Strawberry Coffee Cake for One

A gentle, not-terribly-sweet breakfast was high on my list of things to do today. So I whipped up this nice little offering and started my day with a bite of sunshine.

For the Cake:

5 1/3 TBLSP all-purpose flour

2 2/3 TBLSP rolled oats

Pinch baking powder

Sprinkle of salt

Sprinkle of ground cinnamon

1 1/3 TBLSP (4 teaspoons) coconut oil, melted (or vegan butter)

1 1/3 TBLSP (4 teaspoons) maple syrup

2 2/3 TBLSP non-dairy milk (I like almond, but they’re all good)

Juice of one lemon wedge

Slosh of vanilla extract

2 strawberries, chopped

For the Topping:

2 2/3 TBLSP all-purpose flour

½ TBLSP granulated sugar

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Sprinkle of salt

2 teaspoons soft vegan butter (or coconut oil)

For the Glaze:

3 TBLSP confectioner’s sugar

Slosh of non-dairy milk or lemon juice (depending on how sweet you want it)

Make the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a single-serving or mini loaf pan or two ramekins.

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In another small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring until well mixed. Fold the strawberries in gently.
4. Glop the batter into the loaf pan or ramekins. It should be full almost to the top.

Make the Topping:

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter (or oil). It should be pretty crumbly.

Assemble the Cake:

1. Sprinkle the topping over the batter and press it gently into the top. It should almost make a crust.
2. Bake for 25-30 minutes. The loaf will be quite puffy and golden brown.
3. Let it cool before removing from the pan. You can make the glaze while it’s cooling.

Make the Glaze:

1. In a small bowl, combine the confectioner’s sugar and milk. You need to balance the ingredients in such a way that the glaze will hold its shape but still be thin enough to drizzle on top of the cooled cake.
2. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake. You might want an open pattern so that you only get a little glaze in each bite, or you might want it more thickly applied. It’s up to you.

Coffee Cake for One

Sometimes, even if breakfast isn’t late, you want brunch. This quick little cake will make you so happy, you’ll sing through the rest of your day—don’t worry about whether it’s annoying to someone else! They didn’t have homemade coffee cake for breakfast.

6 ½ TBLSP all-purpose flour

2 TBLSP granulated sugar

2 ½ TBLSP brown sugar

Sprinkle ground nutmeg

Sprinkle ground cinnamon

Sprinkle salt

2 TBLSP canola oil

2 ½ TBLSP non-dairy milk (I like almond milk)

2 teaspoons non-dairy yogurt (like soy) or non-dairy sour cream

Splash apple cider vinegar

Splash vanilla extract

Pinch baking soda

Pinch baking powder

1 heaping TBLSP finely chopped nuts (I like walnuts, but anything is nice)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a mini-loaf pan or two ramekins, or one 4-inch across baking dish. The cake will rise a bit, so make sure it’s a little taller than you think you need.

1. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugars, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Add the oil and mix until it’s all absorbed, a crumbly pile. Set aside 2 TBLSP of the mixture to become the topping.
2. In another small bowl, combine the milk, yogurt or sour cream, vinegar, vanilla, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir until well combined.
3. Add the milk mixture to the larger collection of crumbs. Mix well and the pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).
4. Add the nuts to the topping mixture and mix well. Toss the topping onto the top of the batter in the pan and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let it rest in splendor on a rack for 5 minutes before removing it from the baking vessel and devouring it like a herd of adolescent wombats.