ABOUT THE RECIPE:

When apple picking is in season, here’s a moist and delicious quick cake to serve for dessert, mid-morning coffee break, or breakfast treat! Try serving it with "Vegan Whipped Topping" (recipe below) for a festive supper or holiday sweet. If you would like this cake to be gluten-free, be sure to purchase certified gluten-free oat flour.

Makes 8 Servings

INGREDIENTS:

1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to coat pan
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups (lightly packed) gluten-free oat flour (use gluten-free oats, if needed; see note below)
1⁄3 cup vegan cane sugar
2½ teaspoons baking powder
½ rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to top cake
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2⁄3 cup maple syrup
1 medium ripe banana, peeled and thickly sliced
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup unsweetened, plain or vanilla-flavored dairy-free milk
2 scant cups unpeeled, cored, and diced apples (any variety is fine)
Vegan powdered (confectioners’) sugar, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally coat a 9-inch square, rimmed baking pan with oil.

Put the walnuts into a blender and process into coarse crumbs. Put the walnut crumbs, oat flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine.

Put 1⁄3 cup oil, maple syrup, sliced banana, and vanilla into a blender and process until smooth. Add the banana mixture and dairy-free milk to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the diced apples. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle some cinnamon over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes. Decrease the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top of the cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out almost clean.

Put the pan on a wire rack. Gently run a table knife around the perimeter of the cake. Cool for 30 minutes. Slice into squares and serve warm, with powdered sugar sprinkled over the top, or refrigerate and serve cold. (Note: Cake will be soft while it is still warm.) Covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator, leftover cake will keep for 3 days.

NOTE: It is easy to make homemade oat flour for this recipe, if desired. To do so, put about 2½ cups quick cooking or old fashioned rolled oats into a blender and process into fine flour. Measure the flour, and proceed as directed.

NOTE: If you would like this cake to be gluten-free, be certain to purchase certified gluten-free oat flour or rolled oats.

VEGAN WHIPPED TOPPING

14 to 16 ounces extra-firm regular tofu, drained
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put all of the ingredients in a blender and process until very, very smooth. Taste and add more maple syrup if a sweeter flavor is desired. Refrigerate 2 to 4 hours or up to 24 hours and serve.