Saturday, April 11, 2015

Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake



I found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and after a few tries it has become our favorite chocolate cake. I'm including it here to document the few changes that made it easier for me to make.

Cake Ingredients
2 C cooked quinoa (about 3/4 C uncooked quinoa and 1.5 C water. Simmer for 15 min. Let it sit for 5-10 min to cool slightly)
1/3 C milk
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 C butter, melted and cooled
1.5 C sugar
1 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting Ingredients
1 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
1/3 C powdered sugar
1/3 C cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla

Cake Directions
For the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees (I don't preheat until after the quinoa is ready to go). Use cooking spray lightly on two round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper, cut to fit (speaking from experience: do not skip the parchment paper or you won't be able to get the cake out of the pan in one piece).

Use a blender or food processor to mix the milk, eggs, and vanilla. Add 2 C of the cooked quinoa and butter and blend until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the blender mixture and stir until combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake on a rack in the middle position for 28-30 minutes or until done (I touch it lightly with my finger, and if it springs back up, I call it done!). Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto cooling racks, remove the parchment paper, and put them in the fridge for later.

Frosting Directions
Combine frosting ingredients and whip until thick and creamy.

Put it all together
Place one cake layer upside down on a serving platter or plate. Top with about 1/2 of the whipped frosting, spreading to within 1/2 inch of the edge of the cake. Carefully place the other cake layer on top of the frosted layer, and gently press down so that the frosting spreads to the edge of the cake.

Spread the remaining frosting on top of the cake. You could also cover the entire cake with frosting if you want. And I like to grate some chocolate chips on top for good measure. You can serve this cake right away, but it's best if you chill it in the fridge for a few hours first to allow the frosting to set up a bit more.

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