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Sugar Free Low Carb Chocolate Crazy Cake { Egg Free, Dairy Free, Tree Nut Free, Peanut Free, Grain Free, Gluten Free}
Crazy Cake
Have you ever heard of the Crazy cake, Wacky cake or Depression Cake before? It was a cake made during the Great Depression of the 1930’s when there was a lack of eggs, butter and milk. They had to get pretty creative and surprisingly the Crazy Cake is one of the best cakes even without those ingredients! It’s actually the most perfect allergy friendly cake I’ve ever seen!
I first saw the Chocolate Crazy Cake recipe circulating on Facebook from the Sweet Little Blue Bird website but made with white flour and white sugar so I knew I would want to remake it for myself and all of you!
I’ve been asked so many times to make this sugar free and gluten free and now I’ve finally done it and made it low carb and nut free too!
Nut Free Keto Chocolate Cake
I was even surprised by how utterly decadent, moist and fudgey this cake was! The white vinegar and baking soda allow it to rise perfectly.
Many of you know my youngest has a tree nut allergy so I opted to make this cake with sesame flour since I can’t use almond flour. I’ve often used sunflower seed flour to bake with but the chemical reaction of sunflowers and baking soda make for things turning green, so not the best choice here.
I finally made this cake one day when a friend of mine was watching my kids for me at her house so I could do some packing. Her daughter was recently diagnosed with a dairy intolerance. I knew I had to make this cake and since my son would be there, nut free was the plan as well.
There were 8 children over her house that day for a get together. About 6 of them do not eat gluten free or sugar free so I was excited to see their reaction when they ate a piece of my cake.
Of course I had all ready tested it out and eaten a piece and knew it was amazing so I wasn’t worried but you just never know with kids……. they are always bluntly honest.
The reaction? Before I even had spent a moment thanking my friend for watching my kids for the afternoon, I turned to look and all the kids were eating a piece in the kitchen! Smiling, nodding of it’s yumminess, with mouths smeared with chocolate all over!
It was devoured! Even the moms were shocked it was free of so many allergens and tasted so amazing.
I think you’ll find this Depression, Crazy, Wacky Cake or whatever you choose to call it will be a huge hit whenever you make it! Next time I will double it to make 24 pieces because 12 was just not enough!
Brenda’s Notes:
- Nutritional Information below is NOT including the chocolate frosting.
- I used my 2 Ingredient Chocolate Frosting in these photos. Other frosting options: Sugar Free Buttercream Frosting or just use Sugar Free Whipped Cream.
Sugar Free Low Carb Chocolate Crazy Cake
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Sugar Free Low Carb Chocolate Crazy Cake { Egg Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free, Gluten Free}
Ingredients
- 1 cup sesame flour
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup Swerve confectioners
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chocolate liquid stevia
- 1 cup water
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
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Line an 8 by 8 baking pan with parchment paper.
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Whisk together the first 7 dry ingredients.
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Make 3 depressions in the dry mixture, 2 small and 1 large.
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Pour the vinegar in a small depression, the vanilla extract and chocolate stevia in the other small depression and the oil in the large depression.
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Pour the water over the top and stir until smooth.
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Spread the batter into the baking pan.
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Place in the middle rack of your oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes clean.
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Allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove by holding the ends of the parchment paper.
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Place onto a cutting board to frost then slice.
Recipe Notes
This recipe was first published in April 2015 and updated with video on April 2019.
You could make these into 12 servings for smaller pieces you total carbs will be 6 grams instead of 9.
This looks amazing! Quick question for a newbie low-carb baker. I don’t love using powdered sweeteners, I try to stick to liquid stevia if at all possible. Does this recipe need the powdered sweetener to work?
Hi Dawn, Welcome! I can’t say it would work without the powdered Swerve since I have not tried it without it. If you try it please let m know how it works for you. Maybe cut the recipe in half to try it with just stevia.
Ya know why don’t you add carbohydrate info.. None of you do.. Won’t make it.
