Cream cheese icing and Death By Chocolate cake from The Grit

Though The Grit's cookbook has been out for many years now, it's oddly difficult to find its recipes online if, say, you can't currently find your copy.

So here are recipes for a phenomenal vegan cake called Death by Chocolate and the very un-vegan cream cheese icing.

Death by Chocolate

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups strong brewed coffee
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

Chocolate Icing

• 1 (12 ounce) packages firm silken tofu
• 3 cups semisweet vegan chocolate chips (many semisweet brands contain no dairy)

Directions:

Prep Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 50 mins 

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 3 (9-inch) round cake pans, dust with flour, and line bottom with parchment or wax paper.
2. Sift together dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add oil and vanilla extract. With electric mixer on low speed, blend until fully combined. With mixer on medium speed, gradually blend in coffee. When mixture is smooth, add vinegar and blend on low speed just until combined.
3. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or just until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center of layers comes out clean.
4. Remove from oven and cool 15 to 20 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pans and allow layers to cool completely before icing.

Chocolate Icing:

1. Drain excess fluid from silken tofu, crush and place in a medium saucepan with chocolate chips.
2. Stir together over medium heat until chocolate is very soft. Transfer to food processor and puree until fully blended.
3. Cool to spreadable consistency and frost between layers, and top and sides of cake.

 

Cream Cheese Icing

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, slightly softened and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups powdered confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract  

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth.
2. Add butter and beat until smooth, creamy, and fully combined.
3. Add powdered confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract and beat slowly until sugar is incorporated.
4. Beat until consistency is extremely smooth and fluffy.