My friend Jeff made this cake for a brunch party one Sunday.  I’ve adapted his recipe to be allergen-free, and I think it is even moister and more intensely apple-flavored. Jeff bakes this in a bundt pan, but since I don’t have one, I make it in a 9 x 13 pan.  Either one will do, though with the bundt pan you can have layers of streusel in the middle of the cake instead of on top, which is very pretty. 

½ cup milk-free, soy-free shortening

1 cup Succanat or Turbinado

¼ cup rice milk

½ cup applesauce

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ginger

2 cups peeled and finely chopped granny smith apples (2 – 4 apples, depending on size)

¼ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Streusel:

1/3 c brown sugar

¾ tsp ginger

3 tablespoons flour

¼ cup shortening

1/3 cup oata

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream together shortening and sugar in an electric mixer.  Add rice milk and applesauce and mix.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and ginger.  Combine wet and dry ingredients and fold in apple chunks.  Pour batter into 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle streusel on top.  Bake 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.