Cinnamon Tea Cake

My brother left for Basic Training last week. It's still pretty surreal to think he's in the Army now. I remember (vaguely) when he was born! Of course, I was only 2, so I really just remember a tiny snippet of waking up in the waiting room with my aunt, and my dad had come out to tell me I had a baby brother. It's one of my earliest memories, in fact.

Anyway, he left for Georgia last week, and I'm so proud of him! I wrote him a letter this morning, which was actually a lot of fun. It brings back a lot of memories from when my husband was at Basic almost 5 years ago. I still remember how exciting it was to get to see him after 2 1/2 months of daily snail mail and an occasional phone call. And now I get to go see my brother graduate in August! I can't wait.

Since I live a little far away, I wasn't able to go to his farewell party (bummer!), but that didn't stop me from making a cake for him! Of course, this cake is not really a cake in the traditional sense, because it's not coated in frosting, nor is it even all that sweet to begin with. It's perfect for a mid-afternoon snack with a nice cup of hot tea, though. I wanted to make something more manly, since it's "for" my lil' bro, which is why it's a little more rustic and a little less sugar-laden. Oh, and it's also vegan. Did I mention that?

You don't have to use Stevia's NuNaturals sweetener, but I would recommend it. They just came out with two new flavors: in addition to vanilla, they now have lemon and orange. Miss Katie was kind enough to sponsor a giveaway in which I was one of four winners! I've been trying out the different flavors in a number of various recipes, but this one has to be one of my favorites. The orange flavor is just subtle enough that it doesn't overpower the cake, yet it's still present. Perfect!

What's one of your earliest memories?

Cinnamon Tea Cake
adapted from She Knows Vegan
serves 8

• 2 Tbs ground flax
• 6 Tbs water
• 10 Tbs vegan margarine (like Earth Balance)
• 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 1 Tbs agave nectar or maple syrup
• 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 30 drops of Stevia's NuNaturals liquid orange sweetener (or more, if you want it a little sweeter)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the flax and water. Set aside to thicken.

3. In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the margarine, brown sugar, agave, and Stevia. Stir often, cooking until margarine is melted. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool slightly. When cooled, whisk the flax and water into the margarine mixture.

4. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add the margarine mixture and stir until moist. Pour into the prepared baking pan.

5. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 157 calories; 1.4g fat; 0mg cholesterol; 413mg sodium; 37g carbs; 4g dietary fiber; 18g sugar; 0g protein; 77mg calcium; .6mg iron