babble » food » Family Kitchen
Family Kitchen
Gluten-free Chocolate Quinoa Cake
See this cake? It’s rich and dense and gluten-free, made with quinoa. I’ve been hearing about the recipe – a unique one in that it’s not made with quinoa flour, which is how I’ve incorporated quinoa into baked goods in the past – it’s made with actual cooked quinoa, whizzed with eggs and sugar in a blender to make a base for the batter. The result? An amazing chocolate cake with better structure than other gluten-free cakes I’ve tried – all thanks to quinoa. How genius is that?
It’s from this new book called Quinoa 365: the Everyday Superfood. Written by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming, it covers all things quinoa – an introduction, a get-to-know-you, and tons of recipes. Far beyond grainy salads, they use quinoa in crazy creative ways – case in point: this chocolate cake.
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), treated as a grain but actually the seed of a plant related to spinach and beets, is an ingredient you should get to know if you don’t already. Nutritionally, the biggest thing to note about quinoa is that it contains a complete set of amino acids, making the grain (sorry-seed) a complete protein on its own. In the kitchen, it’s important to remember to rinse quinoa before cooking – not for the same reason you might wash rice, but because it has a bitter coating – a natural insect repellant – that’s not harmful but doesn’t taste great. Rinse it well in a sieve and you’re good to go.
And just look at it. This cake? It tastes every bit as good as it looks. It may just become our new staple cake, gluten-free or not.
Quinoa Chocolate Cake
Not only does this cake contain no wheat, it contains no flour – made with cooked quinoa (rather than quinoa flour), it has a dense, moist texture and intense chocolate flavour. Excerpted from Quinoa 365 by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming (Whitecap)
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. saltBring 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.
About the Book:
Quinoa 365, the Everyday Superfood By Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming is the first definitive cookbook featuring this new gluten-free superfood, with a host of delicious recipes to enhance everyday cooking with superior nutritional value.
One of the world’s healthiest foods, quinoa contains a perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids, and is a great source of protein, making it an increasingly popular food choice for those looking to incorporate superfoods into their everyday diets. Gluten-free, wheat-free, and nutrient-packed, quinoa is ideal for those who are health-conscious, vegetarian, or physically active, as well as for those with gluten intolerance, wheat allergies, and other digestive disorders. But that’s not all; you can eat quinoa guiltlessly knowing it’s free of cholesterol and trans fats, contains natural antioxidants, and is a source of vitamin E, calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium. In Quinoa 365 sisters Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming show you how to use this miraculous superfood in all your favorite dishes.
Go Back To Family Kitchen
34 Comments
[...] But – I do have a post going up that tells all about this chocolate quinoa cake. It’s brilliant. It’s not made with quinoa flour, but actual cooked quinoa, whizzed into a batter with sugar and eggs and cocoa and flour, then baked into this rich, dark cake that has a texture better than any gluten-free cake I’ve tried (admittedly I’m not a gluten free expert, but I do know what good cake tastes like, and this is it). Just look at it! It tastes as good as it looks. I posted the recipe over at Family Kitchen. [...]
Chocolate Quinoa Cake | dinner with Julie commented on Nov 09 10 at 2:35 pm[...] a link to the recipe, which comes from a book that was already on my wish list but has just been bumped to the top: [...]
Let Me Eat Cake! Truly Vibrant Blog commented on Nov 15 10 at 3:08 pm[...] believe I promised you all a cake recipe. Now, if you’re gluten free, check out this quinoa cake. It’s amazing, I promise. If you’re not gluten free, you will more than likely still [...]
Happy Easter | tracethis commented on Apr 25 11 at 2:43 pmNatasha commented on Nov 10 10 at 12:29 pmDo you have a recipe for the frosting? It looks amazing!
chi chi commented on Nov 10 10 at 1:47 pmWow, interesting! And it didn’t affect the texture at all? I am not gluten-free but I think I may try this one. We are coffee freaks though, I will probably add in some espresso powder and brewed coffee…oooooh yummy!
