Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Cake Redux

Benjamaphone's Note:

A slightly different take on a simple vegan upside down cake. I usually use some chia seeds as a binder for my vegan baking adventures, or flax seeds if you can't find chia. Sometimes I add a few drops of warm water to the chia to let them hydrate, they're an amazing egg substitute! The coconut oil and extra citrus give this cake a great tropical taste..yum! Sprinkle some turbinado sugar on the fruit if it's not ripe enough. Please make sure to mix up the spices or leave some out to your preference. I hope you Enjoy this yummy cake!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-10

Yield: 1.0 cake

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon homemade pumpkin pie spice , blend (equal parts -- cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and mace)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 oranges , juice of
• 1 lime , juice of
• 1 lemon , juice of
• ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce or ¼ cup fruit puree
• ¼ cup organic virgin coconut oil (preferred) or ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups fresh pineapple chunks

Directions:

1. Clean and core a medium sized pineapple, chop it up.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Mix dry ingredients, including chia seeds and spices, in mixing bowl.
4. Combine juices and coconut oil (slightly warmed so the oil is liquid) in a separate bowl.
5. Pour the wet into the dry and fold together.
6. Pile pineapple chunks into a 10" x 4" glass baking pan, make sure to line the sides with some pieces of fruit to get extra caramelization goodness!
7. Bake in the center of the oven for at least an hour, give it an extra 20-25 minutes if you want more crunchiness and pineapple oozey yumminess.
8. Once the cake is golden all around, take out of the oven and let cool for an hour.
9. Run a knife along the sides of the pan. Flip the cake upside down and cross your fingers! You now have a delicious animal-product-free baked deliciousness to enjoy!
10. Serve with a topping of vegan coconut vanilla ice cream!