Maple-Glazed Pumpkin-Pear Bundt with Crumble Topping

A perfect-for-brunch pumpkin cake with a crunchy crumble topping and a sweet maple glaze. If you don’t have pears on hand, try fresh cranberries, apples, or your other favourite fall fruits.

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Pear Bundt with Crumble Topping3

Maple-Glazed Pumpkin-Pear Bundt with Crumble Topping

For the crumble topping:
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup unrefined cane sugar
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon fine sea or Himalayan salt
6 tablespoons vegan buttery spread (such as Earth Balance), melted

For the cake:
1 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup teff flour
7 tablespoons tapioca flour, divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 cup unrefined cane sugar
1/4 cup nondairy milk
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups mashed pumpkin
2 cups finely chopped ripe pears
2 tablespoons cider vinegar

For the glaze:
1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon dark maple syrup (if you don’t have dark, you may want to add the extract)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon nondairy milk, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
Pinch fine sea or Himalayan salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 10-inch (12 cup) bundt pan. Dust with sorghum flour, tapping out excess.

To make the crumble, put the sorghum flour, sugar, tapioca flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add the vegan buttery spread, stirring to mix. Use your fingers to press the crumble mixture into small clumps. Refrigerate until needed.

To make the cake, put the sorghum flour, teff flour, 6 tablespoons of the tapioca flour, the cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk well to combine.

Put the coconut oil, sugar, nondairy milk, ground flaxseed, and vanilla extract in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Using a hand mixer or the stand mixer, beat on high speed until emulsified, about 1 minute. Add the pumpkin. Beat well to combine. Add the flour mixture. Beat on medium speed until just combined.

Put the pears in a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of tapioca flour. Toss to combine. Add the pear mixture to the cake batter, along with the cider vinegar. Stir to combine. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Remove the crumble topping from the fridge. Top the batter with the crumble in an even layer, pressing down slightly. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then put a plate over pan and turn it over to remove it. Carefully invert the cake onto a second plate so the crumble topping is facing up. Cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze, put the icing sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, nondairy milk, maple extract (if using), and salt in a bowl. Mix well to combine, adding more milk if necessary to create a drizzly consistency. Pour overtop of the crumble. Let stand about 20 minutes to set before serving.

Roasted Endive with Truffled Caramelized Leeks

White truffle oil is rich and fragrant; a little goes a long way. Be sure to seek out white truffle oil made with actual white truffles. Many pseudo-versions use perfumes instead of the real deal. The earthiness of the truffles and the sweetness of the leeks offsets the bitter endive in this side dish that goes with pretty much anything.

leeks, endive, truffle oil

Roasted Endive with Truffled Caramelized Leeks

4 endive/chicory, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
5 tablespoons (30mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Fine sea or Himalayan salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 large leeks, thinly sliced (just the whites)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (2 to 3mL) white truffle oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the endive cut-side-up on a baking sheet. Brush with 2 tablespoons (30mL) of the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for about 25 minutes, until tender and starting to char on the edges.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until golden and starting to caramelize, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the truffle oil, starting with 1/4 teaspoon, adding more to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Top the endive with the leek mixture. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Brined Herb Tofu

Tofu, I know, isn’t everyone’s go-to, but this briny, tangy tofu makes a perfect sandwich filling. The tofu is reminiscent of feta with that salty, brininess to it, and it’s made for layering it in crusty bread (say, with roasted red peppers and red onions, grilled portabello slices, black olive tapenade, and baby spinach) for a summery sandwich full of flavor. It’s pictured here with my recipe for Yellow Mustard with Smoked Paprika.

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Brined Herb Tofu

1 pound (454g) extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch slabs
2 1/2 cups (560mL) water
1/2 cup (120mL) white balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup (80mL) lemon juice
1 tablespoon (15mL) dried basil
1 tablespoon (15mL) dried oregano
2 teaspoons (10mL) fine sea or Himalayan salt
1 teaspoon (5mL) yellow miso paste

Wrap the tofu in paper towels. Top with a heavy pan for 30 minutes, replacing the paper towels once, to remove all excess moisture.

Meanwhile, put the water, vinegar, lemon juice, basil, oregano, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer 25 minutes. Stir in the miso paste.

Put the pressed tofu in a container. Pour the brine over the tofu, submerging completely. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours. The tofu will become more flavorful as it sits in the brine. Use within 5 days.

homemade mustard and brined tofu1