Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Rosewater Ganache

Can you believe it - we had another birthday in my household, this time my husband.

I decided to cook him this rich gluten free chocolate cake made with quinoa, the recipe from the Better Homes and Garden magazine. It is covered in a rosewater chocolate ganache.

Birthdays become such a special occasion again when you have children, the joy it brings having a beautiful cake with candles.

I filled the cake with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.

The cake itself was so rich and yummy. It was quite dense and sticky yet soft. 

The strawberries worked well with the rich cake.

I wasn't sure about the rosewater ganache but tasting when freshly made I was very impressed, it was gorgeous with the subtle background of rose.

But I poured it over and refrigerated the cake overnight and the next day the ganache was much stronger in rose flavour and although still nice it was not as good as when first made.

I would suggest pouring the warm ganache over the cake just before serving. 

Rich Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Rosewater Ganache

Ingredients

Cake

3/4 cup quinoa

1/2 cup milk

5 eggs

1 tsp vanilla paste

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups raw sugar

1 cup almond meal

1 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarb. soda

pinch salt

Filling

1 cup cream

sliced strawberries

Ganache

1/2 cup cream

1 tbsp glucose syrup

1 tsp rosewater

100g 85% dark chocolate

100g milk chocolate

Topping

halved strawberries

Grease and line two cake tins . Preheat oven to 180C.

Put quinoa in saucepan on high heat and add 1 1/3 cups water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover for 10 minutes. Remove from heat leaving covered for a further 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Combine milk, eggs and vanilla and use a stick blender briefly to combine. 

Add quinoa and butter and puree mixture until smooth.

Combine sugar, almond meal, cocoa, baking powder, bi-carb soda and salt in a separate bowl.

Pour in the quinoa mixture and combine well.

Divide mix into the two prepared tins and bake for 45 minutes. Should be cooked when skewer is clean.

Leave to cool in tins.

Once cakes are cool whip cream. 

Spread over one cake, add the sliced strawberries and top with second cake.

Finely chop the chocolates. 

Combine cream, glucose syrup and rosewater over heat and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Leave for twenty seconds before whisking until smooth and thick.

Pour and spread over cake, top with halved strawberries and serve.