rants & recipes

Baked this cake for a work potluck recently - second time I've made it, it turned out well both times. Though, most recently, I used whole wheat spelt because that's what I had on hand - next time, I'll go for white spelt.

I actually made 1.5 times this recipe and baked 3 layers. The third layer turned out a little smaller (It's hard to measure out batter equally between 2 pans, much less 3!) but the 2 larger layers rose really well and tall, with a little more batter.

I learned two things, baking this cake. One - if you want a layer cake but that's too much cake - bake one layer, slice it in half, and you can have half of a layer cake. Two - you can't add extra fat to a frosting recipe and expect it not to be lumpy. I should have emptied my mixer, creamed the extra fat and then started adding the already-made-but-too-sweet-frosting back in.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups spelt flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups soymilk
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup apple vinegar
• 1 cup chocolate chips, optional
• Chai Frosting, see below

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Oil, parchment and dust 2 9-inch cakes pans with cocoa.
3. Mix dry ingredients, including sugar.
4. Mix oil, applesauce, soymilk and vanilla.
5. Combine wet and dry ingredients in barely mixed.
6. Add vinegar and stir until batter is smooth and vinegar is incorporated.
7. Fold in chocolate chips, if using.
8. Bake 25-30 minutes or until cake tests done.
9. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove to racks. Frost when cooled.

Chai Frosting

Ingredients:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup soymilk
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp cardomom
• pinch salt

Instructions:

1. Cream fat.
2. Add in powdered sugar, cornstarch, spices alternately with soymilk.