Peach Torte: VeganMoFo #2

I’m a Veganwannabe – VeganMoFo Post #2

I decided to start this month of vegan blogging with a baked good. Can’t jump right into the soy, seitan, tempeh and nutritional yeast just yet! To tell the truth, I’m not even sure I’ll make it that far into the vegan world! One thing I do know: baking is my comfort zone. I love the way my kitchen smells when something as beautiful as this torte is tucked safely away in the oven.

If I can’t produce high quality baked goods which don’t seem ‘vegan’ in any way, then I will never be a vegan. Baking is such a creative and fulfilling part of my cooking life- I’m not willing to give that up, but this one’s a winner in all ways – fat free and delish! Can you believe it? Fat free! No eggs, no butter.

This lovely creation is a combo of two great recipes: one from The Joy of Vegan Baking and the other from Cuisine At Home Magazine. There is no butter or butter substitute in this cake – it gets all its moisture from applesauce – homemade applesauce, I might mention. One note: when you substitute apple sauce for butter or other fats, the end produce can be a bit ‘chewy’ and not quite as tender as when you use butter. That’s what resulted here….but for being fat free, it’s totally acceptable. Serve it with a cup of coffee for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Company worthy!

Peach Torte 

Here’s what you need:

4 peaches, peeled and sliced

½ C sugar

1 C unsweetened applesauce (or ½ C applesauce and ½ C non-dairy butter)

2 T non-dairy milk

1 ½ C flour

2 ½ t baking powder

For the topping:

¼ C brown sugar

½ t cinnamon

½ t ground ginger

Here’s what you do:

Mix the applesauce, sugar and milk – set aside. Mix the flour and baking sugar. Gently combine the wet and dry ingredients. It’s a thick batter. Spread it in a greased 9 inch springform pan.( I always set my springform on a baking sheet, because they always seem to leak out in the oven.)

In the meantime: peel the peaches by dropping them in very hot water (just under boiling) for about 1 minute. Peel and slice them and arrange them in a pretty pattern over the batter.

Make the topping and sprinkle it over the peaches. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before releasing the springform. 

Check back tomorrow for a few thoughts about vegans.