Cinnamon Whole Grain Cake

If you have children who are "suspicious" of anything healthy at home, you won't want them to see you make this cake, because it contains very little sugar and no white flour.  However, you can leave the empty bag of chocolate chips and the cinnamon jar lying around on the counter.  Let them smell the cake cooking and see it coming out of the oven.  They will eat it.  And so will you.  This has an intensely cinnamon-y taste and smell if you use the maximum amount listed.

This cake rises nicely, but feels like a meal.  It is good for breakfast, road trips, anytime you want your "dessert" to last you and not cause postprandial syndrome an hour later. 

Cinnamon Whole Grain Cake
Turn oven on to 350 degrees.  Grease a deep dish spring-form pan (probably a 10x14 rectangular pan would do, also, but I like the crispy crust and foolproof removal of my spring-form pan).

Ingredients
2 sticks butter, room temperature 
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 c. dark molasses
3 extra large (4 medium) eggs
3 c. whole wheat flour (I use malted)
1 c. dark rye flour
1/2 c. old fashioned (not quick) oats - which are coarser and add texture
2 tsp. baking soda
3-4 heaping tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. water, milk or buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
(you can add a cup of raisins or walnut pieces, too, if you want)

Method
Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the molasses and eggs.  Mix the baking soda, cinnamon and salt into the flour.  Then alternate the flour with a little of the liquid so you don't spew batter all over the kitchen if you are using a mixer.  Don't over-mix.  Add the vanilla and chocolate chips.  Pour batter (or rather, glop it, since it is heavy) into the greased spring-form pan and put in the oven.  Check it for doneness at one hour.  It may take up to an hour and 20 minutes to test clean when poked with a sharp utensil.  Let the spring-form side loose immediately and cool.