As the year draws to a close, I pine for longer days filled with as much hygge as possible. I am also thinking ahead to a lovely New Year's Brunch which will include this French toast cake and a warm cozy fire. While in recipe testing mode, I started researching how others make their oven-baked French toast. Most of the recipes left the bread slices whole, while some called for the crust to be removed from the bread, and then it occurred to me I could have a bit more fun with this. So I decided to try creating a cake-like texture by breaking the bread into smaller pieces and adding a sweet layer to the top. And like magic, it came out resembling - and a tasting a bit like - a coffee cake, so I thought it made sense to call it a cake instead of a bake.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year filled with many kitchen adventures!
french toast ingredients
serves 4 to 6
2 cups coconut milk, almond milk, pecan milk, or other milk of your choice - using coconut milk will yield a more decadent french toast
2 tablespoons whole or ground white or black chia seeds (use whole seeds for a crunchier texture)
1/2 cup of water
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of sea salt
1 loaf of vegan, gluten-free bread (I used bread from a local gluten-free bakery) or other bread of choice
topping ingredients
1/4 cup date puree or maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut pulp or flakes
1/2 cup pecans or other nut of choice chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons solid coconut oil or cold butter
2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar or other sugar of choice
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9"x 9" or a 9"x 13" pan. Prepare your mise en place for the french toast and topping.
In a small bowl add the chia seeds and water. Stir and then set aside.
In separate, larger bowl add the milk, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla and nutmeg then whisk together. After the chia seed mixture has set for approximately 5 minutes, stir it again, then add it to the larger bowl and whisk all of the ingredients until well combined. Break the bread into small pieces and then pour the milk mixture over the top.
Add all of the topping ingredients to a bowl and stir until you create a crumbly mixture - I used my fingers to break down the bigger chunks of coconut oil.
Using a spoon or your fingers, sprinkle the topping over the bread layer.
Put the French toast cake in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown in color. If the top browns too quickly, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Dust generously with powdered sugar, which I love doing, as it always reminds me of snow - something we don't get much of here in Portland - however we did get our first beautiful flakes of winter as I was shooting this recipe. Of course this is an optional step, but it is worth the extra calories and the faux impression of snow - bring on the hygge!
To serve, cut out a nice big piece and drizzle with a bit of your favorite maple syrup. This French toast cake will last covered in the refrigerator for several days and reheats very well in the oven.
"A party without cake is just a meeting.”
~ Julia Child
Comments