Chocolate Rum Cake

This chocolate cake is entirely vegan and you’d never guess it. Silken tofu replaces eggs and dairy in both the batter and the frosting, creating a moist, rich crumb that rivals any butter-based recipe.

The batter combines pureed tofu with maple syrup, brewed espresso, rum, and vanilla, whisked smooth before the dry ingredients go in. The espresso deepens the chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee, and the rum adds a warm, boozy undercurrent that carries through every layer.

Three rum deliveries in one cake: in the batter, brushed on as a warm maple-espresso-rum syrup between layers, and blended into the frosting. Each application hits differently. The batter rum bakes into the crumb, the syrup soaks in and keeps things moist, and the frosting rum stays front and present.

The frosting is just extra-firm silken tofu blended with melted semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla, and dark rum until glossy and smooth.

Chef Tips

• Use pureed silken tofu, not firm or extra-firm, for the batter. It needs to be completely smooth or you’ll get lumps
• The cakes bake fast at only 15 minutes. They’re done when the top springs back when touched. Overbaking dries them out quickly
• Brush the rum syrup while the layers are still slightly warm so they absorb it better
• Let the frosted cake chill for 30 minutes before slicing for the cleanest cuts

Variations

• Replace rum with bourbon for a Southern-style twist
• Use barley malt syrup instead of maple syrup in the rum syrup for a darker, more complex sweetness
• Add a pinch of cayenne to the batter for a Mexican hot chocolate vibe