This has been our family’s favorite chocolate cake for years – even superceeding the yummiest cake mixes, but since we’ve gone wheat free, I worked out the recipe for spelt flour, and we were all amazed. We simply couldn’t tell the difference. It was just as yummy as usual! 🙂
So here’s both recipes, along with our favorite frostings. The Spelt recipe is first, then the wheat, then the instructions (which are the same for both), and then our favorite frostings.
The liquid quantities may seem a little odd with the spelt, but it’s what is necessary to make it work as spelt requires less water.
Spelt Chocolate Cake
Ingredients: 2 c. spelt flour (I used 1 cup whole spelt and 1 cup white spelt) 1 tsp. salt 2 c. sugar or coconut sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. b. soda 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa 3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup hot coffee (or 3/4 cup water +1/4 cup cocoa) 3 Tbsp cup vegetable oil 130 ml fruit puree * 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract
1. Sift together dry Ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Pour into three greased and floured 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 325F for 20—25 minutes.
4. Cool cakes 10 minutes (in pans on wire racks). Transfer cake to sealed plastic container, and cool completely.
* Both recipes have been modified from the original which called for 1 cup oil, but I applied the baking rule of substituting up to ¾ of the oil for a fruit purée (i.e. Applesauce, strained raspberry or strawberry sauce) I add sugar to the left over purée and heat to simmer to reduce it, then use it as a sauce instead of icing.
Wheat Chocolate Cake
Favorite Frosting – Italian Meringue (Boiled Frosting)
Ingredients: 1 cup superfine sugar 1/3 cup water 5 egg whites, at room temperature 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Directions:
1. Put sugar in a small pot over low heat, and gently pour water over sugar. Swirl the pot over the burner to dissolve the sugar completely. Do not stir. Increase the heat and boil to soft-ball stage (235 to 240 degrees). Use a candy thermometer for accuracy. Wash down the inside wall of the pot with a wet pastry brush. This will help prevent sugar crystals from forming around the sides, falling in and causing a chain reaction. Prepare your meringue.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form.
3. With the mixer running on low speed, pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over fluffed egg whites, on the very edge of the bowl. When done pouring in liquid sugar, add vanilla.
4. Increase mixer speed to high and beat mixture until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Spread the meringue over cooled cake.
Alternate instructions:
1. Microwave sugar and water together for 6— 8 minutes without stirring, until temperature reaches soft ball stage 235-240F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form.
3. With the mixer running, pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over fluffed egg whites, on the very edge of the bowl. Add vanilla and beat mixutre until the egg whites are stiff and glossy. Spread the meringue over cooled cake.
Cooked Frosting (Honestly don’t know the name, but we love it too! )
1 cup milk 5 Tbsp. flour ½ c. butter, softened 1 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract ½ c. Shortening
1. Combine milk and flour in a saucepan; cook until thick. Cover and refrigerate. 2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter, shortening, sugars and vanilla until creamy. 3. Add chilled milk/flour mixture and beat for 10 minutes. Frost cooled cake.