Hmmm, not sure why you can’t see the nutrition info, it’s located right next to the picture above the ingredients. All carbs total, fiber, everything is in fact listed.
Its on the there maybe your internet browser is not functioning properly.
How rude. Free recipe but you complain.
shut up
I see it. Maybe you need glasses?
Wow Michelle! How ‘bout “thanks for the recipe!” and then move on. Or don’t comment at all! She was kind enough to share this recipe. Don’t make it if you don’t want to, but you don’t have to be rude!
Why do people use baking powder for these type recipes when the first ingredient is corn starch? Read the label.
You can buy corn starch free baking powder.
I buy cornstarch free baking powder because of an allergy to corn.
I would love to try this today but I don’t have Sunflower oil… what would be the best substitute for this? I do have EVOO, grape seed, and coconut on hand… would any of those work?
Sorry, I do also have avocado and hazelnut oil on hand.
The recipe calls for avocado oil
I think I would say grapeseed instead of olive or coconut.
This sure looks good. Love anything chocolate and a healthy version of it even more! I never used sesame flour before. I must give that a try.
Thanks Miryam!
Is that granular or confectioner’s Swerve?
Either will work but I did use the confectioner’s Swerve.
I’m allergic to sunflower seeds. What would be a good substitution?
You can use any oil of choice really but the milder is better. I would say grapeseed or avocado oil.
Do you think mct oil would work?
thank you got the recipe! Would almond flour be an equal swap with sesame flour?
Yes that will be fine to swap.
Bummer. Just tried with almond flour (from Honeyville) and it didn’t work. Raised up and then fell to a pancake. Not a cake at all. I will try again with Sesame flour. Maybe it make a difference. Mine was a fairly thin batter as low carb cake batters go. I wonder if the sesame flour acts a little like the flax to soak water?
Really? I’m so sorry I can’t believe there would be such a difference using almond flour.
Brenda,
Thank you for this delicious looking recipe! Just love your adventurous spirit…and having a little one with allergies has got to be tough! Thank you, Brenda, for all your sharing!
FYI. You can get the same sesame flour at Walmart.com for 13.69 with free shipping. God bless
Faye, that’s too bad. I made it in August of 2016 with the almond flour and it was delicious. It raised up nicely then fell a little bit, but was still great. So sorry it didn’t work as it tastes sooooooooo good.
Mine fell like a pancake too and I used the sesame and flax. Not sure why?? I followed the instructions exactly. Ugh!
I’m finding when my baking powder is in my pantry for more than 2 months it doesn’t work as well as when it is completely fresh opened.
Same thing happened to me with almond flour. And I baked it too long because it remained jiggly like Jello even at 40 min at 350. I won’t be trying again.
My kids can’t wait to try this!!!! I don’t havd swerve but use powdered xylitol (I just put in blender). Can xylitol be used straight across or would the measurements be different?
What does it mean to make depressions? I’m not a big baker so I do not understand the lingo. (:
Just make a simple valley in the batter, not a hole but a small dip.
The chocolate cake looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it this weekend ….
I wish there was an option to print the recipes WITHOUT the photo …..simply a waste of ink and paper ….
Try highlighting the recipe, etc., and copying it, then pasting it to Word or another editor. Delete anything that you pasted that you don’t want.
just take a pic of it with your phone……
What are you using for frosting? With the “sugar free” title it left me a bit baffled.
the frosting optional are all linked under the comments you just have to click on them to see the frosting recipe
Finally had a chance to make it today, with sesame flour. Yummy! Nice to be able to have something chocolatey without the guilt! Didn’t want any frosting/icing. Definitely making again. Thank you so much!
Glad you liked it!
Hi Brenda
What does the flaxseed flour do? Is it the egg replacer in the recipe or does it just to add as a flour for mass? I ask because I want to leave it out and substitute it with something else due to an allergy to it. I just don’t know what.
Thanks
It’s my sub for replacing flour since I can’t use almond flour.
I am going to try some of your recipes. My husband is a diabetic. Will let you know how they turn out
Crazy cakes I’ve made in the past have been made right in the pan. It’s hard to know with this one. Also I don’t have liquid stevia just powdered. Also have xylitol can I sub 1 for 1 with swerve?
Is this made in the pan or combined in a separate bowl? Can I sub xylitol 1for1 for Swerve? Is chocolate stevia crucial?
I used a bowl to mix, it really doesn’t matter. Swerve is much less sweeter than xylitol so I would use half. No chocolate stevia is not crucial but adds a nice chocolate flavor.
Thank you!
I had no idea that this recipe would spill over the edges of my pan. I’m going to have to try again later after I clean out my oven. It didn’t look too bad, though!
What if you used left over coffee instead of water? it would give the chocolate a richer taste.
Great idea!
Could coconut flour be used? My grandson has peanut, egg, gluten and dairy allergies and he hasn’t been tested for tree nuts yet, so we’re avoiding them. He hasn’t been tested for sesame either. It I tried it, any clue how much coconut flour would be required?
Unfortunately subbing coconut flour one to one wouldn’t work in this recipe as coconut flour is like a sponge and needs at least 12 eggs to a cup of coconut flour.
I made it with half almond flour and half coconut flour along with the flaxseed and turned out beautifully and was delicious
Audrey did you follow the recipe exactly other than subbing half almond and half coconut flour for the sesame?
I made it with Almond flour\meal and ground flaxseed (And the rest as instructed.) It didn’t appear to rise at all… taste was OK.. but had this grainee texture (My daughter loves chocolate like an addict… she only licked the powder sugar after her 1st bite)
Whats wrong? I want to make a healthier chocolate cake (With fairly low carbs, sugar free, low fat would be nice) and low cal is nice… (my 3 year old daughter and I will share birthday) I want to make her a 3 tier chocolate cake with sugar free, low carb\fat\cal white buttercream frosting o whip cream)
So I can have POST gastric surgery, and raise our daughter on better eating habits…
What is the recipe for the two ingredient chocolate icing shown on the cake
It is mentioned directly above the recipes with 2 other options as well.https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/2-ingredient-sugar-free-dairy-free-chocolate-frosting/
I need your help again please!
I have gone and bought everything for this cake today, unfortunately the only non-liquid sugar substitute I could find in the supermarket where I am is one of the ones that you use half of what you would normally use..
So I would need to use half a cup of sweetener instead of a whole one.
What do you suggest I do to balance out the recipe or will it not really matter?
I was also unable to get ground flaxseed, is it okay to just chuck a bunch of whole flaxseed in the magic bullet and use that? Or should I just use extra sesame flour?
It’s a bit difficult trying to get this sort of thing to work here haha
I have actually just found that my flaxseed has gone walk about, could I use chia seeds instead?
Hi Maree,
Was curious what you used instead of liquid chocolate stevia – I am hoping to make this cake this weekend. I am wondering if hershey’s chocolate syrup will work…I am not making the cake for health/dietary reasons so using the syrup will be fined for my family. Let me know what you substituted, hope it came out good!
Sorry since I really don’t know the liquid sweetener you bought I can’t honestly tell you how to modify the recipe. I would suggest always use less than you think you need, taste the batter than adjust to your sweetness.
I think something has gone wrong with your recipe? No sesame flour and flax is mentioned…
it was a glitch within the recipe plug in, should be fixed now.
Where do you buy sesame flour? Is the one you buy defatted or do you make your own by simply grinding raw sesame seeds?
Are the nutritional stats based on store bought sesame flour or home-ground?
You can buy it ground online here and my discount code is YAJ035, http://www.iherb.com/Kevala-Organic-Sesame-Flour-16-oz-453-g/59945
Can I use lemon juice instead of the vinegar?
Maybe? I’ve not tried that.
I saw someone else commented that they were allergic to flax seed and wanted to know if chia seed could be subbed but there wasn’t a reply. I am wondering the same thing, I am guessing I’d have to grind the chia seeds first.
Thank you
I think so but I have not made the cake subbing flax for chia.
