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Ingredients

  • 200g quinoa (raw)
  • 400ml boiling water
  • 200g unsalted butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 200g ground almonds
  • 100g dessicated coconut
  • 2 oranges
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2-3 tbsps marmalade

Method

  • STEP 1
    Preheat the oven to 150C/fan.
  • STEP 2
    Cook the (washed) quinoa in boiling water, covered, for about 10 minutes, until the grains are separated and the water is completely evaporated. Fluff the quinoa and set aside to cool.
  • STEP 3
    While the quinoa is cooking, grease your cake tin thoroughly. Spread the marmalade to about a quarter-inch thickness on the bottom of the tin. I use my own, decidedly runny marmalade, but if yours is actually set properly you might need to thin it a little bit with some warm water first.
  • STEP 4
    Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. I'm a purist and do this by hand with a wooden spoon but you can use an electric beater if you prefer. Add the eggs one by one, beating after each one so the mixture doesn't stay curdled. It doesn't really matter if you can still see curdles, but it'll make you feel better looking at a lovely smooth, glossy batter. Fight off children, other halves and pets trying to steal a taste.
  • STEP 5
    Zest and juice the oranges, and add them to the mixture. Fold in the remaining ingredients.
  • STEP 6
    Pour the cake batter into the tin, over the marmalade layer. Bake for about 45 mins, until the cake is shrinking slightly from the sides and is a golden colour on top. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the tin.
  • STEP 7
    To turn out (without losing your lovely marmalade topping to your freshly washed floor), first run a knife around the sides of the tin to loosen it. Place a chopping board or glass plate over the tin and quickly flip, and lift the tin away from the cake. Be confident but be quick - your topping is currently being squished. Next place a cooling rack - legs facing up - on the base of the cake. Hold the edges of the board and the cooling rack and flip again so the cake is the right side up.
  • STEP 8
    Dig in. This is fabulous with decent tea made in the pot. Quinoa is actually a protein, not a carbohydrate, and is a 'superfood' so pat yourself on the back for having such a big slice.
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