Devils Food Cupcakes with Fudge Frosting

I couldn't wait until Valentine's Day to make this recipe from the current issue of VegNews. So, I made it last night for dessert. Instead of the suggested Fluffy Frosting, I made Jo Stepanaik's Fudge Frosting which contains no powdered sugar, just chcoclate chips, silken tofu, vanilla and a little maple syrup. By the way, this frosting is amazing! It's so simple, and yet it is very simmilar to that trans-fat filled stuff you buy in the little tubs at the store--thick, creamy and very chocolate-y. You can find the recipe in Jo's book, The Vegan Source Book.

I was surprised to find the cake batter rather thick--more like cookie dough than cake batter. I followed the recipe exactly, however. Because I didn't have cake pans, I made cupcakes instead. The bake time remained essentially the same. The cupcakes themselves were rather dry and crumbly. I also found there wasn't quite enough sugar to balance the bitterness of the cocoa powder. I found that I needed to really slather on the frosting to make them sweet enough.

This is probably the healthiest cake recipe you could make, however. Whole wheat flour, olive oil, no refined sugars, and beets...yes, beets. The root vegetable gives a deep color and flavor which enhances the chocolate quite nicely. I didn't tell Rutiger about the beets, and I don't think he noticed the slightly earthy flavor in the cupcakes.

Overall, I was happy with the outcome of this baking experience. I can't even count the number of times I've tried to make vegan cake and what came out of the oven was a dry, dense, flavorless brick. I think if I were to make this again, I would add more moisture/liquid (possibly apple sauce) and add slightly more sugar, maybe maple syrup. Has anyone out there made this recipe and had different or simmilar results?