Quinoa Chocolate Cake
Once in awhile, I come across a recipe that really blows me away – not only because it’s delicious, but because it utilizes some original technique I would never have thought of. This chocolate quinoa cake is a perfect example – it’s not made with quinoa flour, but actual cooked quinoa, whizzed into a batter with sugar and eggs and cocoa, then baked into this rich, dark cake that has a texture better than any gluten-free cake I’ve tried. Just look at it! It tastes as good as it looks.
It comes from Patricia and Carolyn, authors of the superhit cookbook Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood, a book you may have seen practically everywhere for the past few years. It came at a time when quinoa was new and exotic, and people weren’t sure what to do with it. I made this cake years ago, and people keep asking about it – I just realized I never did post it here, and so here you go. I know a lot of you are often on the lookout for gluten-free and/or grain free birthday cakes that are delicious enough to make even for avid eaters of grains and gluten, and this is it.
Quinoa Chocolate Cake
AuthorJuliePreheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper - this cake is very moist, and it will make removing them much safer.
In a blender, combine the milk, eggs and vanilla; add the cooked quinoa and the melted butter and blend until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the blender and pulse until well blended.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pans before running a thin knife around the edges and inverting them onto plates. Frost if you like, or serve dusted with icing sugar.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper - this cake is very moist, and it will make removing them much safer.
In a blender, combine the milk, eggs and vanilla; add the cooked quinoa and the melted butter and blend until smooth. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the blender and pulse until well blended.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pans before running a thin knife around the edges and inverting them onto plates. Frost if you like, or serve dusted with icing sugar.
What a great way to get a daily dose of quinoa! Thanks, Julie!!
That looks like the most classic chocolate cake ever — I can’t believe there’s no flour in it, I have to try for myself!
OOOH this looks good, can you post the frosting recipe too, it looks scrumptious.
The frosting! Honestly, I can’t even remember. I dump a lump of soft butter in a bowl, add cocoa and icing sugar and a splash of milk and beat it until it turns into frosting.. adding more sugar/cocoa/milk as it needs it. Usually I just wing it!
I made a very similar cake earlier this year and it was very tasty and moist. Yum!
Looks delicious Julie. Are you able to post the frosting recipe too?
Hi Julie – Just checking…
In your comments at the top of the page, you indicated that this recipe includes flour, but then in your ingredients — you don’t list flour. Just wanted to check to see which one is a typo.
“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”
ps: I LOVE LOVE LOVE your website & watch for each post!!
Stella! Thanks for the catch. Seriously, my brain has been on island time.. I think I was trying to reiterate there was no flour? or was thinking of flour? or something? I have no idea. But yeah, there’s no flour in this!
Yum! Can you post that delicious looking frosting recipe too?
Hi Julie, I was expecting a GF visitor tonight (in Melbourne Australia) so made this for her. A few things went awry – the oven elements died, the BBQ with hood ran out of gas, I dropped one of the raw batters on way back inside after the BBQ incident, so I steamed them as puddings!! And the GF visitor did not arrive. Still, they were delicious! Thanks
I love how all the rest of the ingredients are so basic in this recipe! I find that when you use quinoa flour it gives the foods you make that sort of strange flavour, whereas cooked quinoa has a subtler flavour that soaks up whatever you mix it with, this sounds and looks amazing!! x
Thanks for sharing, I have the cookbook and will look at this recipe. I love to learn new techniques.
Made this tonight for my family and they loved it! We are dairy free so I used Earth Balance butter and almond milk – it turned out lovely. I love that this recipe is gluten free and also uses simple ingredients I’d already have in my pantry. A true keeper!
WoW! This was the most fantastic chocolate cake and so easy. Made one last night, first time, turned out so well we ate the whole thing 🙂 Next time, I am going to experiment with reducing the amount of butter and replacing with banana or applesauce. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Ok, as a gluten free pastry chef, I feel it’s my duty to make this. Looks great!!!
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question about the quinoa: i’m assuming cooked means cooked, but quinoa expands, so how much will make 2 cups? Does it generally double? TIA. can’t wait to try this recipe!
i am wondering if you k now how to sweeten this without sugar? i am eradicating sugar from my diet as well as flours and dairy. it sure looks delicious.
thanks!
Beth: The general directions are: Rinse 1 cup quinoa with water and drain. Then combine quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heart and simmer, covered, 10 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes.
This makes quite a bit–probably more than 2 cups cooked. Seems like a lot when I cook it. You might try 1/2 c. of quinoa with 3/4 cup of water and see if that is enough. If not, then you could just cook a bit more.
Sons birthday is coming up. Could I make cupcakes with quinoa chocolate cake recipe?
Hi Alicia
Did u make cupcakes
Did they work
Baking time?
Quantity?
Can u advise
Thanks
Hi Alicia
Did u make cupcakes?
Did they work
Baking time?
Quantity?
Can u advise
Thanks
Best chocolate cake I have ever had. And it’s GF!!!!! Delicious Ganache frosting. Not too sweet. Moist. Perfect.
Could I make this in a 9X13 rectangular pyrex dish as well instead of layers?
Awesome recipe! Looks delicious!!
But, please edit for correction. This recipe is NOT grain free, as quinoa is very much a grain. It’s gluten free and flour free only. As someone who is grain free for health purposes, I was excited to find a good looking recipe only to be disappointed seeing that the main ingredient was a grain ????
What is the chocolate frosting recipe for the Quinoa Chocolate cake? Lease
Julie, this cake is fabulous! I have been baking with alternative flours for a long time and using black beans in a brownie recipe of ground walnuts or almonds instead of flour. I never would have thought to use cooked quinoa! Bravo for your brilliance.
I made this for a wedding and it is just great! I am really happy.
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I’m going to have to try this! I love playing around with new concepts and hiding healthier ingredients in baking. 🙂
It’s definitely very different than any cake I’ve ever made!
Have you tried putting less sugar? Just curious if the taste changes dramatically. I’ve tried cutting the sugar in my mother’s chocolate cake recipe and I like it, but I also make up for it by making lots of butter & icing sugar loaded icing!
You usually can get away with cutting back on the sugar, but I haven’t tried it in this particular recipe!
Made this yesterday in a 9X13 and frosted with Ermine’s frosting. Such a good cake. Very very moist and rich. So easy with ingredients that I always have on hand. Thanks so much for sharing.
What a great idea!
Hi Julie,
Our blender is not that good and when it was time to add the dry ingredients, we had a bit of trouble. Is there any way to avoid this? Could we just stir the dry ingredients in?
Thank you
Sure thing, as long as the quinoa is smooth it should be fine!