ABOUT THE RECIPE:

This totally tasty and moist cake is enhanced with a refreshingly zingy lemon-lime flavor. It makes a wonderful afternoon snack or a perfect treat to accompany a cup of coffee or tea.

Makes 8 servings

Prep Time: 12 minutes / Bake Time: 45 to 52 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to coat pan 
• 1 cup sweetened or unsweetened, plain (or vanilla flavored) dairy-free milk 
• ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (zest before squeezing) 
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 
• 2½ cups freshly ground oat flour (use gluten-free oats if needed, see notes)
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegan cane sugar, divided 
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest 
• 2¼ teaspoons baking powder 
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• 1½ cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped, plus 24 halves to top cake 
• 6 tablespoons water, plus more if needed

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Generously coat a 9-inch square rimmed baking pan with olive oil. 

Put the dairy-free milk, lemon juice and lime juice into a pitcher or bowl and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Add ⅓ cup olive oil and stir to combine. 

Put the flour, 1 cup sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk until well combined. Add the chopped pecans and stir to combine. Add the dairy-free milk/olive oil mixture and 6 tablespoons water and mix with a large spoon until incorporated. (If batter still seems a bit dry, add 1 more tablespoon water.) 

Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Arrange 24 pecan halves artfully over the top of the cake and sprinkle the top of the batter with 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 35 minutes. Decrease the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 10 to 17 minutes, or until the top is slightly crisp, firm to the touch, and the edges are golden. Put the pan on a wire rack and gently run a table knife around the perimeter of the cake. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Tightly wrapped and stored in the refrigerator, leftover cake will keep for 3 days.

• CHEF’S NOTE: If you are baking gluten-free, be certain to use certified gluten-free rolled oats to make your oat flour. If you are not baking gluten-free, you may use 2 to 2¼ cups of whole wheat flour in place of the oat flour, if desired. If you are using the whole wheat flour, decrease baking powder to 2 teaspoons and decrease baking time by 5 to 7 minutes.

HOW TO MAKE OAT FLOUR:

To make freshly ground oat flour for this recipe, put 3 cups quick cooking or old fashioned rolled oats into a blender (or food processor) and process into coarse flour. This will yield approximately 2½ cups oat flour. If desired, you may use pre-packaged, pre-milled oat flour, however, freshly ground oat flour is preferable and will create a lighter cake!