Hello, did you try the chia seed replacement?
You need to be aware that flax is oestrogenic so is not too suitable for boys… or men…
I’ve been following a low-carb diet since November 2016, and have been scouring the web for tried and tested recipes. Through sheer determination, I’ve got a pretty sturdy arsenal of recipes bookmarked, which I’ve tried, and loved. One thing that eluded me was a good chocolate cake recipe. I usually spend money on premium ingredients but always walk away disappointed from repeated failed attempts on various chocolate cake recipes. I was incredibly skeptical about this recipe, and was worried I’d waste a huge chunk of my Swerve supply (which does not come cheap in Singapore), but decided to just bulldoze through anyway. Stumbling upon your recipe has made my entire week. It was so easy to follow, and I practically used just one bowl for mixing throughout.
I used a mixture of Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal & Almond Flour, substituted half the flaxseed with coconut flour, used Apple Cider Vinegar, a half teaspoon of Sweet Leaf Chocolate and Raspberry liquid stevia, and used coconut oil instead of sunflower oil.
This cake is incredibly moist, and has just the right amount of sweetness. I am not a fan of frosting, so this was a real treat, because the cake was so decadent on its own. I was so thrilled to be able to have such a huge slice all to myself – that was my lunch!
My sincerest gratitude for such an excellent recipe!
Thank you!
I am on a low carb/keto way of eating and I would love to make this in memory of my mothers birthday. Can I use granulated Truvia sweetner instead. I have not seen Swerve in the local stores near me. Also I have almond flour at home (but would this increase the amount of carbs per serving). I know you have mentioned before but if I cannot find the chocolate liquid stevia, the cake will still taste alright, correct? Also what is the purpose of the sunflower oil, can I use olive oil in its place?
Yes you can use Truvia, just add a small amount, it is sweeter than Swerve. I buy it online: http://amzn.to/2nqFtrr and online for the stevia as well: http://amzn.to/2n8m3oo, and yes you can replace the sunflower oil with olive. The purpose is because olive oil tends to have a strong flavor.
Just a quick question. Arn’t all this sugar/sweetner substitutes just as bad for you as the real thing?
Depends on what substitute you are talking about. Stevia is not a sugar substitute. It’s natural from a plant in South America, the leaves are boiled down to make the liquid stevia, it doesn’t contain anything artificial, has no effect on blood sugar (doesn’t spike blood sugar), safe for diabetics. Erythritol is a natural occurring sugar alcohol coming from fiber in vegetables. It too is not artificial and is safe for diabetics. If you’re talking about Splenda, Aspartame, Sweet & Low, etc. those are all artificial and I don’t use them.
Is the batter supposed to be thick or thin. Mine was very thick. Can I thin it with more water next time??
I am making this right now and it doesn’t seem to be cooking right. Not sure what I did wrong, it’s just not getting firm and has been in the oven for almost 45 mins. Any pointers?
did you change any ingredients in the recipe?
I didn’t. I ended up having to throw it away because the outside tasted like burnt cake and the inside was still not done. I’m going to try again! But I have no clue where I went wrong! Ha
Oh wait! I did change a couple things. I used xylitol sweetener and also almond flour! Could that be something??
I had a similar experience. After reading some comments, it seems that others have had success but that the ratio may need to be adjusted in order to substitute almond flour.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It was my first-ever attempt at gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free, all of which were dietary restrictions noted by guests to my sister’s wedding. She wanted all of her guests to have a dessert option, so I made two of these. It definitely cooked better in the glass pan than the disposable aluminum pan. We didn’t find sesame flour so used almond flour, and the batter was very thin, so I added 2extra tablespoons. We couldn’t find Swerve, so we subbed coconut sugar. The cake puffed up and flattened even after we added extra baking powder & soda. We had to cook it longer to pass the toothpick test. It was a VERY moist cake, my brothers all thought it tasted like a brownie. The fluffy two-ingredient frosting was perfect on top, with some fresh raspberries. Several GF guests said they are used to not having dessert at events so this was a treat!
