Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Balsamic Cherries & Whipped Almond Cream
Flourless and wholegrain cakes generally have heavier crumbs, and it's all a matter of taste. We love the bite and luxury whole grains offer. This Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Balsamic Cherries & Whipped Almond Cream is a simple one bowl cake. Topped with luscious whipped cream and seasonal cherries makes it a great tea or birthday cake. Recipe can be easily doubled.
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake
- 100 g cooked quinoa chilled
- 100 g dark chocolate chopped, room temperature
- 50 g wholewheat flour
- 50 g clarified butter/ghee
- 100 g jaggery
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 15 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp yogurt {dahi}
Balsamic cherries
- 300 g cherries pitted
- 2-3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ vanilla bean scraped {optional}
Simple Sugar Syrup
- ½ cup Water
- ¼ cup raw sugar
- 1 tbsp Kirsch {optional}
Whipped Almond Cream
- 200 ml single cream chilled
- 30 ml clarified butter/ghee
- 2-3 tbsp raw sugar
- 4-5 drop almond extract
Topping
- Fresh cherries
- Sprigs of fresh mint
Instructions
Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake
- Preheat the oven to 160C. Line the sides and base of a 4" springform round tin with parchment.
- Place the quinoa, dark chocolate and wholewheat flour {or oats} in jar of Tefal blender. Attach to top of food processor and process for 10-15 seconds at a time, scraping down each time, until you get a breadcrumb like mix.
- Place the above with remaining ingredients in the bowl of the Tefal Kitchen Masterchef Gourmet, with the paddle attachment fitted. Process on low speed for 30 seconds until you get a uniform mix. Don't overmix.
- Transfer to prepared bowl. Bake for 35-40 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool in tin for 20 minutes, then cool completely on rack. Cut into two horizontal layers.
Simple Sugar Syrup
- While the cake is baking, place both the ingredients in the Tefal Hard Titanium Pan and keep over medium heat, stirring until the sugar melts. Stir in Kirsch if using. Transfer to a small jug {or bowl}, and use same pan for cherries.
Balsamic cherries
- Place all the ingredients in the Tefal Hard Titanium Pan and keep over low heat, stirring often. Feel free to use a metal spoon. Cook down until the syrup is nice and thick and the cherries are deep red. Allow to cool completely, transfer to a bowl. Chill.
Whipped Almond Cream
- Place all ingredients in bowl of Tefal Kitchen Masterchef Gourmet with the whisking attachment fitted. Whisk on the highest speed for 4-5 minutes until the cream thickens and holds peaks. Taste and adjust sweetness if required.
Assemble
- Place the lower layer of the Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake on a serving platter, and moisten with simple sugar syrup.
- Top with half the Whipped Almond Cream, then half the Balsamic Cherries. Moisten the other layer of the Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake with the sugar syrup and place on top.
- Top with remaining cream. Garnish with fresh cherries and sprigs of fresh mint.
- Chill for about an hour before serving.