I refused to eat tofu as a kid. It probably had something to do with the name: “toe”-foo. Toes reminded me of feet, feet were stinky, and I protested against putting anything smelly near my mouth. (Especially French Roquefort cheese. Bleck!)
But as I transitioned to veganism 2 years ago, I realized a lot more than my feet would be stinky if I depended on black and garbanzo beans as my only protein. I avoided tofu for weeks by trying tempeh and seitan first. Eventually I gave in, hunted around on the internet, and discovered the “dry-fry” method. It actually made the tofu edible—even enjoyable!
Yet I just couldn’t bring myself to try tofu desserts. I saw recipes for brownies, custards, and mousses—and decadent and tempting!—but my sweet tooth never craved “toe”-foo.
Until Mrs. Webb revealed that my favorite fudgy frosting from her bakery included it. My eyes widened, my jaw dropped, and my mind raced. I need to bake my own chocolate tofu treat!
I chose cupcakes, and I managed to consume five over the course of one day. Even my guy, an avoid chocolate-avoider, devoured two before I could spill the (soy) beans about the secret ingredient!
modified from this recipe
These cupcakes are really moist! If making the cupcakes ahead of time, wait to add the drizzle until just before serving. (It’ll liquefy and run if you store the cupcakes in Tupperware!)
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 24 muffin cups with cupcake papers, and lightly mist with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the cupcakes, whisk together the flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Cut the tofu into 1”-cubes, and mix into the dry ingredients using a fork. (The batter will be very thick.) Stir in the vanilla and water, which will thin out the batter.
- Evenly distribute the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, and bake at 350° for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To prepare the drizzle, place the peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on HIGH for 10 seconds. Mix in the milk until smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. Drizzle over the tops of the cooled cupcakes.
TOFU of course!! What a great addition to dessert!! Extra boost of protein and goodness!! YUM!
Yes!! I know you’ve used tofu with pumpkin pie before, but I’m too much of a chocoholic. I just had to bake a chocolate dessert first!
I WAS GOING TO SAY TOFU WHEN I SAW THEM ON INSTAGRAM!!! True story. But then it was 3 in the morning and I passed out with my mobile on my face and drool dripping down my mouth. Not a pretty sight, lemme tell you. YUM! I wish I could eat soy-based products, but again…no pass. 🙁 Sad.
Looks yummy!!!! And look at that drizzling technique. Peanut butter, mmm..
You’d be the first person to guess it correctly! Others have suggested beets, applesauce, and cauliflower, but not tofu. I’m not surprised though, seeing as this is out of the norm for me! And shh, but I used a plastic baggie with a tiny hole cut out of the corner for drizzling the icing… I’m not pro enough to do it with a spoon or whisk alone!
I love how simple this recipe is. It doesn’t involve a million ingredients. They also look delicious! 🙂
Thanks! I’m getting into “recipe reduction” as well. Sometimes when we add too many ingredients, their flavors get muddled and simplification would let the stars shine!
These are gorgeous! And I’m SO glad I was able to turn you onto tofu in desserts! I love that it’s impossible to tell that it’s in there (when used correctly!), so it’s a small triumph for me any time I get a picky eater to eat a dessert with it in it. 😉
Exactly!! And my guy is one of the pickiest eaters I know. So for him to (a) eat two chocolate cupcakes with (b) tofu (which he actually considers a vegetable, funny enough), I know they must have been a success. And no soy flavor at all! :]
Cupcakes with tofu..sounds really interesting. I have to try them sometime 🙂
Thanks! I loved how moist they turned out, and we couldn’t taste the tofu at all. Definitely worth trying if you feel like a twist on your regular chocolate cupcakes!
Love this! Woohoo for tofu treats 😉
Thanks!! Gettin’ a little sneaky with my desserts, but no one seems to mind yet! ;]
Just put these in the oven, made a small modification of 3/4 flax meal. Taste test I the batter was great hope the end product is even better. Loved that I had all the ingredients in the house didn’t have to go to the store.
That’s wonderful! I really hope you enjoy the finished cupcakes too. I love simple recipes; I can be so lazy when it comes to making a trip to the store! ;]
Love tofu! My mother used to make Jello Tofu pie. Made it many times for family and friends, they don’t know it has tofu in it! 🙂
Also great with a cream cheese layer
Jello tofu pie? That sounds really interesting Princess! It’s always fun to surprise people with tofu treats, isn’t it? 🙂