Can I use wholemeal or plain flour?

[Storm]

Hi,

I want to make this cake this weekend

http://thehungryvegan.blogspot.com/2008/10/organic-vegan-christmas-cake.html

But they don't sell Spelt flour where I live. I don't really know what it is and I wondered if I would be able to substitute it for wholemeal or plain flour?

Thanks :)

[fooldramaqueen]

I think wholemeal flour can be used instead of spelt with no problems, but I believe spelt is gluten free, and regular wholemeal is not.

I'm also thinking of making a test-run Christmas cake this weekend, so good luck to us both! :)

[harpy]

Sorry to disagree with m'learned friend but spelt isn't actually gluten-free - I think it has a different kind of gluten though (different molecular or cellular structure or something). I believe that for breadmaking purposes spelt is supposed to be more fragile and to take less kneading but I would think for a cake it wouldn't make any difference.

Perhaps you could use a mixture of wholemeal and plain flour as all wholemeal might make the cake a bit heavy - but what do I know?

[Hemlock]

Spelt is very heavy and makes a kind of dark bread a bit like the German black bread. I'd use a mixture of buckwheat flour and wholemeal.

[harpy]

Hmm, the spelt flour I get isn't heavy or dark at all - it's lighter (both in density and colour) than wholemeal wheat flour :confused: Maybe it depends what kind you buy? Mine is Sharpham Park wholegrain spelt flour.