Vegan Vinegar Crumb Cake

• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• 3/4 cup margarine or vegetable shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/3 cups soymilk
• 3 tablespoons vinegar

Measure the flour, margarine or shortening, and sugar into a large bowl. Use your hands to mash everything together until it is crumbly. Measure a cup of the crumbs and set aside. This will be the crumb topping. To the remaining crumbs, add the salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Mix well. Pour in the soymilk and the vinegar. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to stir the mixture all together until everything is evenly moistened. The batter will be thick. Scrape the mixture into a well oiled 9 by 13-inch pan. Now sprinkle the reserved crumbs overtop of the cake. Try to get the crumbs even, but don’t worry about it too much. Bake the cake at 350° for about 35 minutes. The crumbs should be golden brown, and the edges of the cake should be pulling away from the side of the pan.

If you like, you can scatter a few nuts on top of the crumb topping, right before baking. I like walnuts but any type will do. Nuts make it seem more like a coffee cake. If the cake seems bland to you, then add 1/2-teaspoon of nutmeg along with the cinnamon, the next time you make it. This is the way I prefer it, but not everyone likes nutmeg.

Dairy Variation: Replace the margarine or shortening with butter, and use cow milk instead of soymilk. Proceed and bake as directed.