Chocolate Quinoa Cake

I am in such a bizarre mood. Restless. Stir crazy. There are things at home that need to be done, that I should be doing, but I can't stand to stay there. I want something. What it is, I'm not exactly sure. I can't explain it anymore than it's this feeling that I want to be found. 

So I venture out, dragging a crate of unwanted books with me to Half Price Books , where I sit in the corner next to Art Under Stalin, scribbling the skeleton of this post of the backs of old gas station receipts. Ridiculous emotions flash through my mind, regret at not getting to know certain people in high school better, longing for friendships I never had. I stop at World Market and pick up an egg cuber just for the heck of it. I listen to the radio and feel like every song, no matter the subject matter, is relevant to me. 

Weird mood calls for weird cake. Quinoa freaks me out a little, with its little wormy things all over it. I can eat a little, but never too much. But my sister is eating gluten free, and everyone deserves cake. Holy buckets, it's so good. There's this denseness that I've never experienced in a gluten cake before. It's almost like a moister version of La Bête Noire. You can't taste the quinoa at all. I'm not just saying that. It's not a "gluten free version of chocolate cake". It stands on its own. No modifiers. 

On a side note, if anyone has a recipe for a smooth, fluffy chocolate frosting, I'd love to have it. Mine is tasty (I used this one but cut the servings down to 12), but kind of thick and ugly, haha. 

Chocolate Quinoa Cake 

from Quinoa 365

 (Note: I used a bit of black cocoa mixed in with my regular cocoa, that's why the cake is so dark. I love that, but if you'd prefer something milder, use "normal" cocoa)

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.

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.