Life without grains, gluten, dairy and refined sugar should not be boring. Or bland. Or without a slice of deliciously moist spice cake on a summer’s afternoon.
For me spice cake is really homey. It’s something that your sweet, doting grandma would serve with a cup of tea while you perch on her plastic covered formal sofa.
Of course grandma’s spice cake is filled with butter, wheat flour, refined sugar and buttermilk — all no-no’s for our enlightened diet. So with a few inventive ingredient substitutions I’ve transformed traditional spice cake into something healthier but just as scrumptious.
Make this spice cake for your grandma…
1¼ cups coconut milk, full fat
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups blanched almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon Ground Cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ cup palm shortening
1 cup coconut palm sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, at room tempature
½ cup palm shortening
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
In a small bowl combine the coconut milk and lemon juice. Set aside at room temperature to allow to sour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with coconut oil, or two 8½ inch round cake pans. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the shortening on high speed for 30 seconds. Add the coconut palm sugar and vanilla, beat until well combined. Add the eggs 1 at a time beating well after each addition.
Alternately add flour mixture and sour coconut milk, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Pour into prepared pan or pans.
Bake for 35-40 minutes for the 13x9x2 inch pan, 30-35 minutes for the round pans. Allow to cool before frosting. Once frosted chill in the fridge to firm the frosting, at least 20 minutes. Store leftovers in the fridge. Enjoy!
Place all the ingredients, except the coconut oil, in a mixing bowl and beat until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and beat again.
Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the melted coconut oil, mixing until smooth.
Place the frosting in the fridge for 30 minutes before using. Store all leftovers in the fridge. Enjoy!
Calories: 262
Fat: 20g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Sodium: 88mg
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 4g
Sugar: —