1/4 cup mashed cooked yam or sweet potato
1 1/2 cups unsweetened plain oat milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp. Distilled white vinegar
1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 1/2 T. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground cardamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. Ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Ground pepper
1 3/4 cups plus 2 T. Spelt flour
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) vegan butter, at room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 T. Vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Zest of 1 orange

BUTTERSCOTCH PEARS:
2 T. Vegan butter
4 firm, ripe pears, quartered and cored
3/4 cup pear or apple cider
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. Lemon juice
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut cream
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
COCONUT CREAM:
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut cream
2 T. Sifted confectioners sugar

1/4 cup mashed cooked yam or sweet potato 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plain oat milk 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 2 tsp Distilled white vinegar 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour 2 1/2 T. Baking powder 1 tsp Baking soda 1 tsp Ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp Ground cardamon 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg 1/8 tsp Ground pepper 1 3/4 cups plus 2 T. Spelt flour 12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) vegan butter, at room temp 1 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 T. Vanilla extract 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted 2 T. Vegan butter 4 firm, ripe pears, quartered and cored 3/4 cup pear or apple cider 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 tsp Lemon juice 1/8 tsp Salt 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut cream 1 tsp Vanilla extract 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut cream 2 T. Sifted confectioners sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper and spray cooking spray on paper.

2. Whisk yam in a medium bowl until completely smooth. Whisk in oak milk, applesauce, and vinegar. In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, cardamon, 1/2 tsp. Salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Whisk in spelt flour.

3. Beat 12 T. Butter, granulated sugar, and 1 1/2 T. Vanilla in stand mixer bowl with paddle attachment until creamy, scraping down sides as needed, 3 to 5 mns. Add wet ingredients and mix until combined. Add dry ingredients, one third at a time, and mix until well incorporated. Stir in walnuts and orange zest. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top.

4. Bake the cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Loosen the edges and turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

5. Melt 2 T. butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pears and cook, flipping once halfway, until golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add cider, brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup coconut cream and cook for 3 minutes. Return the pears to the pan and turn to coat. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Mixed gently with a flexible spatula, let cool for 10 minutes.

6. Whisk coconut cream and confectioner's sugar in a small bowl to prepare the coconut cream.

7. Slice the cake, serve with pears and cream.