Singing the flavors of fall, this comforting dessert is the perfect treat for a chilly day. It’s easy to make, satisfying, and warms you up within minutes. Enjoy with coconut sugar glaze and a warm cup of herbal tea.

Ingredients: 

Wet ingredients 

⅙ cup applesauce

⅙ cup melted coconut oil

⅓ cup orange juice

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 chia eggs (basic recipe in the link)

Dry ingredients

1 Simple Mills Vanilla Cake Mix

¼ cup cranberries (To fold in at the end)

Optional Glaze:

½ cup of powdered coconut sugar (I powdered it in my blender)

1 tsp to 1 tbsp orange juice (or more as desired)

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit.
• Whisk 3 tbsp ground chia seeds together with ¾ cup of water. Let the “egg” rest for 5 minutes so it can gel properly.
• Meanwhile, combine the other wet ingredients using an immersion blender (or an electric mixer) until oil bubbles rise to the top and/or the ingredients become frothy
• Once the chia egg is ready, add it to the other wet ingredients and whisk to combine. 
• Pour the Cake mix into the wet ingredients and whisk to combine (I used an electric whisk but you can use a manual one)
• Gently fold in the cranberries using a spatula
• Pour the mixture into parchment lined cake pans and place it in the oven (I used 3 4 inch round pans)
• Let the cakes bake at 325 degrees fahrenheit and for about 25-27  minutes (If you are using a single cake pan, it will take longer to cook)
• You can check if it is done using a toothpick and if the toothpick doesn’t come out clean, you can bake it for 5-10 minutes
• As soon as it is ready, immediately flip it onto a cooling rack.
• If desired, you can make the orange glaze by mixing the orange juice and powdered coconut sugar until smooth. 
• Enjoy with a hot cup of herbal tea.

Tips and Tricks:

• Feel free to add 1 teaspoon of fresh orange zest for a punch of flavor
• Whisk the wet ingredients until the oil is well distributed.
• Fully line the cake pan with parchment to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan.