Apple Cranberry Coffee Cake

Sometimes a recipe sounds really good, and then turns out disastrously.

The first time I made this recipe, it was an utter fail. I doubled the oil in the cake itself, added way too much sugar, and added butter to the topping, which soaked through the cake, and created a dense, greasy, overly sweet mess.

So, I had to go back to the drawing board. Sometimes it takes an epic fail to create a masterpiece.

I cut the sugar and oil in half, and used a blend of half white and half brown sugar so that I could utilize both baking powder and baking soda, which created a light and moist cake. The cream cheese layers, since they are made with almonds, add just a little bit of nuttiness to the cake. It was delicious!  

Apple-Cranberry Coffee Cake

For the Cake:
1/2c white sugar
1/2c brown sugar
2 eggs
1T dried ginger
1T cinnamon
1/4c oil (I use grapeseed) 
1/4c unsweetened apple sauce
2t vanilla
1 1/2c granny smith apples, peeled and diced
1/2c dried cranberries
1 1/2c gluten free flour
1t baking powder
1t baking soda

For the Cream Cheese Filling:
1 tub dairy-free cream cheese
2T maple syrup

For the Topping:
½c gluten free oats
1/4c brown sugar
1T cinnamon

Instructions:
Peel and dice apples. 

Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl, combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, and oil.

Add in diced apples and cranberries.

Add in flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and stir to combine. Set aside.

In separate bowl, combine dairy-free cream cheese and maple syrup. Stir until combined.

Spread ½ of cake dough into a square cake pan. Then, layer ½ of cream cheese mixture on top. Repeat layers of cake dough and cream cheese on top.

In a new bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of cake before baking.

Cook uncovered for 45-55 minutes, or until baked through.

Store in airtight container in refrigerator – cake tastes even better the next day!