This spicy breakfast cake is a favorite of mine not only because it’s easy and delicious, but also because it’s one of the first recipes I successfully adapted to be gluten-free.   The cake is based on a recipe from Susan at FatFree Vegan, a lovely blog which offers perfect as-is recipes, but also consistently sparks my imagination to take an idea and play with it.

Those of us with dairy and eggs allergies owe a lot to vegans like Susan who have found ways to add structure, richness and moisture to baked goods without relying on butter and eggs.  Ban those two workhorses from the kitchen and you’ve got yourself a challenge if you love to bake.   This spunky little cake rises to that challenge quite nicely.

By itself this cake hits just the right level of sweetness for a breakfast bread, but with frosting I think it would make delicious cupcakes.  A few nights ago I improvised a quick vegan sour cream/candied ginger icing which hit the right flavor notes but failed to thicken beyond being a sauce.   There’s a project for another day.  I can’t say I really mind adding “perfecting frosting” to my to-do list.

Coconut Chai Breakfast Cake

2 chai teabags
1 C boiling water
1/3 C quinoa flakes
1/4 C sorghum flour
1/4 C corn flour (OK to sub another 1/4 C sorghum flour for the corn flour)
1/2 C tapioca starch
1/2 C almond flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
3/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C applesauce
1 T vinegar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C flaked coconut
1/2 C raisins

Prepare the chai ahead of time by steeping two teabags in one cup of boiling water until cool. You want a good strong tea, so don’t worry about over-steeping.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Combine the dry ingredients (quinoa flakes through sugar) in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the brewed chai, applesauce, vinegar, and extracts. Mix well, then stir in the coconut and raisins. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Cool in pan for about 5 minutes, then remove from pan onto a wire rack to prevent sogginess.