I love a good coffee cake to serve as a snack or for breakfast, and when I needed a vegan version, this recipe is the one I turned to. My friend Leslie Cerier is an organic caterer and the author of Going Wild in the Kitchen.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 9-inch cake or about 12 servings

　　2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

　　1 tablespoon baking powder

　　1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, or more to taste

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1/3 cup safflower oil

　　1/3 cup maple syrup

　　1 cup apple juice

　　

Walnut crumble topping

1/2 cup walnuts

　　1 teaspoon cinnamon, or more to taste

　　1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, or more to taste

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9-inch square or round baking pan or a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan.

　　

Step 2

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir together.

　　

Step 3

Make a well in the center and pour in the oil, syrup, and apple juice. Stir until completely mixed. Add a little more cinnamon if you’d like a more pronounced scent and flavor.

　　

Step 4

Process the walnuts in a food processor until finely ground. Combine them in a small bowl with the cinnamon and vanilla and stir together. Taste, and add more cinnamon and/or vanilla if you’d like.

　　

Step 5

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the walnut mixture.

　　

Step 6

Bake in the shallow pan for 30 minutes or the loaf pan for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center tests clean. Cool until just warm, then cut into squares, wedges, or slices to serve.

　　

nutrition information

Step 7

Calories: 170

　　

Step 8

Total Fat: 9g

　　

Step 9

Protein: 3g

　　

Step 10

Carbohydrates: 21g

　　

Step 11

Fiber: 2g

　　

Step 12

Sodium: 140mg

　　Reprinted with permission from Vegan Express: Featuring 160 Recipes for Quick, Delicious, and Healthy Meals by Nava Atlas. Copyright © 2008 by Nava Atlas. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Nava Atlas is the author of nine cookbooks, including The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, and Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband and two teenage sons (all vegans).