Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

It’s about time I posted another proper dessert here on the blog, don’t you think? Looking at the blog archives, I haven’t treated you with something nice and sweet for more than a month. I don’t want to leave the impression that I don’t cook, bake or eat sweet things anymore. Quite the opposite actually.

While I try to fix my sweet cravings with fruit (or in more persistent cases: dried fruit), I don’t mind the occasional (and at times quite regular) sweet treat. While I can say that I am off store-bought or restaurant desserts, I do love my own “healthified” versions. Not just for myself, but especially for my children. My kids are no different to other kids – they love sweets and chocolate too.

Same applies to grains. While I try to keep my diet as grain-free as possible, I don’t mind the occasional pasta dish or a piece of cake made with whole wheat flour. Again, I would not eat those those shop-bought or restaurant versions, but I do enjoy the occasional grainy meal at home.

Finding the balance between what’s good for you and what’s not and when and with what amounts is not easy. People are influenced by their upbringing, their cultures and their environments. That shows in their diet too. Once medical conditions come to into the equation, it gets even more complicated.

I am not saying that today’s Chocolate Quinoa Cake is a healthy and guilt-free cake. Unless you have adverse reactions to any of the ingredients (particularly dairy or the glutenous whole wheat flour), an occasional piece of it will not do any damage to your health.

Enjoy!

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CHOCOLATE QUINOA CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Print Recipe

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teapsoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup coconut/palm sugar or grated jaggery
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup cooked quinoa

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
1 cup raw powdered sugar
1/2 teapoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Serves 8-10
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Preheat oven to 175C/350F. Grease small bundt cake form or medium loaf tin.

In a bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
I another bowl, blend sugar with olive, yogurt and vanilla. Mix wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Then gently fold cooked quinoa into the batter.

Transfer to prepared cake tin. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in tin for a few minutes, then turn out and let cool completely on wire rack.

Buttercream Frosting
Mix all ingredients and stir vigorously until smooth. Drizzle or spread over cake. Let stand for a few minutes to let it harden.