Wonderful News! Thank you for sharing!
I attempted this recipe twice. The only substitution I made was swapping almond flour for sesame flour. Both times, the cake was starting to become burnt in the oven, but the middle of the cake was mushy and wasn’t setting. Even after it cooled, the cake would not cut properly and was essentially pudding. The taste was alright, if you ignored the texture. I am not sure if anyone has had success with using almond flour, but this was my experience.
I substituted with almond flour, almond oil, and Splenda (couldn’t find the chocolate liquid stevia or swerve) and it was AMAZING!! It also looked exactly like the picture 🙂
Thank you!
This was so delicious!! I am recently low carb in addition to being paleo and my boyfriend and I absolutely loved this recipe – first time cooking with Swerve. I only had almond flour so I used that instead of the sesame flour. My boyfriend’s oven is vintage and from the 70s so the temperature isn’t always accurate but I made it in a 9″ pie tin at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and it came out more like ooey gooey brownie. Soooo good thank you!!
Seems to be quite a difference (4 carbs) in net carbs between nutrition information in narrative and that published beside recipe photo. Please clarify. Does 1/12 of recipe have approximately 2 net carbs or 6 net carbs?
As I mentioned above the recipe, my son has a tree nut allergy so I did not use almond flour, I used sesame and that is what the nutrition info is in the recipe based on using sesame. I also provided above the recipe, nutrition info in the narrative, for those using almond flour instead. Yes there is a difference in carbs in which flour you use.
Hi there. My daughter has CSID and lactose deficiency so delighted with this recipe. She doesn’t do well Stevia either. Just wondering could I use honey as a sweetener here and also could I sub the chocolate Stevia?? Thanks
Sure you can use honey if that is what is best for your daughter. I think you’d need at least a cup worth for the same sweetness.
I recently went on an elimination diet (gf free, sugar free, dairy free, egg free, corn & soy free diet) and have been longing for chocolate/some kind of “normal” dessert.
I made this today and it turned out SOOO GOOD! Thank you so much!!! My siblings even said it tasted better than regular brownies 😉
I made a few changes because there were some ingredients I didn’t have etc., it came out fabulous! I am so happy 🙂
I’m just starting out on a keto diet (actually started on Dec. 30, 2017) and I really want to make this cake but I can’t find a proper formula to replace the flaxseed with eggs. I’m on a limited budget and I can’t afford to by flaxseed to use it just one time but I always have eggs on hand. The formulas I find on line say that 1 tbsp of flaxseed + 3 tbsp water = 1 egg, however, you can’t do it backwards because of the water. So, how many eggs do I need to REPLACE THE FLAXSEED?????? Thank you!
Maybe you would like these cupcakes as a cake that actually needs eggs, so you wont need to replace anything. https://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/low-carb-nut-free-chocolate-ganache-filled-cupcakes/
Brenda, I followed the recipe to the letter…seemed to need ore liquid, lots more. It would not pour so I spoone dit out and pressed it into place. Please tell me what I did wrong???
when I made it it was thick. I spread the batter out and it cooked perfectly
Hi Brenda, if I used almond flour, would it be 1.5 cups and no need for the flaxseed flour? Many thanks
Hey Brenda! Thanks for the great recipe, but a word of warning, be careful what you label grain-free. Sometimes we forget that corn is a grain and its in so many different things. As someone who is allergic to corn, i can say without a doubt that almost all (unless you buy cornfree) baking powder is made primarily from corn starch and white vinegar is also made from corn. The vinegar isn’t as direct as say a flour or meal, but someone who can’t have corn or is trying to avoid all grains might get their hopes up with the grain free tag 🙁
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! This cake was great, I had to sub the flour for almond flour and oil for coconut and it was still awesome! I rarely ever comment on a blog or recipe, but I had to let you know you made my day with this cake. I have been vegan for over 20 years but decided to go low carb/keto recently as well for weight loss, I’ve been trying so many recipes that have disappointed, this is a winner!
So glad you liked it, thank you!
