Fluke Apple Cake (Vegan)

I have never been particuarly talented with desserts...especially bakery. I used to make a cake which involved no baking whatsoever....it was called the Heaven Cake. It got its name after its divine taste, as well as how fast it was going to lead you to death because of its ginormous fat content.

But yesterday I baked my first spicy vegan apple cake - and I've called it a fluke because

a) I couldn't find the flour anywhere...it popped up in a forgotten corner of the fridge, and it wasn't the best flour for baking cakes (Manitoba flour)

b) my mum had hidden the baking tray

c) I mistook the nutmeg as cinnamon...oops...

BUT - lo and behold: it turned out fantastically! (Unlike this photo)So I want to share the recipe with you. I timidly presented it to my uncle today, who is THE official taster of the family, and the fact that he not only ate the slice assigned to him, but also took away half a tray nicely packed up in a bag...well, I would call that major success.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of wholemeal or plain flour

- 1/2 cup of manitoba flour (if you only have plain flour, then just use 1 cup of plain flour for the whole thing, and call it a day!)

- 1 cup of rice/soya/almond milk

- 1 cup of brown sugar

- 2 tablespoons of maize oil

- 1 tablespoon of rice malt (optional...I just wanted to finish off my jar)

- 2 teaspoons of "cremor tartaro" (this is what I use in Italy....equivalent to yeast)

- 3 apples: peeled and chopped up into small pieces

- sesame seeds: I love them so I just pour them in...up to you.

- pinch of salt

- cinnamon powder (how much? You decide)

- nutmeg powder: one teaspoon? Nutmeg has heating qualities...so easy on it....I poured mine in thinking it was cinnamon. In fact, I was looking at it thinking "gosh, this cinnamon looks really dark". Yeah, because it's nutmeg!

Mix together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, yeast, cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder, sesame seeds, salt. Add the other two ingredients: rice milk and apples. Mix it all together. If the mixture is very watery, add some flour. I left mine quite runny and once baked it had a nice soft consistency. Follow your instinct...what are the cake angels whispering into your ear?

May I suggest...nuts would go beautifully in this cake. A match made in heaven.

Preheat oven to 180 C, and pour mixture into an oiled baking tray....place in oven. It will take about 40 minutes to bake, if not a bit more...maybe an hour. Remember that the apples are very wet, so I'd leave it in a little longer rather than pulling it out too soon. When you see that it's turned a nice dark golden color on top, leave it in the oven for five minutes and then pull it out to cool.

Prepare some nice herbal infusion and have a tea party! I would love to have people over for cake...I had to drive 40 minutes to get the cake to my uncle (well, I wasn't going there just for that). My mum is intollerant to gluten, so that leaves me alone with one BIIIG cake to finish. Well, going up to talk to my new plants now....I'll post the Very Chocolate Vegan Cake recipe soon!