A simple and delicious vegan poppy seed coffee cake with a subtle hint of actual coffee flavor, this treat relies on pantry staples. If you’re looking for a simple coffee cake with a little something extra, look no further!
This beauty was contributed by Hannah Kaminsky, who writes: “Poppy seeds have the misfortune of only being associated with citrus when it comes to dessert. Always playing second fiddle and never in the spot light, their potential is entirely overlooked.
Pair poppy seeds with a robust flavor like coffee, however, and they practically come alive — nutty, crunchy, and certainly unique, this is a cake in which they can shine. Since coffee cake is a favorite pick for Mother’s Day celebrations, this version has been in high demand every time the date comes around.”
Poppyseed goodness: These tiny yet mighty seeds add a subtle crunch and nutty flavor to baked goods as well as savory dishes. Learn more in our Guide to Poppyseeds.
Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season
is available wherever books are sold
Recipe and photos are from Vegan Desserts: Sumptuous Sweets for Every Season by Hannah Kaminsky, © 2015, Skyhorse Publishing. Reprinted by permission.
Vegan Poppy Seed Coffee Cake
A simple and delicious poppy seed cake with a subtle hint of coffee flavor, this cake relies on pantry and fridge staples.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1/4 cup canola or other neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Coffee Cake
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter
- 3/4 cup natural granulated sugar
- 6 ounces nondairy yogurt or applesauce (2/3 cup)
- 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup plain nondairy milk
- 3/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Instructions
- Combine the crumb topping ingredients in a small bowl and work together with a fork until you have a mixture with clumps about the size of peas. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350º and lightly grease a 9-inch tube pan or square baking pan.
- Cream the vegan butter and sugar together in a bowl or in a stand mixer, scraping down the sides as needed, until thoroughly combined. Add in the nondairy yogurt or applesauce and beat briefly. The mixture will look chunky and somewhat curdled, but don't worry — it will smooth out once you add the remaining ingredients.
- Sift both flours, baking powder, and salt together, and add them to the bowl or stand mixer. Stir for just a minute to begin incorporating the dry goods, but it will still won't have enough moisture to be completely combined.
- That's where the next wave of ingredients comes in: Mix the nondairy milk and vinegar together in a small bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and coffee powder, stirring thoroughly until there are no more granules of coffee visible.
- Pour the mixture into the stand mixer while whisking on the lowest speed, pausing to scrape down the sides once or twice, and continue mixing until just combined. Or, if you’re not using a stand mixer, simply pour the mixture into the bowl with the flours and stir together until just well combined.
- Spoon half of the batter into your prepared pan. Smooth it out so that it fills the bottom of the pan evenly, and sprinkle the poppy seeds over it. Cover this layer with the remaining batter, smoothing it out again, and finally topping it with the crumb mixture.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until a knife or skewer comes out of the center clean. Let the cake cool to room temperature before slicing or cutting into squares or wedges to serve.
About Hannah Kaminsky: Hannah has developed an international following for her delicious recipes and mouthwatering food photography at the award-winning blog BitterSweet. Passionate about big flavors and simple techniques, she’s the author of Vegan Desserts, Vegan à la Mode, Easy as Vegan Pie, Real Food, Really Fast, Sweet Vegan Treats, The Student Vegan Cookbook, Super Vegan Scoops, and The Everyday Vegan Cheat Sheet Pan. Visit Hannah at BittersweetBlog.com.
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That looks freaking amazing! Lots of work, but I’ll have to make it some time.
Dale, it’s really not that much work! I’d say it was 20 minutes of hands on time for me, and it’s probably less if you use a stand mixer (which I didn’t; I did all the mixing by hand). Give it a try, my family loved this recipe by Hannah K!
Do you have nutritional information on this?
Nina, I don’t, sorry, The built-in analyzer in the recipe box does a really unreliable job. You could probably use a free app like My Fitness Pal to get an estimate.