Pecan-Cranberry Cocoa Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake

cup dried cranberries

cup orange, cranberry, or apple juice (or boiling water)

cup pecans, toasted and cooled, coarsely chopped

cup rolled oats

cup vegan cane sugar

3 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips

1 cups all-purpose flour

cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

cup vegan cane sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

teaspoon fine sea salt

5 tablespoons neutral oil

cup pure maple syrup, grade A, dark

cup any nondairy milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Make the filling: Mix the cranberries and juice or water in a small bowl and set aside for about 15 minutes, or until the cranberries are softened. Drain the cranberries, reserving 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Spoon the cranberries back into the bowl, and add the pecans, oats, sugar, and chocolate chips. Mix to coat. Set aside while you mix the cake batter.

Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Oil the sides and bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a parchment.

Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Add the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt to the strainer and stir with a whisk to sift the ingredients into the bowl. Whisk to aerate the mixture.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the oil, maple syrup, nondairy milk, vanilla, and vinegar. Pour into the dry mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thick but pourable.

Pour about half the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with half the filling. Top with the remaining batter, using a small spatula to spread the batter to the sides of the pan if necessary. Sprinkle the remaining filling over the batter.

Bake for 34 to 38 minutes, or until the cake has begun to pull away from the sides of the pan and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake on the rack and carefully remove the parchment.

Fran Costigan, cooking teacher and cookbook author

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How to throw a vegan Thanksgiving that your whole family will embrace - The Philadelphia Inquirer