BIRTHDAY CAKE – Healthier Style

BIRTHDAY CAKE – Healthier Style
We had a special 80th birthday in our family this week. I baked a chocolate cake trying to cut down on the sugar and calories by substituting a few ingredients with ones that are healthier.

The cake turned out exceptionally moist and tasty so I figured I would share the recipe with others who are trying to meet diet restrictions as well.

In this recipe I was trying to cut the sugar & dairy, and as well use a healthy grain flour & healthy fat. Adding the non-dairy yogurt provided a healthy bacteria for our gut.

Seeing I wanted about 40 pieces, I doubled the following recipe of cake and icing. It was enough batter & icing for one large roasting pan cake or 2 (9 by 12 inch cakes)

1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup lard (organic unprocessed)
1 cup monk fruit (a sugar substitute)
15 drops liquid stevia
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup unbleached flour (I sifted the bran out of freshly milled spelt flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup hemp milk (or you can use other non-dairy milk)
1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt*
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour boiling water over cocoa, mix and set aside to cool. In another bowl beat softened fats, gradually adding the sugar. Slowly beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Beat in the cocoa mixture. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add these sifted ingredients alternately with milk/yogurt and vanilla. Pour into greased cake pan. Bake at 350 ‘ for 35 – 40 minutes. Remove cake to a plate or large tray.

ICING
4 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 cup hemp milk (or other dairy free milk)
1/2 cup non-dairy margarine or butter substitute
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup monk fruit (a sugar substitute)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat the flour & milk together until smooth. Cook until thick, stirring all the time so it doesn’t burn. I often heat it in the microwave in a few minutes, then beat smooth and heat again until it is thick. Let it become completely cold.
Beat the fats with sugar & salt together until very fluffy.
Then continue to beat as you add the flour mixture a teaspoon at a time.(very important) Beat after each addition. Lastly add the vanilla.
If for any reason the icing is a bit soft to push through a decorator, just place it into the fridge. Mix a few times as it hardens a bit more. The coconut oil will help to stiffen it and help it remain that way for easy spreading and keeping shape.

I set aside a small amount to use for decorating. With a whip I blended 1/4 cup cocoa into the rest. With this I covered the whole cake and then using a cake decorator I decorated with the white. Or you can add a few drops of food coloring to the white if another color is preferred

Another suggestion is to split the cake through the middle and spread a pudding between the layers.