No Bake Pumpkin Pie with a Spiced Ginger/Graham Crust

When I was a kid I could eat my weight in pumpkin pie. It was totally a thing among my family members: me and my pumpkin pie. In actuality, I think I liked crust and whipped cream. Pumpkin filling was merely a stepping stone. But to this day pumpkin pie is nostalgic and when Thanksgiving rolls around I pretty much have to have one. For old time sake. (Even though I honestly prefer pecan pie now days, sorry family).




This year when I was working on my pie I got a little...crafty. That's to say, I'm pretty much the worst baker ever, because I rarely follow directions or recipes. While that sort of behavior works in cooking, it can make for some real flops with baking. Sometimes things don't stick together, other times the little vegan aids I find a little repulsive (like corn starch or tapioca) and frequently omit, leave me with a pudding. This recipe worked fairly well. It tasted out of this world and looked pretty delicious. But I won't lie. I had a few moments of wondering how well the slices would hold up. I wouldn't even bother posting if I didn't think it was worth it. So go make this.

Thanksgiving Trails Take 2: Cranberry, Pumpkin, Pecan Upside Down Cake

When I became a vegan this was the first recipe I ever adapted. It's the perfect way to get my two favorite Thanksgiving desserts, pumpkin and pecan pie, without feeling overly indulgent. And it's the very best thing to bring to a party of vegans and non-vegans alike--because there's really nobody who doesn't like this dessert (that I've met). Last year my in-laws bypassed all non-vegan delights in favor of my cake. They were amazed when I revealed it was in fact vegan, and didn't use any refined sugars, and then we ate it again for breakfast the following morning, because it's sort of like a coffee cake, right?

I serve it with an extra helping of melted Earth Balance and maple syrup poured over the top, and if you want to get really crazy, you could even add coconut whipped cream. 

Cranberry, Pumpkin, Pecan Upside Down Cake

Topping:

1/2 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 cups cranberries
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Cake:

2 flax eggs (2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds combined with 4 Tablespoons warm water)
1 cup pumpkin puree
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup maple syrup or Coconut Sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line the bottom of a 9-inch pan with parchment paper.

Melt 1/2 cup Earth Balance in a small sauce pan over low heat, add 1/2 cup maple syrup whisk until smooth.

Pour the Earth Balance/syrup mixture into the bottom of the cake pan.

In a medium bowl combine the cranberries and pecans. Place them in the pan over the Earth Balance/syrup mixture.

Move on to the cake: In a large bowl put your flaxseeds and water together to form the two flax eggs--let sit for 5 minutes, then combine with pumpkin puree and oil.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Carefully spread the batter over the cranberry pecan topping.

Bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.

Cool the cake for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Place a large plate or platter on top of the cake. Invert the cake and plate together. Remove the pan and peel off the parchment paper.

Tip: as mentioned above, if you want to make it even more intense, melt equal parts Earth Balance to Syrup and drizzle over the top right before you serve it.