Hi! I just made this recipe, but for some reason it came out of the oven really runny… Only the outside is solid. I subbed in almond flour for sesame seed flour, but other than that followed the recipe exactly. Any ideas as to what may have gone wrong? 🙁
I hope it worked out for you using almond flour. I’ve not tested it with almond since my youngest son has a tree nut allergy but other friends of mine have and it was the same amount using sesame. Please let me know if it set for you.
I was so happy to find this recipe since I just found out I’m sensitive to dairy eggs and almonds (all that have always used in low carb baking ?). I made it using avocado oil and since I couldn’t find sesame flour, I ground my own into a flour/meal. The only problem was it wouldn’t ever really raise or bake though. Even when I added 10 minutes. Ended up being a bit doughy like a brownie. I just blended it all in my food processor as I usually do for cakes and cookies. Maybe that was the problem. However it still tasted wonderful and the frosting is my new go to frosting it was fab! I’m going to try it again though because I don’t give up that easy on something that tastes so good! I will try fresh baking powder and maybe a bit more (?) and make sure my flour is ground as fine as I can get it. Do you think it sounds ok to just mix it in the food processor rather than in the pan? Thanks 🙂
My attempt is currently in the oven and going on 50 minutes and it is still very funny and not set. Our oven is less than 6 months old and still calibrated so I am not sure why it is taking so long to bake.
Hope it turns out. Our son and I are gluten free and looking for a replacement for a birthday cake.
Hopeful Baker
Just a heads up for anyone wanting to substitute ingredients. Don’t do it! We tried it with almond flour and birch xylitol (swerve is from corn, and my daughter is allergic). The batter was extremely thin and separated into two distinct textures in the oven and never set up properly. The flax meal seemed to have migrated to the outer perimeter, which was like chocolate flax gel. The interior wasn’t as gelatinous, but still unpleasantly gooey. After three rescue attempts, it was thrown out.
Mine only rose 1/2″ in the middle but remained gooey even after 50 minutes. The outer edge was overdone by then. I used almond flour. More like molten lava cake. I keep my baking soda in a glass jar & watch the expiration date so that shouldn’t be the issue.
I had the same issue. I dumped it in the freezer for a while and then cut it into small pieces. Tasted more like a brownie than a cake. Not bad but definitely not a cake.
Would you let me know the texture of this cake? Is it more on the fudgy side, cake side or gummy?
What can I use instead of 1/2 teaspoon chocolate liquid stevia?
You can use any sweetener you like really.
Brenda,
Thank you so much for your hard work and for publishing this free recipe. We are new to low-carbohydrate cooking. I will try it when I can afford all your ingredients so I don’t have to substitute. Wacky cake is my husband’s favorite.
Thank you!
Melonda
Thank you for this recipe! It turned out great! I used 1 c. almond flour, and 1/2 c. Pyure stevia powder. I cannot have eggs, so it is hard to find recipes that are low carb and egg free! Thank you!
I’m not much of a baker now that I’m in my senior years but thought this recipe was easy enough for me to do. That is until I saw that it contains artificial sugar. Unfortunately while I’m not allergic to any of the other ingredients, I’m allergic to artificial sugars of any kind. Break out in hives. Do you think I could substitute real sugar? I’m thinking if I don’t put any sugar in it won’t taste good.
The sugar free sweeteners I use in all of my recipes are not artificial. Splenda, Aspartame, Sucralose, Maltitol are artificial. Stevia is not artificial and Swerve is a natural sweetener as well coming from erythritol which is found naturally in vegetables. You can use whatever sweetener you like and yes without any sweetness it would be a bitter cake because of the unsweetened cocoa powder.
Hello. My son is also allergic to sesame. He has severe anaphylaxis. Any nuts, seeds etc. Can you suggest another type of flour that would work?
Thank you Brenda for this recipe. I have enjoyed it and wonder if it can be made as a vanilla cake?
Can I use granular sweetener instead of liquid stevia?
Sure!
By sesame flour, I am assuming it is defatted ground sesame. If so, can I use ground sesame as well?