You’ve heard of quinoa’s superfood benefits, but have you ever tried it in a cake? Nancy Waldeck, a chef at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont, whipped up this fudgy, rich, healthier version of classic chocolate cake.
While this cake has nutritious ingredients, keep your portion size to a small square of this indulgent dessert.
Cake ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cup dry quinoa, cooked and cooled)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 large eggs and 4 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup grapeseed oil
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup raw sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Chocolate coconut cream frosting ingredients:
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can of coconut milk, taken from the freezer
- 10 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (look for chocolate with at least 60 percent cocoa solids – not Dutch process or processed with alkali)
Quinoa cake
Step one
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13” pan with parchment paper and coat with nonstick spray. Place can of coconut milk in the freezer.
Step two
In a blender, combine the eggs, almond milk and vanilla, and blend. Add the quinoa, oil and butter, and blend until smooth.
Step three
Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients in the blender to the bowl and whisk together until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
Chocolate coconut cream frosting
Step one
Melt the chocolate in a sauce pan over low-medium heat. Remove the coconut milk from the freezer, but don’t shake the can or turn it upside down before opening. Scoop out the solid part and put it into the pan with the chocolate. Melt the two ingredients together, then transfer to a large bowl so you can whip the frosting later. Allow mixture to cool in the refrigerator for several hours, until thickened.
Step two
One the mixture has thickened, remove it from the refrigerator and beat on high for about a minute or until fluffy. Frost the cooled cake and return it to the fridge until serving.
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