Apples, walnuts, cinnamon, vanilla, and some fresh orange zest, for good measure. Those are the flavours of the season, as far as I am concerned.
There is something wonderfully rich in a simple walnut vegan sponge cake that allows it to be paired with many different fillings and toppings, and it will always be perfect. Here, as you will see, I paired it with a simple, yet delicious apple filling.
And these bars truly feed a crowd, especially because they keep amazingly well at room temperature, in a sealed container. They might be good for meal prep, as well, because they are entirely vegan, and they are quite easy to pack in a lunch box, surprisingly enough.
So whether you serve them at a gathering, or with a hearty afternoon coffee, I do hope you enjoy them as much as I did.
Ingredients
For the cinnamon walnut base
100 grams plain flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
80 grams dark brown sugar
50 grams toasted walnuts, ground
15 millilitres neutral oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
140 millilitres carbonated water
For the apple filling
600 grams apples, peeled and grated finely75 grams light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest
20 grams semolina
For the walnut cake layer
100 grams plain flour100 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
35 grams toasted walnuts, ground
15 millilitres neutral oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
120 millilitres carbonated water
For the topping
70 grams rosehip jam30 grams walnuts or almonds, optional
Preparation
Start by making the filling, as it needs a bit of time to cool down. Grate the apples finely, add in the sugar and the orange zest, and place it over medium high heat. Let it slowly come to a boil, and cook, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes, or until thickened and fragrant. At that point, add in the semolina and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens and starts to resemble custard. That could take up to 5-7 minutes, depending on the width of the pan you use. Once cooked, remove from the heat and let it cool down slightly.
Start working on the cake layers right after cooking the filling. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line a rectangular cake pan (20x30 cm) with baking parchment.
For the base layer, with walnuts and cinnamon, mix together the flour with the baking soda and cinnamon, add in the walnuts and sugar, and whisk to combine. Add in all of the wet ingredients, without any particular order, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the preheated oven as soon as the batter comes together. Let it bake, undisturbed, for about 10-15 minutes, until it starts to firm up.
While that is baking, make the top cake layer. Once again, whisk or sift together the flour with the rising agent, this time baking powder, add in the sugar and walnuts, and blend to combine. Pour in all of the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined.
Remove the pan from the oven, gently add the apple filling, spread it as evenly as you can, pour over the walnut cake layer, and return to the oven to bake for another 20-25 minutes, for a total of 35-40 minutes. Mine took exactly 37. It should be slightly crispy on the edges.
As soon as it is baked, remove it from the oven and spread the rosehip jam on top. There is plenty of jam to cover the whole surface. Sprinkle with ground walnuts or flaked almonds, and let it cool down completely in the pan. Once cool, serve it rich slices with strong coffee. Yields 24 large individual slices.
