Spelt Layer Cake with Raspberry Whipped Cream

I am writing this article from my dining room, alongside a GIANT piece of leftover spelt layer cake with raspberry frosting.

The other night was my turn to host book club. When you host, you make tasty snacks and sweets for the whole group.

And being the fresh recipient of my parents’ annual Whole Foods gift card as a birthday gift, Tim and I went to the grocery store… and came home with ALL the fresh vegetables, fruit, butter, flour, and cream I could ever want!

The menu was set: a hummus platter with an assortment of crunchy crudite (Carrots! Cucumbers! Peppers! Tomatoes!), and a lovely cake for dessert.

I knew I wanted to make a spelt version with some sort of fruity flavoring. And after gawking at the rows upon rows of plump, pretty raspberries, I found my inspiration.

The taste is quite unique – the spelt flour gives it a more wholesome, nourishing taste. It’s a refreshing change from the overly sweet desserts made with refined white flour and granulated sugar.

The spelt base also creates a beautiful balance with the other lightly sweet components I decided to add a thick cream cheese filling, and a fluffy whipped cream frosting that’s sweetened with honey, and tinted a beautiful pink with the fresh berries.

So, over the course of the next few hours during book club, we talked about our book and our lives, and nibbled on veggies and homemade hummus, with big slices of this tasty treat for dessert.

After everyone left, I went to bed full and exhausted!

The next morning, however, I was ravenous… and craving something sweet.

I opened the fridge and found plastic bags of chopped vegetables, a container of summer fruit salad, a bowl of leftover roasted garlic hummus, and a few pieces of leftover raspberry goodness.

This is always one of my favorite parts of entertaining – the prepared, packaged leftovers in the fridge the next day!

I reached for a piece of cake, and I brought it to the table, and I ate it, right here alongside my computer while I write to you…

Spelt Layer Cake with Raspberry Whipped Cream

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• Author: Shanna Mallon
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 servings 1x

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Description

Need a change from your typical vanilla cake? Bake this spelt flour cake with honey-sweetened whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

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Ingredients

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For the Cake:

• 1 1/4 cups coconut sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup water

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

• 8 ounces plain cream cheese, room temperature
• 1–2 tablespoons honey

For the Whipped Cream Frosting;

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1–2 tablespoons honey
• 3/4 cup fresh raspberries, plus more for garnishing

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Instructions

For the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 8-inch-round cake pans, and set aside.
2. In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer, cream together the coconut sugar, softened butter, and olive oil.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well on medium-high speed after each addition. Add the vanilla. Scrape the bowl and beat again.
4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, and water.
5. Alternately add the dry mixture and the wet mixture to the creamed base, starting and ending with the dry mixture. Mix together until completely combined into a thick, uniform batter.
6. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before removing from pans to frost.

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese with the honey to your taste. Stir together until combined.
2. Divide in half, leaving half in the mixing bowl and the other half in a separate bowl.

For the Whipped Cream Frosting:

1. Whip the heavy cream in the same mixing bowl with half of the cream mixture until soft peaks form with the whisk attachment.
2. With the bowl still on the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the honey and raspberries. Whisk until the fruit is combined and slightly mashed so the frosting becomes light pink.

To Assemble:

1. Spread the remaining half of the cream cheese mixture on the top of one of the cake rounds. Place the other cake on top.
2. Frost the entire cake with the whipped cream mixture. Garnish with raspberries.
3. Let set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Cake
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: Dessert

Keywords: spelt flour, raspberries, cream cheese, baking, cake, dessert

Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Make the Batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 8-inch-round cake pans. You can also grease and flour 3 6-inch pans, depending on how many layers you would like.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a handheld mixer, cream together the coconut sugar, softened unsalted butter, and olive oil until the mixture becomes slightly fluffy with a very light color. It will still look a little grainy from the coconut sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well on medium-high speed after each addition. You’ll need to scrape the bowl between each addition, making sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract. Scrape the bowl and beat again.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a medium bowl until completely incorporated. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, and water.

Alternately add the dry mixture and the wet mixture to the base, starting and ending with the dry mixture. This will ensure your batter becomes a homogenous mixture, without separating or curdling.

Scrape the bottom of the bowl occasionally, as the dry mixture has a tendency to sink when mixing. Mix together until completely combined into a thick, uniform batter.

Step 2 – Bake

Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for about 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, or when the cake springs back slightly when you gently press on the top. If using 6-inch pans, you will bake for just a little less time.

Remove from the oven, and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing from the pans and letting cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

Get our advice on how to bake your cakes perfectly!

Step 3 – Make the Cream Cheese Filling

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese with the honey to your taste. Stir together until combined. Transfer half of the mixture to a separate bowl.

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature for this step! Not cold, not melted. If it’s cold, it won’t mix evenly or efficiently. When melted, it will be far too runny and soft to spread on the cake.

Room temp is best!

Step 4 – Make the Frosting

In the same mixing bowl with the other remaining half of the cream cheese mixture, add the heavy cream. Whip with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form.

With the bowl still on the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, add the honey and raspberries. Whisk until the raspberries are slightly mashed and thoroughly incorporated into the frosting. The frosting will be tinted a light pink color with the mashed fruit.

Adding the cream cheese helps to thicken and stabilize the whipped cream slightly, helping the frosting maintain its shape when decorating.

Looking for another icing recipe to try instead? We have plenty! Try our American-Style Buttercream, or Swiss Meringue Buttercream for other sweet and fluffy variations to decorate.

Step 5 – Decorate and Serve

Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of one of the rounds. Place the other round on top.

Frost the entire dessert with the whipped cream frosting mixture. Garnish with more fresh raspberries, and a sprinkle of cardamom. Let set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Read Foodal’s tips and tricks for cake decorating, and get all the tools to be a master decorator!

About Shanna Mallon

Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.

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