Buttermilk Maple Syrup Spice Cake - super soft and healthy!

I had buttermilk in my fridge and was not really sure what do with it! Well I stumbled upon this recipe, and it was a lucky find, as it is very light in texture but does not have a very high fat or sugar content.

If you do not have any  buttermilk to hand just make it:

Ingredients:

Milk (just under one cup)

1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.

2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.

3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Also it can easily be transformed into a milk free cake,  just prepare the buttermilk with soy milk.

And now you are ready for the cake:

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached or all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (we used wholwheat spelt flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of cayenne

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup vegetable oil ( we used almond oil)

2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses

1. Preheat oven to 180 C.  Line a 20 cm square baking pan with baking paper.

2. Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and cayenne into a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, blend the eggs, buttermilk, maple syrup, oil, and molasses.

4. Make a well in the dry mixture and stir in the egg mixture, just until smooth; do not beat. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan.