Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Coffee Cake

Topping:

• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter/shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove or cinnamon
  Cake:
  
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup soy milk (or rice milk)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed beat with 3 tablespoons water (or other vegan egg replacer equal to one egg)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Put the raisins in a dish of hot water just high enough to cover them, and let them soak. Take a small dish and combine all the ingredients for the topping, then set it aside. Combine the flour, oatmeal, baking powder, salt, and spices for the cake part together in a medium bowl, then set that aside too. In a large mixing bowl put together the "milk," sugar, applesauce, "egg," and vanilla. When it's evenly combined, start mixing in the cake dry ingredients, and when you have a uniform, even mixture, just drain the raisins and work them in. Put the mix in a square 8 x 8 pan or a round 10-inch pan, and then sprinkle the topping mix over top of it evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, and let it cool for at least ten minutes before serving.

Variation: Try using carob chips instead of raisins or in addition!

Note: Obviously this can be made without the vegan substitutions; you can use butter for shortening, an egg instead of the water and flaxseed, and real milk instead of soy. However, you might as well just use a coffee cake recipe that's designed to be non-vegan if you're going to do that. This is simply a vegan coffee cake recipe that doesn't taste weird like some vegan recipes that are trying to be desserts do. I have never tried this with a different egg replacer, but I know the flaxseed one works great. I used Earth Balance as my vegan butter.