Orange Coffee Cake with Chocolate Pecan Streusel

Absolutely decadent . . . but not so rich that you can’t enjoy a healthy slice. The hint of orange so enhances the chocolate that it’s intoxicating. The pecans are just the right level of richness to create the perfect combo. Don’t forget the omega-3 essential fatty acid in the hempseeds. Talk about having your cake and eating it, too!

Makes 10-12 Servings

Ingredient List:

Streusel

• 1½ cups coconut sugar granules
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons vegan butter substitute
• 1½ cups coarsely chopped lightly toasted pecan pieces
• 2 teaspoons shelled hempseeds
• 1 cup non-dairy, dark chocolate chips

Cake

• 3 cups sprouted whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Generous pinch sea salt
• ¾ cup avocado oil
• ⅔ cup brown rice syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1½ cups whipped organic silken tofu (see note below)
• ¼ cup fresh orange juice
• ½ to 1 cup unsweetened organic almond or soy milk

Step By Step Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly oil and flour a 13 × 9-inch baking pan.

To make the streusel: Whisk the sweetener and cinnamon together to blend. Add the oil and mix with a fork to create small, moist clumps. Mix in the pecans, hempseeds and chocolate chips. Set aside.

To make the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl, whisking briskly to impart air into the batter. Mix in the oil, rice syrup, vanilla, orange zest, tofu and orange juice. Slowly add milk, stirring, to create a smooth, spoonable batter. Spoon half the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the streusel over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the streusel and carefully spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining streusel.

Bake for 20 minutes. Loosely cover with foil, so the topping doesn’t brown too quickly, and bake for 20 minutes more. Remove the foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake springs back to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

COOK’S TIP: For whipped silken tofu, simply purée in a food processor or blender until smooth.