Quinoa Chocolate Cake

This cake recipe is one that my friend shared with me after she made me a batch of cupcakes using this recipe. I was blown away by how rich and moist the cupcakes turned out, and it has since become one of my favorites. I also shared some of these treats with Blythe, and she loved them, too. This recipe contains no flour whatsoever, and is made primarily with quinoa. Originally from a book entitled Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming, my friend came across this recipe on a food blog:

http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2010/11/09/gluten-free-chocolate-quinoa-cake/

Quinoa Chocolate Cake

2/3 cup white or golden quinoa
1 1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk
4 large eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow the quinoa to cool. (Note: Make sure the quinoa is cooked thoroughly! I failed to do this once and I ended up with crunchy cupcakes).

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 8-inch round or square cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.

Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Add 2 cups cooked quinoa and the butter and continue to blend until smooth.

Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the contents of the blender and mix well. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans and bake on the center oven rack for 40 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely in the pan before serving. Frost if desired. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month. Serves 8-16.

JulieVR. "Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe Made with Quinoa." Babble Blogs. Babble Blogs, 9 Nov. 2010. Web. 03 Dec. 2011. .