Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Dates

I adapted this recipe from Veganomicon.

Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Dates

Streusel:
1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
1/3 cup regular oats
1/3 cup pecans
pinch of sea salt

Process in the food processor until crumbly. Set aside.

Cake:
1 (15-oz) can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups pitted medjool dates
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


2 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Blend the wet ingredients plus medjool dates in blender until dates well blended.
Whisk together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients from the blender until well mixed.
Spread mixture into pan. Top with streusel.
Cook for 45 to 50 minutes until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.


** This is my hubby's all time favorite cake!! A real winner.

Vegan Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake - made with dates

This is one of those recipes that helps you to know that you never have to go back to eating refined sugars. This cake is really, really, really good. (Did I mention that it is really good?)

I tweaked this recipe from the cookbook, Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. She is an amazing vegan chef, by the way. If you ever come across any of her recipes, give them a try!

Vegan Coconut Lemon Bundt Cake - made with dates

1 2/3 cups pitted medjool dates
2/3 cups coconut oil (use virgin to add to the coconut flavor)
1 (14 oz. can of coconut milk (reg or light - both work)
1/4 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 Tblsp finely grated lemon zest (really helps bring out lemon flavor)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F. Light grease bundt pan.

In blender blend dates, coconut milk, coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla, lemon juice until smooth.

In large bowl whisk together dry ingredients with the lemon zest. Add the blended wet ingredient. Fold in shredded coconut.

Pour batter in pan and bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted in cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.

I heart This Cake - Chocolate Beet Cake

I made this chocolate beet cake for Valentine's Day. After My husband took his first bite. He dropped his fork, turned to me and exclaimed "This is SO GOOD!" Well I thought it was great but I don't know if it was all that. But he could not stop gushing over it. In fact he only let himself eat one slice because he felt guilty eating more.

For this recipe I used coconut sugar for the first time. I bought this Sweet Tree brand at my local health food store. It has a very mild taste and itis great because it is organic, not highly processed so it still has a ton of nutrients in it and it is low on the glycemic index.

I got this recipe from greensmoothie girl but I changed it a bit. Here is my version:

Chocolate Beet Cake

3 eggs (organic, range fed)

¾ cup coconut oil (can substitute applesauce for half of this, if desired)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cups baked or steamed beets (about 2 medium-large beets, peeled)

4 Tbsp. baking cocoa (nonalkalized)

2 cups whole-wheat flour (soft white wheat, ground fine)

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

Puree beets in  blender with  eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and add chocolate and other ingredients. Bake in 9”x13” oiled pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

1 ½ cups Coconut sugar

Frosting

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa ½ cup coconut oil

½ cup powdered coconut sugar - to do this I blended up the sugar in the blender until it turned into a powder.

Cream together:

** Everyone liked it. My husband liked it best. E said "Mom, this is so good, it only tastes a little bit like dirt!"