So, I did not intend to make this a cake. It started as Apple Maple Walnut Bread, but somehow the whole bread bit got lost along the way and it turned into a cake. A soft, buttery, utterly delicious cake. And you know, I like cake and I’m going to damn well eat it for breakfast because I do what I want. Take that, bread.
I’m kind of grumpy because I have a to-do list that is a million miles long and I have gotten exactly none of it done the past two weekends. It’s been grrrreat because we’ve done a lot of hanging out with friends, but our house is a disaster, I am way wayyyy behind on my blogging, and the wedding has not been planned yet. I know, my life is hard. SO HARD.
So to make me fee better, CAKE! Yup, I just did that. I made a similar recipe 4 years ago and scribbled it down in my little recipe notebook I keep. I’ve gone back to it time and again, but the urge really only strikes when there is a bit of chill in the air, and when the apples are at their prime. This time I was out of a couple of my standard ingredients, so I changed it up a bit and am in love with the result. Super tender and just sweet enough, with chunks of apple and walnut throughout.
Just to take it over the top, I made a quick icing and, as you can tell, made a complete mess. Evidenced below. If you do this, make sure your icing is rather thick before pouring, a good amount thicker than it actually needs to be. I don’t have a recipe for it, but just combine a bunch of powdered sugar with a bit of vanilla extract and some almond milk and stir stir stir until it’s smooth. And thick. Make sure it’s thick.
The slices are really perfect just on their own – no butter or jam required. I ate some for my morning snack and again for my afternoon snack because 1) I had a rough day, and 2) cake. Need I say more? Oh wait, yes. Vegan.
If you make this and love it, share it with your friends! Tag it #rootsfood on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest – I love to see what you guys make!
Also, how do you guys feel about the mini blog redesign? I changed up the sidebar a bunch and am hoping it looks a lot cleaner and more organized. Yesh? Any other thoughts?
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted, vegan or otherwise (I used Earth Balance)
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp ground flax seed + 5 Tbsp water
- 1 cup chopped apple
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8×4″ baking pan.
- Combine the flax seed and water in a small bowl and let thicken for about 5 minutes.
- Combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Place the melted butter, the flax seed mix, and the maple syrup in a large bowl and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and stir until almost combined, then mix in the apples and walnuts (you want these to be in small-ish pieces). The batter is a bit loose, but you can add a bit more flour if needed, just be careful not to overmix.
- Pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean (check at 40 minutes just in case).
- Let cool completely, then carefully remove from the pan. Make an icing, if desired (see text above), then pour it over the top and let harden before serving.