Quinoa Chocolate Cake with Whipped Ganache Frosting

Oh wow, it's been a long time! I haven't been baking much lately as I've been trying to limit the overall amount of desserts in my life - sounds horrible, I know, but I hear it's rather good for your health. Of course, I'm not above making something for a special occasion, like this chocolate cake - particularly when I can claim that the quinoa makes it healthy!

Disclaimer: Given the copious amounts of butter, sugar, cream, and chocolate, this cake is a far cry from healthy.

I unfortunately made the batter at night, so I don't have any photos of the quinoa being mixed in. But believe me, it's there! There's no flour in this cake - and yet, it tastes just like a rich, chocolatey, traditional cake!

Layers of goodness!

In fact, this recipe really is pretty easy to make. All the wet ingredients get pulverized in a food processor and then mixed in with the dry. (The recipe specifies blending until all quinoa bits are unrecognizable; however, I was never able to get it quite that smooth. Fresh out of the oven, I was able to detect the slightly crisp texture of a few stray quinoa that remained whole at the very edges of the cake, but the inside was soft and cakey throughout. When frosted the next day, I didn't notice any quinoa texture - possibly as the added moisture was redistributed throughout the cake.)

Ganache, chilled and ready to whip!

 The recipe also recommended a super simple but incredibly rich frosting - a whipped chocolate ganache! It's just a 2:1 ratio of cream to chocolate. The cream gives it the rich texture, while the chocolate contains all the sweetness you'll need. It's a perfect balance of luxurious yet not-too-sweet!

 I dare you to stop yourself from eating this with a spoon.

I was hoping to go for a small cake with a little "wow" factor, so I baked the batter in three mini-springform pans and halved the layers. What I didn't realize was that, by halving them free-handed, I was setting myself up for a lot of difficulty in getting the layers to stack evenly. Don't be like me.

Only 2 layers stacked here - before I realized my mistake!

In the end I decided to use just 5 of the layers, as things were getting a little wobbly near the top. I did my best to arrange the layers evenly and then used regular toothpicks to secure the top few layers, hoping that they wouldn't move around as I chilled the frosting in an attempt to set the cake.

Not too bad for a novice cake stacker, right?

Then, it was time for a hasty crumb coat to set the stage for the real frosting!

(Note: crumb coat refers to putting a thin layer of frosting on all sides of the cake and then chilling it. This helps keep any crumbs within this thin layer, and out of the final coat of frosting.)

I'd call this "rustic."

In a bid to 1) give the cake a bit more *pizazz* and 2) to use up more of the frosting (this recipe made a ton of frosting!), I added a layer of haphazard decorative peaks on the top.

So soft. So pillowy.

If I had planned better, I could have made more precise peaks by chilling the frosting a bit before piping. But since I didn't do a whole lot of planning with this cake... I scooped some frosting into a ziploc bag and went to town.

More frosting = more deliciousness, right?

And since I was making a mini-cake, I'd baked the extra batter in a loaf pan and these leftovers ended up positively slathered in extra frosting. I will let your educated mind guess how they met their demise.

There is nothing wrong with this. Or with eating all of it.

All right, I've thrown enough pictures in your face. Let's get to the recipe!

Chocolate Quinoa Cake

seen at Barefeet in the Kitchen

Cake:

2 cups cooked quinoa, loosely packed 

1/3 cup milk (I used soy milk)

4 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled 

1 1/2 cups white sugar 

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two round cake pans (or a 9x13 pan) and then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment. 

2. Pour the milk, eggs and vanilla in a blender or food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cooked quinoa and butter, then puree until completely smooth. Remember to scrape the sides, and aim for a uniform texture.

3. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the contents from the blender. Stir until well combined. (The batter ended up fairly light and fluffy, with a lot of body!)

4. Divide the batter evenly between your pans and bake for 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Remember to adjust the time and temperature if your pans are smaller.) Let the cakes cool completely before frosting. 

5. To make the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a medium size glass bowl. Heat the cream until it gently simmers, then pour it over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or so and then whisk to combine until it is smooth and glossy. Refrigerate and let cool completely (2-3 hours in the refrigerator or about an hour in the freezer.) 

6. When fully chilled. use a mixer to whip the chocolate cream into soft peaks. 

7. Frost your cake as you desire. Chill 2-3 hours before serving to allow the ganache to set.

All told, this was my first time baking with quinoa, and I'm definitely pleased! This turned out to be a really great moist chocolate cake recipe for my collection, and I'll certainly be returning to it. 

Five layers, count 'em.

Happy baking!