Whole Wheat Cake Recipe

This whole wheat cake is perfect for special occasions such as birthdays, graduations or other celebrations.

I’ve been trying to find a way to make a good birthday cake for a long time. I’ve tried many recipes and I’ve had to throw several of them right into the trash.

A single slice of Whole Wheat Cake with raspberry filling on a white plate.

But I finally did it!

I should warn you, this cake is addictive. But if it’s your birthday, at least eating a lot of cake won’t be so bad if the cake you’re eating is clean!

I’m still trying to develop a good frosting recipe. That white frosting that makes any cake look like a birthday celebration. You know what I’m talking about… that stuff you can’t help but dip your finger into a few times while decorating the cake. Ya, that one. I need a clean version of that. And I’ll get it! Yes I will!

But in the mean time, I don’t want to leave you high and dry either. So if you don’t mind putting some chocolate pumpkin frosting on your cake, you can try the frosting I did for my Halloween cupcakes. It’s yummy stuff! A second option would be to try my Homemade Nutella, and lastly, here is a Nut Butter Frosting.

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HEALTHY CAKE RECIPES:

WHOLE WHEAT CAKE RECIPE

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Clean Eating Birthday Cake Recipe

Whole Wheat Cake

NOTE: This recipe makes 1 layer. Double it (and use 2 cake pans) if you want a layered cake with filling in the middle. Each layer will be approximately 1 inch high, give or take a little.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 131kcal

Equipment

  • 9 inch cake pan (2 pans if you want a layered cake)

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (affiliate link)
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 tbsp. grapeseed oil (or any light flavored oil)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • cup honey
  • 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Line a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper. Then spray the inside of the pan, including the parchment with a light coat of oil from an oil sprayer.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder until well combined.
  • Whisk in all other ingredients.
  • Pour batter in to cake pan and bake for 26-30 minutes. A knife or cake tester should pull our clean.
  • Allow to cool. Run a plastic knife around the edge to separate cake from pan and then remove.
  • If you made a second layer, cover one cake with filling or frosting and place the second cake on top.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

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99 Comments

  1. The cupcakes were great! They were a little more dense than a traditional cake, but definitely worth it to avoid refined sugar! They tasted like honey. I used a whipped cream frosting (also made with a bit of honey) and topped them with fresh berries. Mmmm…

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Melissa – Fantastic!!! So glad you enjoyed them! 😀

  2. How dense is this cake. My sister is going to decorate with fondant (not clean, I know) but she says the cake needs to be kind of dense to do more than one layer.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Britnee – It should hold up fine. It’s not terribly dense, but it will stand up.

  3. Tofutti cream cheese is supposed to be a good frosting replacement to use.

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Maddie – Is it clean?

  4. hey! possible to replace the eggwhites with something else?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Nav – To get rid of them completely or because you don’t want to throw out the yolk?

  5. to get rid of them completely? anything you can substitute them with?

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Nav – You could try unsweetened apple sauce, but I’m not sure you’d get the same result.

  6. What extract do you use? Most of the natural extracts I find have Propylene glycol in them…is that considered clean? I’d like to try it with a caramel extract…

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Amanda – Most health food stores will have extracts without that. I get mine at whole foods or a local health food store.

  7. Suggestions for replacing the honey? I would like to make this for my baby’s 1st b-day but I know she’s not supposed to eat honey yet…

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Alaina – I would try maple syrup. It may not taste quite as sweet, but for a 1 year old, that’s not a big deal. They have overly sensitive taste buds anyway. 🙂

  8. Hello! Thank you very much for this wonderful blog. I never use soda or baking powder, so I wonder if I can do without either of those in this recipe; will the cake bake well? I also tend not to use vinegar substituting it with lemon juice.
    I will be grateful for your reply!
    Thank you!

    1. The Gracious Pantry says:

      Alla – No, the cake would not turn out the same without soda or powder. It would not rise very well. The vinegar/lemon juice is up to you. 🙂