Makes 8 mini-poundcakes

These cakes are just lovely and darling. The crumb is somehow both dense and fluffy. The edges are crispy and sweet. And the almond flavor is simply bangin’.

And you know how I came up with the recipe? From my box of almond paste! Yes, I shamelessly ripped open the package and veganized one of the recipes that came inside. I actually made it several times, because I didn’t have the correct sized loaf pan, and instead of going out and getting the right size, I thought it was a better idea to futz with the recipe like five times.

Well, by the sixth time, I decided to just make them minis. Minis are so fun and giftable, and you can slice them up and serve with a little vegan cream and strawberries. It’s totally worth it to get a mini-loaf pan, I recommend this one. But if you have a 9×5 loaf pan, you can use that instead. I think the baking time will be more like 50 minutes to an hour, lowering the heat to 325 F after 40 minutes.

Notes

~I was lazy and simply used some premade vegan cream. I recommend either SoyAToo in a box (not the can), or Healthy Top.

~You can make a cute little bite-sized dessert outta’ these, that might be perfect for Spring holiday snacking. Slice a few of the loaves 1/4 inch thick, and top with a dollop of cream and a sliced strawberry. Now you’ve got a great little sweet that’s easy to grab.

~You can also make these into little individual cakes (or, fine, call them cupcakes) by using a muffin tin. Baking time will probably be around 24 minutes. Top with cream and sliced strawberry.

~Marzipan and almond paste are different things, believe it or not. Will marzipan work here? Ya know, maybe it would, but proceed at your own risk because I haven’t tried it.

Ingredients

7 oz almond paste

6 oz extra firm silken tofu (vacuum packed kind, like Mori-nu)

1 cup almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup refined coconut oil, melted

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease an 8-loaf mini-loaf pan.

Break almond paste up into smaller pieces and drop into a blender. Add the tofu, almond milk, and sugar. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything. Add the vanilla and stream in the melted coconut oil and blend again.

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until smooth. An electric hand mixer will work best because the batter is quite thick, but a strong metal whisk will get the job done, too.

Fill mini-loaf compartments about 3/4 full, this should be about 1/2 cup of batter. Bake for for 30 minutes, then lower heat to 325 F and bake for 10 more minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch.

Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve with cream and strawberries.