Spice Cake

Ingredients

 * ½ cup currants
 * 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
 * 1 tbsp flaxseeds
 * ¾ cup soy milk
 * ¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
 * ¾ cup unbleached white flour
 * 1½ tsp baking powder
 * 1 tsp baking soda
 * ½ tsp salt
 * 2 tsp ground cinnamon
 * ½ tsp ground allspice
 * ½ tsp ground nutmeg
 * ½ tsp ground cardamom
 * ¼ tsp ground cloves
 * ¼ tsp ground ginger
 * ¼ tsp dry mustard
 * ½ cup maple syrup
 * 6 tbsp canola oil
 * 1 tbsp vanilla extract
 * 2 tsp cider vinegar
 * coconut cream optional

Directions

 * 1) Preheat oven to 350 °f.
 * 2) Grease 9-inch round cake pan.
 * 3) In small bowl, combine currants and enough hot water to cover; let soak 20 minutes.
 * 4) Spread coconut in small baking pan and bake until light golden brown, about 5 minutes.
 * 5) Remove from oven; maintain oven temperature.
 * 6) In coffee grinder or small food processor, grind flaxseeds.
 * 7) Transfer to blender along with ¼ cup of soy milk.
 * 8) Set mixture aside to soak.
 * 9) Meanwhile, in large bowl, sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, ginger and mustard.
 * 10) Stir in coconut.
 * 11) To mixture in blender, add maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, vinegar and re-maining ½ cup soy milk and blend thoroughly.
 * 12) Gradually add maple syrup mixture to flour mixture, mixing well with wooden spoon.
 * 13) Drain currants, then stir into batter.
 * 14) Scrape batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
 * 15) Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is firm with a little spring to the touch, about 30 minutes.
 * 16) Let cool for about 10 minutes in pan.
 * 17) To remove from pan, run knife around edge of pan and turn cake out onto wire rack.
 * 18) Cool completely, then frost with coconut cream if desired.