few substitutions, because I didn't really have time to run to the store (or energy, really).  Using what I know of the lemon loaf at Starbucks, I went to work, trying to make my own vegan (and better tasting and healthier) version.

My recipe included (and again, was adampted from Vanilla-Yogurt Pound Cake):

1 c. blended silken tofu
3/4 c. vanilla soy milk
1 1/4 c. raw sugar
1/2 c. coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
the juice of 1 organic lemon, freshly squeezed.
2 c. flour
3 Tbsp. arrowroot poweder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch of sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325.  Use your thermometer!
2. Start by blending up the silken tofu, then adding the soy milk & coconut oil.  Warm this mixture, while stirring, until the coconut oil had liquified.
3. Combine with the sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.
4. Sift in the remaining Ingredients, then mix thoroughly until a thick batter emerges.

5. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 60-65 minutes.  If your cake takes a little bit longer, that's alright, but don't overcook it trying to dry it out!  This is a moist, dense cake :D

To make the frosting, I just whisked the zest from 1 organic lemon & the juice from that lemon with confectioner's sugar, until it reached a desired consistency.  I made this icing thicker than the drizzle on the lemon loaf (although it's the same icing, with the zest added) so it would stay put a little bit better.

It was really delicious with the dried cranberries.  I might try baking them in next time!

My husband is a big fan of the Marble pound cake at Starbucks.  So I think that I have my next challenge lined up for me. . . or my seventh next challenge, since my list just keep growing!

Happy Baking!