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  • Prep-time: / Ready In:
  • Makes one 9-inch cake + 1¼ cups compote

Applesauce and polenta form the base of this naturally sweet and perfectly moist vegan cake, which makes a gorgeous addition to any Thanksgiving or holiday spread. A homemade cherry compote with autumnal spices adds extra sweetness and a hint of tanginess. This recipe is gluten-free if you use gluten-free oat flour, and can be baked up to two days in advance. The cake tastes best served warm: If you make it ahead of time, place it on an oven-safe platter and warm in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups frozen cherries
  • 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 whole star anise (optional)
  • 1 pinch ground cloves
  • 1 cup dry polenta
  • 1 cup unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk
  • ½ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup oat flour
  • ¼ cup almond flour
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 medium unpeeled apples

Instructions

  1. Make Cherry Compote: In a small saucepan combine cherries, 1 cup of the applesauce, the cinnamon, star anise (if using), cloves, and 1 cup water. mix well. Cook over medium-low about 20 minutes or until thick and syrupy, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; discard star anise. Use a potato masher to crush cherries to a pulp. Cool and chill until ready to serve.
  2. In a large mixing bowl stir together the remaining 1 cup applesauce, the polenta, plant milk, maple syrup, vinegar, and vanilla. Let stand 20 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together the next five ingredients (through baking soda).
  3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
  4. Core apples and slice into ¼-inch-thick wedges. Arrange apple slices in rows or a spiral pattern in the cake pan, working from the center outward to completely cover the base of pan.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture, stirring well. Pour batter over apples, spreading evenly.
  6. Bake about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan at least 30 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm with Cherry Compote.

Comments (37)

(4.58 from 12 votes)
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Yvonne Renoult4 months ago
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Im sorry that my comment doesn’t relate to this particular recipe, but I don’t know where to post this question. I have noticed in some forks over knives recipes the use of aluminum/tin foil. My understanding is that tin foil is not a safe material to use in cooking. Why is it being used by FOK?

Lorrie4 months ago
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Is this recipe asking for cooked polenta or dry cornmeal?
Polenta is boiled cornmeal.

Judy4 months ago
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I wondered that too but I just used dry because the recipe indicated “dry.”

Maria4 months ago
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Please, how I instead use maple syrup?
with date paste?
Thanks.

Lynsey Harper3 months ago
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Try making a stock syrup, steep it with some date puree, and pass through a fine chinois, or keep the maple in and do 50/50 apple sauce and date puree
Hope that helps

Debbie6 months ago
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Delicious. I didn’t make the compote, but that didn’t stop me from eating half the cake in one evening. Not sweet at all, and very delicious

Lisa B.6 months ago
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A nice way to use polenta, but I would make some changes. The tbs of cinnamon in the cherry compote overwhelms it, I would not use that much again. I would probably try to add a bit of salt. The cake came out moist, but a little tasteless. I have made the FoK Peach Upside Down Cake many times, which has not dissimilar ingredients, and it’s a huge hit. Not sure why this one seemed so lacking in flavor. Definitely one hour is overcooking it.

Sandy3 months ago
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I make this without the cherry compote or any substitute. I find the cake so tasty that it barely lasts till the next day!

Kate Odell6 months ago
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Can you use cornmeal in place of polenta?

Debbie6 months ago
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I did. I think they’re basically the same. It came out fine

C.A. Pacheco7 months ago
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While fresh cherries taste wonderful, I loathe cooked cherry anything. Can you substitute mashed frozen stawberries, raspberries, or some other frozen fruit?

Lucy C9 months ago
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Amazing – such a good cake, thank you! This will become a regular

Janet Hawkins10 months ago
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This cake is moist and delicious! Baked it 50 min. I substituted homemade pearsauce for the applesauce, mango for the cherries in the compote, (and left out cinnamon and anise). Substituted 1 t. ground bourbon vanilla beans for the liquid vanilla because it was all I had! Added 2 t. cinnamon and 1/2 t. cardamom to the cake, but might use slightly less cardamom next time though everyone loved it!
I plan to use the basis of the cake and change it up to create different cakes like adding lemon zest and juice to create a lemon cake, etc.

Rosie1 year ago
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I just tried baking this tonight and I can’t wait for the results. Can you please provide the nutrition value?

pamela jense1 year ago
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It looks delicious! I want to trait asap! I love plant based recipes!

Rosie1 year ago
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This looks really delicious, but I don’t see the nutrition value. Can you please provide? Do you recipes have the nutrition value?

Dana Abetti1 year ago
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I just made this and love it, will make it again when I’m ready for my occasional treat. My husband (pure epicurean foodie, not WFPB) even loved it.

Christa Vroegh1 year ago
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I replaced the oat-and almond flour with brown rice flour and it turned out great! Never baked with polenta before, but this is one of my favourites now!

Alexis1 year ago
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Has anyone tried making this in a cast iron skillet? Any tips for oven temperature or other changes?

Judit Hernadi1 year ago
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Can I use pre-cooked polenta? If yes, measurements? Thanks.

JD1 year ago
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Hi Julie. Step 6 says to invert.

Jean M Clark1 year ago
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Clark

julie1 year ago
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This looks wonderful! The apple slices that show on the top – were these put there after pouring the mixture into the pan (recipe doesn’t say, but I like the look) or was the cake inverted after cooking and these are the ones from the bottom? Thank you!

Michelle1 year ago
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Step 5 Pour batter over apples, spreading evenly

Jan S1 year ago
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I’m supposed to avoid corn and corn products. Can this be made with flour (GF or regular) instead of polenta?

Jamie P1 year ago
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Any tips for making this the day before? Fridge over night then bake for 20 minutes or is there something crucial I should do?

Marcelo2 years ago
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Has anyone tried using another nut flour, instead of almonds, to make this cake?

Sandy Handsher2 years ago
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I love this polenta cake and make it all the time. But I leave off the cherry sauce.

Lucy C9 months ago
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Me too Sandy, I don’t think it needs the cherry sauce. I really love this cake

Sandy Handsher2 years ago
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I love this cake and make it all the time, but I leave off the cherry sauce.

Alison2 years ago
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Darshana you have done it again. This cake, although quite sweet, is delicious and extremely moist. The recipe made 10 ample sized slices. Serving it warm makes it like a winter pudding. A winner with the family.
Thank you

Betsy2 years ago
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I used homemade applesauce and fresh cherries
This is delicious and not dry at all
Baked for 50 minutes instead of 60

Betsy2 years ago
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I also made my own oat flour I. Food processor

Maureen2 years ago
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Can you use Bob’s Red Mill corn meal or corn flour?

Kim2 years ago
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Just ok. Not as moist as I hoped it would be.

Joy2 years ago
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What is dry polenta? Cornmeal? Cannot make it unless I know the answer.

james2 years ago
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Yes. An example is Bob’s Red Mill yellow corn grits polenta

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about the author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.

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