Winona Mordu's Old Fashioned Whole Wheat Cake (with a reduced sugar variation)

This easy and unique snack cake is very moist and delicious - And much healthier than most other cakes!

The rich pecan topping gives a great twist to a whole wheat cake, keeping it moist and tender inside. The spices in it remind me of a great spice cake, and I like that it is higher in fiber and has more complex carbohydrates than a regular cake made with white flour. Don't let the cream and butter throw you, these fats actually slow down the absorption of the sugars here. Fats also keep cakes moist and tender. Just please do not use hydrogenated shortening! Again, I recommend using salted butter, not unsalted butter for best flavor.

This cake comes from my childhood. My mom made it frequently and I still love it to this day. Who was Winona Mordu? She is the woman my mom got this recipe from, when she was a young woman. The cake has kept her name ever since. Thank you Winona, where ever you are...



Winona Mordu's Whole Wheat Cake Recipe:

CAKE:
3 c. freshly ground whole wheat flour
3/4 c. oil (rice bran oil or liquid deodorized coconut oil)
2 c. dark brown sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. sea salt or BioSalt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2 t. real vanilla extract
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 t. cloves
1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper

TOPPING:
1/4 c. cream
1/4 c. butter
2 c. dark brown sugar
2 T. dark corn syrup
1 c. chopped pecans, or more to taste


Method:

CAKE:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix in a bowl: oil, sugars, eggs, salt, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and spices.
Then add the flour and buttermilk and mix together.
Pour batter into a 9 X 13-inch pan and bake from about 40 to 45 minutes. Check the cake at 30 minutes. Do not over bake the cake.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool 5 minutes before adding the topping.

TOPPING:
Combine the cream, butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Boil hard 1 minute.
Pour and spread the hot topping over the hot cake
Immediately sprinkle the top with all the chopped pecans it will hold.
Let the cake cool to room temperature before slicing into.

TIP: Toasting the fresh pecans first improves the flavor further.


Reduced Sugar Variation:

CAKE:
Substitute 3 1/4 c. finely ground whole wheat flour for the 3 cup whole wheat flour.
Substitute  1 1/4 c. fructose plus 1/2 c. dark molasses for the dark brown sugar.
Substitute 2 T. cinnamon for the 2 t. cinnamon.

Proceed with the rest of the recipe as directed above.

TOPPING:
Instead of the topping above mix together:
2/3 c. fructose, 2/3 c. sorghum sweetener, 2 T. cream, 3 T. butter.

Cook topping as directed above and top the cake as instructed.


Enjoy!

Leila.