Vegan & Gluten-Free Buckwheat Apple Ring Cake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1½ cup buckwheat flour
• ¼ flaxseed meal
• ¾ cup almond meal, sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg 

Wet:

• 1½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or other non dairy milk) mixed with 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar (this makes a buttermilk)
• zest and juice of one lemon

Add-ins:

• 4 large apples, peeled and cored. 2 apples sliced, 2 apples cut into small chunks
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup pecans
• 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Generously coat a spring form tube pan with baking spray. (Make sure you use a spring form pan, else you'll end up having to do what I did, which is flip your cake upside down to unmold it. NOT ideal, let me tell you!)
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the lemon zest to the flour and mix it together with your fingers to release the lemon flavor; Add raisins and pecans and stir until well coated and evenly distributed; set aside.
3. In another large bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients and stir delicately with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until well incorporated. Fold in the apple chunks.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared ring pan. Place the apple slices around the top of the batter. Sprinkle the shredded coconut on top of the apple slices.
5. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for 5-10 minutes then remove from pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.

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