Coconut Tea Cake

2 cups strong brewed tea (I like Chai or Cinnamon, but use any tea you love)
2/3 cup uncooked Old Fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups sugar (you can use white sugar if you like)
2/3 cup applesauce
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded coconut, toasted (1/4 cup reserved)

Prepare the tea ahead of time by steeping three teabags (I only had one chai tea bag, so I substituted in one bag each of rose hip tea and chamomile) in two cups of boiling water until cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 13 X 9 baking pan.

Combine the dry ingredients, including the sugar, in a large mixing bowl. In a separate smaller bowl combine the tea, applesauce, vinegar, extracts, and all but 1/4 cup of the coconut. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut.

This is what my cake looked like pre-baking.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If I weren't conscious of the fact that this cake doesn't have any eggs or dairy, I seriously wouldn't have guessed it upon first taste. It's delicious, moist, slightly sweet and spicy.