Our Go-To Parve Chocolate Cake

In addition to our love of baking, the Baking Sisters also keep Kosher. Since meat products and dairy products cannot be mixed in the same meal, this means that it is sometimes necessary to bake a dessert with no dairy in it (also known as parve). This means no butter, milk, cream or chocolate made with milk. For some, this might seem a travesty of baking. For the baking sisters, it is a challenge!

This cake is the go-to parve chocolate cake in our family. It is moist, has good chocolate flavor and is easy, thanks to the fact that it is based in a cake mix. It is almost impossible to screw it up! The cake comes from page 389 of The Cake Mix Doctor. Normally, we would not be ones to use cake mix (we like to bake from scratch), but when you are running out of time on a Friday afternoon before Shabbat, sometimes it is just easier to dump it in a bowl and go, without worry about whether or not the cake will turn out. Besides, there is no shame in using cake mix when it produces such a yummy recipe.

The frosting is different than the one recommended in the book. We made a parve chocolate cream cheese frosting. It is delicious -- just the right amount of tang. You can find the recipe below.

This cake can either be served at room temperature, or right out of the fridge, where it takes on a deeper, fudgier, flavor.

Dark Chocolate Chiffon Cake

5 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 (18 1/4 ounce) package plain devil's food cake mix

3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil (any kind)

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and set aside an ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

2. Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high until stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.

3. Place the cake mix, egg yolks, water, oil, coffee powder, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and blend on low for 1 minute. Stop the machine to scrap down the sides with a rubber spatula then increase mixing speed to medium and beat for 2 more minutes, continuing to scrap the sides of the bowl as needed. Turn the beaten egg whites on top of the batter and with a rubber spatula fold the whites in to the batter until the mixture is combined but still light. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top and place the pan in the oven.

4. Bake the cake until it springs back when pressed with your finger and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and without batter, about 48 to 52 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately turn it upside down over the neck of a glass bottle. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a serving platter so it is right side up.

Parve Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 8oz container Tofutti cream cheese
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use really good stuff, because that is the main flavor)
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups confectioners sugar

Use the whisk attachment to mix the cream cheese and the margarine until they are light and fluffy. Add the other ingredients and mix until you achieve the desired texture. If you like your frosting less sweet, just reduce the sugar a bit.