Honey Whole Wheat Ginger Spice Cake

This recipe was inspired by a recipe by Emeril LaGasse. Since the recipe already had honey and yogurt, I replaced the white flour with whole wheat pastry flour, and it turned into a delicious wholefood cake. I'm going to experiment with making it in different flavors, as it has a very light texture for a whole-grain cake.

I think you could also make this cake with agave, but haven't tested it let. Let me know how it turns out if you try it yourself.

Emeril topped this cake with a rum glaze, but I found it worth eating even without it--and it's a lot less sugar. But I'm giving you the recipe for the glaze if you want to use it.

makes 1 9-inch tube pan, or 1 bundt pan, or eqivalent of two standard round layers

for the cake:
2 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup clover honey
3 large egg yolks
7/8 cup plain yogurt
4 large egg whites

for the rum glaze (optional):
1 1/4 cups sifted powdered unrefined cane sugar (sold as "organic powdered sugar")
1 1/2 tablespoons rum

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour the pans or use cupcake liner papers in muffin pans.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter on high speed. Gradually add the honey and beat on high speed for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, and beat after each one.
6. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the yogurt in 2 parts. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
7. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff.
8. Fold the egg whites into the batter.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.
10. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
11. To make the glaze...combine the powdered unrefined cane sugar and rum and stir to combine. If the glaze is too thick, thin with a bit of water. Drizzle the glaze all over the cake with a spoon. Let the cake sit until the glaze has hardened before serving.