Andrea C commented on Nov 11 10 at 7:15 pmJulie, do you have to use melted butter (for flavor or texture or both)? or could you sub in canola oil instead and not ruin the cake? Thx A
Robyn In Mountain commented on Nov 12 10 at 9:02 amHey, Julie! I love the idea of using quinoa. Would really appreciate the frosting recipe too. This looks like a keeper.
JulieVR commented on Nov 12 10 at 10:02 amAndrea – my thoughts exactly! I was going to sub canola oil for part or all of the butter, but thought I’d do it her way first. Generally when a liquid fat like melted butter is called for, you can totally swap oil. Of course there is a flavour difference, but I use canola oil in all of my regular chocolate cakes and it’s wonderfully moist and I don’t miss the butter. I’d try it – that’s what I’m doing next time, too!
Micaela commented on Nov 15 10 at 3:27 amwhoa! beautiful, just beautiful.
Adria commented on Nov 16 10 at 1:35 amI made this cake yesterday. I loved that I had all the ingredients on hand. I followed the recipe exactly, and it turned out great. I frosted ours with a strawberry cream cheese frosting. Yum! Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Hettar7 commented on Nov 20 10 at 10:11 pmI’ve only recently discovered Quinoa. And I have to say I really like it. I hadn’t thought about using it in a cake, but hey, i’m game. And I’d seen the book before, but didn’t know it had something as interesting as this in it. I’ve just added it to my Amazon Wishlist. Woo Hoo.
shannon commented on Nov 21 10 at 2:23 pmthis was awesome! thanks! :)
Lauren commented on Dec 12 10 at 6:32 pmI made this cake last week and my boyfriend and I ate it all in a few days. Since finding out I’m GF, I’ve been looking for a good Choc Cake Recipe – this is it! AMAZING!!!
Jeffery commented on Jan 06 11 at 8:43 pmI made this cake I used buttermilk instead of regular milk, buttermilk works better with chocolate cake recipes. It was totally awesome, very delicious, very moist, very rich, very easy.
JulieVR commented on Jan 07 11 at 9:39 amGood tip! I generally use buttermilk in chocolate cake recipes too. Yum.
Lauren commented on Jan 12 11 at 7:02 pmThis is the MOST AMAZING cake that I have ever had. I am GF (but still remember what normal cake takes like). And just to prove it was the best, I served it to several of people who are not GF (and they had no idea I made it with quinoa) and they also said it was the best cake they ever had! Love this recipe and I’m making it again and again!
Lili commented on Jan 15 11 at 12:10 pmThis is one book I’ll be buying for gifts. I love quinoa cold with walnuts and a tablespoon of maple syrup…soooo goood.
jen commented on Jan 23 11 at 3:02 pmI love this recipe too!!! The first time I made it, I followed the recipe exactly (‘though I halfed it). This last time, I tried to make a slightly healthier version and I used substituted half plain yogourt and half vegetable oil for the butter. I also cut the sugar a bit. The cake wasn’t quite as decadent, but it was still moist and good! I keep cooked quinoa in the fridge which makes this recipe so very quick and easy to make.
Anyone else try any other substitutions?
Jan brummitt commented on Jan 30 11 at 7:04 pmThis cake looks great to make for my gluten free friends! I’d also love to have the icing recipe.
But my question to Julie is – if I use a Kitchen Aid mixer instead of the blender or food processor called for, will that work, or does the cooked Quinoa in the batter need to be chopped up and smoothed out somewhat?
dpn commented on Mar 19 11 at 2:03 pmgeez. made this cake for a friend who’s diet is gluten-free. thought the idea was novel. never made gluten free people but avid baker. not sure what happened or if your “standard” is different but mine turned out horrible. too “wet” and chalky. literraly!
JulieVR commented on Mar 20 11 at 6:13 pmDPN – that’s too bad! I’ve heard from a ton of people who have made this, and they all gave rave reviews! I’ve made it a handful of times too, and it has worked out every time. Perhaps your oven is too cool?
