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–+ servings

Chocolate Quinoa Cake

Kara
Dense, chocolatey cake topped with homemade chocolate frosting. Made with quinoa instead of flour.
4.89 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Course Dessert: Cakes and Cupcakes
Cuisine American
Servings 20 servings
Calories 281 kcal

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • ⅔ cup quinoa
  • 1 ⅔ cups water
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ¾ cup butter melted and cooled
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 1 cup cocoa
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt

Chocolate Frosting

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ⅓ cup cocoa
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3 Tbsp milk

Instructions
 

  • Spray a 9x13" pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
  • Bring quinoa and water to boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or till quinoa is soft. Let cool to room temperature. Measure 2 cups, discard the rest.
  • Preheat your oven to 350°.
  • Combine the milk, eggs, and vanilla in a blender and process till just combined. Add the 2 cups of cooked quinoa and the melted butter. Process until very smooth.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the quinoa mixture and stir till well combined.
  • Pour batter into the pan. Bake for about 35 minutes.
  • Cool completely, then frost.
  • For frosting, beat all ingredients till smooth, adding enough milk to achieve a spreadable consistency.

Notes

  • To make a layered cake, prepare two 8" round pans by lining with parchment and spraying with Baker's Joy. Bake for only 28-30 minutes. Let cool in pans 5-10 minutes, then carefully invert onto cooling racks. Wrap in plastic wrap while still hot and freeze for several hours. (Cake is fragile, it is much easier to handle when frozen.)
  • Two to three hours before serving, place one frozen layer on a cake stand. Frost the top. Place the other frozen cake on top, frost sides and top. Let cake sit at room temperature till thawed.
  • You can use chocolate frosting, or buttercream for the filling and sides and chocolate ganache for the topping. If you use my frosting, you will need 1 1/2 - 2 recipes to cover the whole cake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 281kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 226mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 3gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 412IUCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg
Keyword chocolate quinoa cake
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