Black Forest Cake

CAKE
1 c Water

1 c Honey

1/2 c Applesauce

1 ts Vanilla

1 ts Vinegar

2 c Wholewheat pastry flour or

-- unbleached white flour 3/4 c Cocoa powder

1 tb Baking powder

1 ts Baking soda

---SYRUP

--- 1/2 c Water

1/4 c Honey

2 ea Thin lemon or orange slices

1/3 c Kirsch

---ICING

--- 3/4 c Raw cashews

3/4 c Water

2 ts Vanilla

1/2 c Honey

10 oz Firm tofu

3 oz Semi-sweet chocolate, melted

16 oz Jar pitted cherries, drained

CAKE: Preheat oven to 350F. Combine liquid ingredients in a large bowl & whisk well. Sift dry ingredients together & whisk into liquid mixture. Pour into greased & floured 9" cake tin & bake for 35 minutes or until springy. Cool cake completely & remove from pan. With a serrated knife, cut cake horizontally to make 3 thin layers. SYRUP: Combine first 3 ingredients in a small pot & boil for 3 minutes. Let cool & then add kirsch. ICING: In a blender, combine cashews, water & vanilla. Blend till smooth & creamy. Add honey & tofu & blend again. Set aside 2 c for the vanilla icing to go on top & sides of cake. To the rest of the mixture, add melted chocolate & 3 tb of syrup. Blend till smooth. Chill both icings before using. TO ASSEMBLE: Carefully remove the top two layers of cake. Brush some syrup onto bottom layer & spread half of chocolate icing over it. Place the middle cake layer on top & brush with syrup & icing. Put down a layer of cherries & dot with a little vanilla icing to help the top layer stick. Place the top layer on the cherries & brush again with syrup. Frost top & sides with vanilla icing. Decorate with cherries & pipe rosettes if desired. Chill several hours before serving. The cake can be kept covered if not being served till the following day. However, the frosting may discolour after about 3 days.