Linda commented on Apr 19 11 at 12:21 amOh. My. Gosh. This is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve EVER had – including fully sugared, fully floured ones! I used Whey Low sweetener, added a little extra milk and 1 teaspoon coffee crystals. (And leftover quinoa.) Worked great. This will be my go-to recipe – even for company!!
Sugar Sprinkled commented on May 04 11 at 11:50 pmThank-you! That is all. Just thank-you. Its been EONS since I’ve been able to have cake! And chocolate no less! I followed Linda’s idea, using Whey Low for a sugar free, slice of chocolate heaven. I’m going to bed now, completely happy and satisfied.
Sugar Sprinkled commented on May 04 11 at 11:51 pmbtw.. no chalk, not too wet! Just right. My standards are HIGH. I learned to bake scratch cakes from my grandma… from knee high. Suddenly, I could not eat my own creations! Now I can. Thanks again!
Rachel commented on May 27 11 at 9:48 pmWhat frosting recipe did yo use? It looks delish!
wheat free cakes commented on Jun 10 11 at 4:05 pmHello,
Thank you for your nice Information. I like it very much. I will try it at my home.
Carla commented on Jun 20 11 at 7:17 pmDoes anyone have ideas how this could be made without the baking powder and baking soda. Quinoa can be used for Passover and if I can make the cake without the leavening it will be a fantastic dessert for Passover.
Thanks
Jodi Williams commented on Jul 02 11 at 7:51 pmGreat recipe…even with my big ole screw up! (I melted our butter substitute in the microwave, and didn’t notice until our stuff was in the oven!) Oops! So instead of 2 round cake layers, I made 36 mini cupcakes and 6 regular sized ones, and an 11X7 pretty thin cake. Came out more like brownie bites, but still got gobbled right up! (Added some mini chips to the batter also)
Mama Bear commented on Sep 18 11 at 4:30 pmCarla, you could try separating the eggs, mixing in the yolks as normal & beating the whites separately until almost stiff peaks. Then at the end, fold the whites carefully into the batter. That should provide some leavening without baking soda or baking powder. Is that permissible for Passover? HTH! :)
Ruby Dragaan commented on Nov 19 11 at 3:42 pmGreat Cake. Very moist and heavy. We used cream cheese frosting on the top and as a filling.
Lia commented on Dec 16 11 at 11:00 pmThis cake is amazing! I made it as cupcakes for my father’s birthday and it turned out perfect and more delicious than any chocolate cake I’ve ever made.
Jenn commented on Jan 08 12 at 8:15 pmThank you so much for posting this recipe. I am new to the world of GF. I just made this today as my second attempt at gluten-free baking (the first being from a mix) and this was sooo amazingly delicious. My husband, after tasting it, asked when his birthday was (implying that he couldn’t wait til we had it again) and my 4 year old picky eater (who has a knack for picking out when things contain “weird” ingredients begged for seconds).
Julie commented on Jan 16 12 at 9:33 pmThis looks great! Any ideas about turning it into cupcakes? Bake for 25-30 minutes? 24 cupcakes?
Rosanne commented on Feb 04 12 at 7:45 pmThis really is THE best chocolate cake I’ve ever had – I’m not GF but I do love to experiment with other more healthful alternatives and quinoa is high on my list! So, previous to this cake, my all time favorite was the Devil’s Food Cake recipe from the back of the old yellow bags of Domino’s sugar. This cake is better! It’s richer and yet not overpoweringly dense. It has a bit of a sponge cake feel almost but that just works for moistness. I made 2 6″ round layer cakes and a mini bundt round with this batter, baking the cakes for 35 minutes and the bundt for 25. I frosted with a 7 minute icing. Delicious and beautiful – I’ll be spreading the word on quinoa chocolate cake! These would hold up beautifully as regular cupcakes and have enough body for Hostess cupcake knockoffs with cream in the center and frosted with a ganache.
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Kelsey Banfield 
Aggie Goodman 
Brooke McLay 
Angie McGowan 
Paula Jones 
Laura Levy 
Shaina Olmanson 
Kathy Patalsky 
Elizabeth Stark & Brian Campbell 
Julie Van Rosendaal 
Macki West 
Sara O'Donnell 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
34