Vegan Coffee Cake with Cinnamon-Walnut Crumble
A tender vegan coffee cake sweetened with maple syrup, layered with a ribbon of cinnamon sugar and finished with a crunchy cinnamon-walnut crumble. Baked in a 9x9 pan and cut into 9 generous squares.
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Servings: squares
Equipment
- 9x9-inch baking pan
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the cinnamon-walnut crumble
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter melted, or refined coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup walnuts coarsely chopped
For the cinnamon swirl
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup apple juice
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup safflower oil or other neutral vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a 9x9-inch metal baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang on two sides so you can lift the cake out later.
- Make the crumble: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour in the melted vegan butter and vanilla and stir with a fork, then pinch with your fingertips until the mixture forms moist clumps. Stir in the chopped walnuts and set aside (chill it while you make the batter for chunkier clumps).
- Make the cinnamon swirl: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the apple juice, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Stir with a spatula just until no dry streaks of flour remain; a few small lumps are fine. Don't overmix.
- Spread about half of the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon swirl mixture evenly over it. Drop the remaining batter over the top in spoonfuls and gently spread it to cover the cinnamon layer as well as you can.
- Scatter the crumble evenly over the batter, breaking up any very large clumps, and press it down lightly so it sticks.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crumble is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes so it can set, then cut into 9 squares (3 rows by 3). Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Flour: The original version of this recipe used whole wheat pastry flour, which still works well, 1:1. It gives a slightly darker, nuttier cake. Don't use regular whole wheat flour, which makes the cake heavy.
Pan: The recipe is sized for a 9x9-inch pan. In a dark nonstick pan, start checking at 30 minutes; in a glass pan, lower the oven to 325°F and allow a few extra minutes.
Apple juice: Unsweetened plant milk can replace the apple juice; the cake will be a little less sweet and fruity.
Nut-free: Leave out the walnuts and add ⅓ cup old-fashioned rolled oats to the crumble instead.
Storage: Keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. The cake freezes well, wrapped in squares, for up to 3 months.
Nutrition (Estimate per Serving)
Calories: 439kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 5gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 361mgPotassium: 172mgFiber: 2gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 301IUCalcium: 136mgIron: 2mg
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