Chocolate Quinoa Cake
Chocolate quinoa cake. That’s what I’m baking right now. And not just one, but three double layered organic chocolate quinoa cakes with coconut cream chocolate ganash and a side of fresh local strawberries!
I’m in charge of baking for a birthday party this weekend and I can’t wait to taste this delicious creation. If you have a sweet tooth, check out the recipe below.
My intention with each post is to give you something which I feel will add something to your life. And who doesn’t enjoy guilt-free cake?
CHOCOLATE QUINOA CAKE
2/3 cup quinoa (white or golden)
1 ½ cup water
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
4 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¾ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup honey
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Directions:
Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 12 – 15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes until all the water absorbs into the quinoa. Fluff with a fork and cool.
Preheat over to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8” round or square cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
Combine almond milk, eggs, vanilla in a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups cooked quinoa and the butter and continue to blend until smooth. Add honey and maple syrup and blend further.
Whisk together the cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake on the centre over rack for 40 – 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely in the pan before serving.
Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 1 month.
Makes: 2 cakes
DR. KIRA’S CHOCOLATE GANACHE (www.drkira.ca)
This recipe was used to frost 4 double layer cakes. You can adjust it accordingly.
6 cans of chilled coconut milk
6 Lindt 70% chocolate bars or your favorite organic 70% bar
1 ½ cups of honey
1/3 cup of cocoa powder
1/2 tsp of vanilla bean powder
Directions:
Put cans of coconut in the fridge overnight so you can separate the cream more easily. When ready, put coconut cream (separate from the coconut water) in a pot on low heat. Once it begins to warm and soften add chocolate bars stirring frequently. Add the vanilla, most of the honey and stir in.
Put the cocoa in a bowl and stir in some of the melted coconut/chocolate mixture. Once fully incorporated gradually add it back into the pot adjusting for taste. Use the remaining honey to adjust for taste also. You can always add more.
The flavor should predominantly be chocolate. You shouldn’t really taste the coconut and only a hint of the honey if you look for it. The chocolate quinoa cake is not overly sweet so you want some sweetness to the icing.
Put in the fridge overnight so it can cool and thicken before frosting. If it’s still too pliable to work with you might need to put it in the freezer.