Made with whole quinoa, this hearty cake is both naturally sweet and filling. Made as is, it’s a little bit crumbly but super moist and delicious. If you want a firmer cake, try adding a lightly beaten egg to the batter to help it hold together.

10 Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 8 tablespoons salted butter, melted
  • 3/4 packed cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • 2 apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine quinoa with 2 cups water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Drain well and set aside.
  3. Dip a pastry brush in melted butter and use it to grease inside of a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
  4. Put remaining melted butter in a large bowl, and mix with brown sugar and raisins until evenly distributed. Add apples and cooked quinoa, and stir to combine.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger and nutmeg, if using. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to evenly combine.
  6. Scrape mixture into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and top of cake is golden brown.
  7. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before cutting to help cake maintain its shape.

Dining and Cooking