Although similar, spelt has more protein and less starch than wheat flour.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat#Nutrition
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelt#Nutrition
This means that it will create a great structure but won't absorb as much liquid. This would result in exactly what you saw- it was sticky from water and protein and too loose to hold its shape but baked with a good crust.
The recipes I have seen use a mixture of flours that includes spelt.
Try adding less water.
Flour labeled as Cake flour usually is weak flour: low W value, or less formally "low protein" or "fewer gluten". This is somehow weird, as some cakes will require weak flour, whether others nedd strong flour (for yeasted dough cakes, if they add lots of fat/oil to the dough, if they add lots of sugar, pieces of fruits/nuts, etc).
I specifically don't know whether Maida is strong or weak flour, despite this answer and it's comments.
Wheat plants has been selected for several milleniums to get more productive varieties, and, yes, grains that give stronger flour.
Substitutes as weak flour
Trying to get flour from a more "primitive" variety of wheat, such as spelt, emmer or einkorn. These are expensive where I live, and usually sold as bio, but maybe spelt is easily found in India. As they have not been so "genetically selected", they still have less gluten than today's "normal" flour. They also tend to have more and better taste than "normal" flour.
Another flour with low gluten content is rye. It has a different taste than wheat, but I thing it fits really well with cakes. This grain grows better in colder climates, so I'm not very sure how hard will it be to get it where you live.
Other flours, as rice or corn / maize have no gluten. It means gas bubbles won't be trapped in, and will result in a much too dense crumb. You might search some gluten-free bread tricks to solve this.
Substitutes as strong flour
Any bread flour will probably work. Maybe it won't rise as much and you'll get a crumb with a denser consistency, more similar to a "chewing gum" than a "soft cake". But if you are ok with this, you can go on.
Note(Thank to @Anisha for the suggestion):
Notice that different flours have different absorption, so some readjustment on hydration should probably be made to the original recipe.
Best Answer
Good Answer Hobodave....tacking onto that:
Most southern U.S. brands (White Lily, Martha White) of all-purpose flour are bleached because southerners tend to make more quick breads (biscuits, cornbread, hoecakes, pancakes, as well as cakes, pie crusts, cobblers) where tenderness is desired. White Lily has just started producing unbleached all-purpose flour as well.
Brands from the Northeast (King Arthur) and midwest are usually unbleached because those regions tend to make more yeast breads and the additional gluten forming capability of unbleached flour produces better results.
National U.S. brands (Pillsbury/Gold Medal) often produce both types or stick with unbleached.
Cake flour is always bleached (usually chlorine gas).
More information on differences in types of flour can be found in my article titled "Flour Power"