My oldest daughter turned four last week. When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted, she replied, “Strawberry cake!” I scoured for recipes that were somewhat healthy and came across this one for whole wheat strawberry shortcake. I had a couple of others in reserve in case it was a failure, but we all loved it on the first try.

Whole Wheat Strawberry Shortcake (adapted from Tammy’s Recipes)

4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup coconut sugar, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Strawberries
Heavy cream
Honey
Vanilla

 

Beat egg whites in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 c. coconut sugar, 1 T. at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is incorporated (you will be able to see the coconut sugar crystals). In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks, flour, water, oil, 1/2 c. coconut sugar, baking powder, and vanilla. Mix well. Fold egg yolk mixture into egg whites until combined.

Pour into greased and floured 9″ spring form pan and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched.

Wash and cut up strawberries and drizzle with honey. In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff, adding in some honey and vanilla to taste.

When the cake is cooled, you can slice it in half and put whipped cream in between the layers, or just leave as-is and top with cream and berries.

Thoughts:

We loved this cake the first time I made it, and I was thrilled to find a recipe I felt comfortable with for my daughter’s birthday. The cake by itself is really hearty and good, but adding the berries and cream adds in some sweetness that puts it over the top. I made cupcakes and a round cake. The cupcakes were a little dry; I baked them 20 minutes and that was too long (next time I’ll try for 15-17). No one complained, and we had grandparents, aunts, and cousins all wanting more. The coconut sugar adds a brown sugar/caramel flavor that goes really well with the whole wheat. I will make this cake over and over again, trying different variations. It would be divine as a spice cake.

**Side note: I posted this morning about soaking grains. I have since removed the post and upon further research, will re-post at a later date. I want to be sure of my facts, and do all of the reading I can on a topic before posting my thoughts. I am currently trying to learn all I can about phytic acid and how it relates to grain digestion and mineral absorption. I will admit that I was a little hasty in my post and for anyone who read it, I wanted to explain why it suddenly disappeared! Thanks for understanding.