Quinoa chocolate cake



Here is a healthy cake, with quinoa and a few vegetables sneaked in. Dare not say that to your picky kids.  Believe me, there is no way they can discover what went into it. Try it!

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Yield: makes 2- 6 inch cakes or 1-9 inch cake. Serves 12
2 cups quinoa flour or whole raw quinoa, lightly roasted and powdered to a superfine consistency.
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp instant espresso/coffee powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 and 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup raw carrot puree
1 cup raw zucchini puree
1/8 tsp salt

For the glaze:
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups confectioner sugar
A few teaspoons of warm milk
A pinch of salt
A few drops of almond extract


Skip to the next line if you are using quinoa flour. Lightly toast the raw quinoa in a dry wok until it is aromatic. Let it cool completely. Powder it to a superfine consistence. Sift the flour and powder again, to achieve a superfine quality.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the flour dust two 6 inch baking pans with butter and flour. Set aside.


In a stand or hand mixer, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla and sugar until light and frothy. This should take about 3 minutes on medium speed. 

In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. To this add in the milk and vegetable puree and stir together to get rid of lumps. pour this into the egg mixture and mix to combine.

Spread the batter in the greased pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let its cool completely before you glaze the cake.


To make the glaze:
Sift 2 cups of powdered sugar and salt. Set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave.  Add the butter on the sugar and stir to combine. Add a few spoons of warm milk to achieve a dripping consistency. Add a few drops of almond extract for flavor. Beat until smooth and creamy, adding a little more milk if necessary. You can choose the consistency you like by adding milk. Drizzle the warm glaze over a cold cake and let it flow at its own pace. The cake it best served at room temperature. Enjoy!