Quinoa Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake.  One of those go-to, traditional, most loved desserts.  Certainly in my book, it is.  This chocolate cake though?  One of the best Ive ever sampled (up there with my sweet potato chocolate cake). This one however has zero grains/no gluten in it.  Its also lactose free.  And though it does contain some sugar, its with a far lower amount than usual cakes tend to have.

Dont be detoured by the ingredients list (this tends to be one of the first reasons I decide to forgo trying a recipe myself.  Too many ingredients or recipe steps).  I was pleasantly surprised by how easy this was to throw together.  And the moist, fudgy taste when finished baking?  Out of this world.  SO yummy.  Almost guaranteed to become one of your new favorite sweet recipes.

Ingredients

For the Quinoa Cake

2 cups cooked quinoa (Cook according to instructions on package)
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or preferred milk)
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup coconut sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting

–About 1 cup of chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life brand which are dairy and soy free)
–The whole solid white part of the coconut milk in a can.  (How to get this?  Place coconut milk in the fridge for several hours.  On opening the can, top will be a solid white.  Scoop out and use this whole thing).
–1/4 cup heavy cream
–About 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

Note: when I say “about,” this means get close to that amount. Give or take a bit wont make a huge difference.

How to make the cake…

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and then lightly grease two round cake pans with cooking spray.
2. In a food processor or blender, combine the eggs, non dairy milk, and vanilla extract.  Then blend for ten seconds to combine.  Add the cooked and cooled quinoa, along with the melted and cooled butter, and olive oil.
3. Blend until completely smooth, about thirty seconds.
4. Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda).
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry and mix together until well-combined. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the frosting…

1. Stir all four of the ingredients above in a saucepan over medium heat. Mixing regularly as they melt together.
2. Once melted, remove from heat (Do not let the liquid start boiling. As soon as all melted together, its done).
3. Put the saucepan with melted chocolate frosting in the fridge to cool. Leave in there for 30-45 minutes. Now, here is the important, integral part. Every 5-6 minutes, stir the frosting. This will keep it the right texture for spreading when the time comes.
   Frosting should be thick but still creamy and of a nice texture within 30-45 minutes or so. Essentially, you are letting it cool and stirring it periodically (every few minutes or so) until it becomes a good frosting texture. Just watch a TV series episode or surf the internet while you’re doing it.
4. If you forget and let it sit too long, hence, the frosting becomes too hard? Put it over low heat again just until it softens a bit. Then put back in the fridge and stir every couple minutes again until its ready to go.
5. Sounds complicated. It isn’t. Super easy, no big deal. I had to restrain myself from eating the frosting as is. Mouthwateringly delicious.

Frost cakes once completely cooled.  Assemble.  And then dive in and devour 😀