Spice Cake

Description
.

Ingredients

 * 1/2 cup currants
 * 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
 * 1 Tbs. flaxseeds
 * 3/4 cup soy milk
 * 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
 * 3/4 cup unbleached white flour
 * 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
 * 1 tsp. baking soda
 * 1/2 tsp. salt
 * 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
 * 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
 * 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
 * 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
 * 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
 * 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
 * 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
 * 1/2 cup maple syrup
 * 6 Tbs. canola oil
 * 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
 * 2 tsp. cider vinegar

Directions
Coconut Cream optional

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch round cake pan. In small bowl, combine currants and enough hot water to cover; let soak 20 minutes.

Spread coconut in small baking pan and bake until light golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven; maintain oven temperature. In coffee grinder or small food processor, grind flaxseeds. Transfer to blender along with 1/4 cup of soy milk. Set mixture aside to soak.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, sift both flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, ginger and mustard. Stir in coconut.

To mixture in blender, add maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, vinegar and re-maining 1/2 cup soy milk and blend thoroughly. Gradually add maple syrup mixture to flour mixture, mixing well with wooden spoon. Drain currants, then stir into batter.

Scrape batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is firm with a little spring to the touch, about 30 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes in pan. To remove from pan, run knife around edge of pan and turn cake out onto wire rack. Cool completely, then frost with Coconut Cream if desired.