Maple Brown Sugar Pound Cake

It's that time of year, isn't it? Mother Nature flips a switch and fall just starts. It looks feels and even smells like fall here. If you're a fan of summer and in mourning, this cake should help you come to terms with the seasonal changes. No matter what, cake can always save the day.

This isn't an elegant cake, but it's a rich, moist and addictive one, just the same. It's one of those desserts that you can whip up in a pinch when the mood strikes you, because all the ingredients are things that people usually have around the kitchen. The only exception may be maple extract, but that's pretty easy to find at the store. Applesauce is the perfect egg substitute for this and pretty much any other pound cake. An equal amount of mashed banana would work as well.





Ingredients

For the cake:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup soy or almond milk
1 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla

For the maple glaze:
1 tbsp soy or almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp maple extract
1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the applesauce, milk, molasses and vanilla and mix well. Incorporate half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix them until they just come together, then repeat with the other half. Spread the batter evenly into the loaf pan. It will be thick, so don't expect it to just pour out like a lot of other cake batters.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes or so, then run a knife around the edge and invert it onto a plate. Let it cool completely before glazing.

To make the maple glaze, combine the milk, vanilla and maple extracts in a bowl. Whisk in the sugar a bit at a time until the glaze reaches a smooth consistency.

When the cake has cooled completely, pour the glaze over the top, letting it drizzle down the sides. You can help it along with a rubber spatula if it's not getting there, but there should be enough to get the job done.

I never seem to have any on hand, but you could totally make this extra special by topping it with some chopped walnuts. Slice off a hunk or two and enjoy!