Have Your Cake and Vegan Too (33 page)

 

If your rice cooker is very basic, just select start. If you have more options, cook on the setting you would use to make white rice. For a fluffy, finished cake, cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For a lava cake, check after 20 minutes; the outer edges and top should be set, but the middle still very moist.

 

For the fully cooked cake, when the rice cooker alarm sounds that it is done, remove the pot from the rice cooker and let cool for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Gently loosen the cake with the edge of a rubber spatula or other nonmetal utensil, and invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm with ice cream or Coconut Cream Topping (page 136) and you surely will have many friends.

 

For the molten cake, remove the pot from the rice cooker and let cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. You will need to scoop the cake out of the pot with a large spoon, but no one will complain, I promise. The finished cake is best eaten the day of, but it does keep. Store leftover fully cooked cake in a covered container at room temperature. The molten cake should be eaten the day of making.

 

SERVINGS:
8 to 10

 

INGREDIENTS

1
^½
cups
all-purpose flour
^¾
cup
organic granulated sugar
2 teaspoons
baking powder
1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
^1/4
teaspoon
salt
^¾
cup plus 2 tablespoons
nondairy milk
^1/4
cup
canola or other mild vegetable oil
^½
teaspoon
vanilla extract
2 (21-ounce) cans
apple pie filling

 

DIRECTIONS

 

Spray the pan inside a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with nonstick spray.

 

In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Whisk until just incorporated. Spread the apple pie filling in the cooker. Spread the cake batter evenly over the apples.

 

Cook on low for 5 to 5
1/2
hours, or on high for 2 to 2
1/2
hours, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean of batter (the apples will cause some unavoidable moisture on the toothpick) and the top of the cake springs back when touched. Condensation from the lid can cause the center of the cake to look uncooked, even when it is cooked, so don't be deceived. Once baked, turn the slow cooker off and remove the pan from the unit. Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Scoop the cake and apple bottom from the pan with a large spoon. Serve warm with ice cream. Store leftover cake in a covered container in the refrigerator. This cake keeps remarkably well, especially for being baked in a slow cooker.

 

SERVINGS:
12