Before my sister had an identity crisis a few years ago, I never really believed that vegan desserts could be moist and flavorful; I just figured that most desserts are made with dairy for a reason, so without it, how could they compare? But, boy was I wrong.
While I still hold onto the belief that some things are better with smooth cream, rich butter and fresh eggs, some vegan desserts are even better than their lactose-filled counterparts, and this is one of them. The Pumpkin Crumb Cake With Pecan Streusel from Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero’s Veganomicon cookbook is the perfect place for a non-vegan to start. With velvety pumpkin – the season’s star ingredient – crunchy pecans and silky, sweet molasses, you don’t miss the dairy at all.
So go ahead, step out of your comfort zone and try something a little different. At least you can say you tried.
Vegan Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel
What You Need:
Pecan streusel
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 Tablespoon canola oil
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Cake
- 1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin
- 3/4 cup soy milk
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons light molasses
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
What You Do:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
Prepare the streusel
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar and spices. Drizzle in the canola oil and mix with your fingertips until crumbs form. Add the pecans and mix.
Prepare the cake
In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, soy, milk, oil, granulated sugar, molasses and vanilla. Mix well. Add roughly half the flour, the baking powder, salt and spices, and use a fork to fold everything together. Add the remaining flour and mix gently until combined. Don’t use a hand blender for this, as pumpkin can get gummy if it’s mixed too aggressively. Blending with a fork helps maintain the texture.
Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it out with a spatula. Scatter the streusel on top as evenly as possible. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a knife inserted through the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, let cool and cut into squares.
The post Vegan Desserts are Delicious Too: Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel appeared first on The Campus Companion Kitchen.
