Food for Life – No Dairy Carob Cake, Raspberry Sauce, and Tofu Whipped Cream

Favorite Recipes from Staff and Friends of Steps to Life

[John the Baptist’s] diet, purely vegetable, of locusts [fruit of the carob tree] and wild honey, was a rebuke to the indulgence of appetite and the gluttony that everywhere prevailed.” Counsels on Health, 72.

Many healthful cooks avoid using baking soda, and they are wise to do so. Vegetarians get their B-vitamins primarily from whole grains and dried beans. Most of the B vitamins (Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Vitamins B6 and B12) are destroyed by an alkaline medium. Baking soda is alkaline. Not only does it destroy vitamins, but it tends to cause digestive disturbance in people with low production of stomach acids.

A baking soda substitute is available from Ener-G Foods (www.ener-g.com). Its only ingredient is calcium carbonate, a mineral often taken as a supplement.

Submitted by Paulette Miller

No Dairy Carob Cake

3 C all purpose flour

1 1/2 C Sucanat or raw sugar

1/2 C carob powder

2 t baking soda substitute

1 T vanilla

1 T salt

2/3 C oil or apple sauce

2 T lemon juice

2 C cold water

Using an electric mixer, mix all ingredients together. Bake in a 9” x 13” pan or a bundt pan, sprayed with a nonstick spray (or oiled and floured), 35 minutes at 350 degrees F. For a real treat, top slices of cake with Raspberry Sauce and Tofu Whipped Cream.

Raspberry Sauce

2 C fresh or frozen raspberries

2 C water

3/4 C honey

3 T cornstarch or arrowroot mixed in 1/4 cup water

Place raspberries, water and honey in a pan and bring to a boil. Slowly add cornstarch or arrowroot mixture, stirring constantly until thickened. May add more honey to taste.

Tofu Whipped Cream

1 C Mori-Nu Tofu, soft

4 T vegetable oil

2 T honey

1/2 t lemon juice

1/8 t salt

1 1/2 t vanilla (use white vanilla for a whiter cream)

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth and creamy. Chill and serve.

LandMarks reader and friend of Steps to Life, Paulette Miller and her family live near Sedalia, Colorado. This dessert is a treat on special occasions.

Recipe – Wakey Cake

The following recipe is one of the favorite desserts from the 2006 Steps to Life Camp Meeting.

Wacky Cake

3 cups flour

1-1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup carob powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Featherweight Baking Powder

2 cups water

1/2 cup oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 to 3 cups chopped walnuts

Mix all dry ingredients together, except sugar. Mix liquids and sugar together. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes in a treated 9-inch x 13-inch pan. Continue baking until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Coconut Pecan Frosting

3/4 cup double strength soy milk or creamer

1/4 cup soy margarine

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup honey, Sucanat, or Turbinado sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup coconut

Combine milk, margarine, cornstarch, and sweetener in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in remaining ingredients and spread on the top of the cake.

Note: Sweet desserts should be eaten only in small amounts and in moderation.