Chocolate Cream Filling and Frosting
(Yield: 5 1/2 to 6 cups, enough to fill and frost one 9-inch two or three-layer cake)

Unless you have a food processor with at last an 8-cup bowl, make the cream in two batches. The tofu will have to drain for 24 hours and the prepared cream may have to chill 1 to 6 hours to thicken, so this is a recipe to make ahead.

Ingredients
2 (16-ounce) packages of silken tofu, or 3 (12.3-ounce) aseptic boxes firm silken tofu
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup light organic cane sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
18 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
3 to 10 tablespoons chocolate, vanilla, or plain soymilk, if needed

Directions
If you are using the 16-ounce packages of tofu, set a wire mesh strainer over a bowl. Put the tofu in the strainer, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours. It is important to choose a bowl that allows the strainer to sit above the liquid that will accumulate. (Save the liquid to use in smoothies if you like. Draining the excess liquid helps reduce any bean flavor and creates a thicker cream.) If you are using tofu in the 12.3-ounce aseptic boxes, just drain the liquid from the boxes and proceed with the recipe.

Combine the tofu, oil, and salt in a food processor, and process about 1 minute until pureed. Use a rubber spatula to clean the sides of the bowl and add the sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Process 1 to 2 minutes, until the tofu mixture is smooth.

Add the melted chocolate and pulse the processor three or four times to incorporate. Process 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is very creamy. Refrigerate in the processor for 20 minutes. If you used the aseptic boxes of tofu, the cream may need to chill for 1 to 6 hours in order for it to become firm enough to spread.

The degree of firmness will determine the amount of soymilk needed to create the final texture. It should be thick but easy to spread. Dip an icing spatula into the cream to test to the texture. If the cream is too stiff to use, add 3 tablespoons of the soymilk and process 1 minute. Add more soymilk, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. When the cream is ready to use, spoon it into a bowl and begin to assemble the cake.