After I mentioned her home business in one of my articles, “Party On…Consciously,” Sunflower Bakery owner Janet Makaris dropped off a gorgeous cake at the Seven Days office. It’s made with spelt flour with a layer of lemon curd (one of my favorite things) and maple fondant on top. And as you can see, was decorated with a beautiful flower.

We’d never had a cake made with a non-wheat flour before — Janet specializes in baking with alternative flours and sweeteners — and my husband mentioned his surprised by how light it is. He associates spelt with dense, nutritious breads.

The fondant was very sweet, but the tang of the lemon curd provided balance. It was decadent so we had small pieces, and I can’t wait to have another one tonight!

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Former contributor Suzanne Podhaizer is an award-winning food writer (and the first Seven Days food editor) as well as a chef, farmer, and food-systems consultant. She has given talks at the Stone Barns Center for Agriculture's "Poultry School" and its...