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The Chocolate Quinoa Cake has the texture of a traditional cake, yet no special flours are required. This is pure, sweet Chocolate Cake.
This cake has blown my mind. Just writing about it here makes me grin as I think about how perfectly moist, rich, and chocolatey it is.
Quinoa Chocolate Cake
When I first saw this recipe, I did a double-take because I had never before run across anything quite like it. A flourless chocolate cake made with quinoa?
I first heard about a Quinoa Chocolate Cake over at Mel’s Kitchen Cafe almost 10 years ago. The recipe is originally from Quinoa 365 and even if you think you hate quinoa, my friends, this cake is going to change your mind. I say that without any doubt at all.
I make a Flourless Chocolate Cake at least a couple of times a year and it is one of my favorite recipes. The Chocolate Quinoa Cake, on the other hand, has the texture of a traditional cake, yet with no special flours required.
All you need is a couple of scoops of cooked quinoa. While I was initially very skeptical, I assure you that you absolutely positively can NOT taste the quinoa in this recipe.
Chocolate Quinoa Cake
This cake wowed both my family and our dinner guests who are accustomed to eating traditional sweets. Even knowing that the cake was made from quinoa, I couldn’t detect an odd taste or texture.
(And you know just how fussy I am about GF desserts and any odds textures or smells – some of those gluten-free flours are pretty bad!)
You don’t have to take my word for it either. There are dozens of 5 star reviews of this recipe at the bottom of this post.
This Quinoa Chocolate Cake has become a go-to dessert for many people who don’t normally cook or bake gluten-free, but enjoy being able to surprise friends with a gluten-free option without having to keep specialty flours and starches on hand.
This, my friends, is pure, sweet, and tender chocolate cake. After eating a slice the next day for breakfast, I sent the rest of it to the office with my husband. This is a very dangerous cake.
Kitchen Tip: I use this blender or this food processor to make this recipe.
Quinoa Chocolate Cake Recipe
Cake Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two round cake pans (or a 9×13 pan) and then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment. (Do not skip the parchment if you want to be able to flip the cake out of the pan.)
- Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in the blender or food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cooked quinoa and the butter and puree until completely smooth.
- Stop the machine as needed to scrape the sides and make sure everything is well mixed. This will be a thick and creamy consistency once the quinoa is pureed. (You should not see any little beads of quinoa in the pureed mixture.) Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the contents from the blender. Stir until well combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake on a center oven rack for 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire cooling rack. Peel off the parchment and let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Instructions
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium size glass bowl. Heat the cream in a medium saucepan until is gently simmers. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or so and then whisk to combine until it is smooth and glossy.
- Refrigerate and let cool completely. (2-3 hours in the refrigerator or about an hour in the freezer.) When fully chilled. use a mixer to whip the chocolate cream into soft peaks.
- Place one cake layer upside down on a plate. Scoop half the frosting onto that layer and gently spread it across almost to the edge. Place the other layer on top of the frosting and top with the remaining frosting. Chill 2-3 hours before serving to allow the frosting to set. Enjoy!
This recipe has been so popular as a gluten-free option that requires no special ingredients. I’ve gathered up a collection of 15 easy, inexpensive Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes that Require No Special Ingredients.
Fudge is the original gluten-free dessert that everyone loves. These easy fudge recipes are favorites that we make year-round.
Check out the full collection of Gluten Free Baking Recipes on this website!
Unforgettable Chocolate Quinoa Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa loosely packed
- ⅓ cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1½ cups white sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Frosting Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease two round cake pans (or a 9×13 pan) and then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment. (Do not skip the parchment if you want to be able to flip the cake out of the pan.)
- Combine the milk, eggs and vanilla in the blender or food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add the cooked quinoa and the butter and puree until completely smooth.
- Stop the machine as needed to scrape the sides and make sure everything is well mixed. This will be a thick and creamy consistency once the quinoa is pureed. (You should not see any little beads of quinoa in the pureed mixture.) Whisk together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add the contents from the blender. Stir until well combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake on a center oven rack for 28-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire cooling rack. Peel off the parchment and let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Instructions
- Place the chocolate chips in a medium size glass bowl. Heat the cream in a medium saucepan until is gently simmers. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or so and then whisk to combine until it is smooth and glossy.
- Refrigerate and let cool completely. (2-3 hours in the refrigerator or about an hour in the freezer.) When fully chilled. use a mixer to whip the chocolate cream into soft peaks.
- Place one cake layer upside down on a plate. Scoop half the frosting onto that layer and gently spread it across almost to the edge. Place the other layer on top of the frosting and top with the remaining frosting. Chill 2-3 hours before serving to allow the frosting to set. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 8/28/13 – recipe notes updated 8/4/22}
This is so cool! I love how it's made from quinoa!
Quinoa in a cake?!?!? Its the perfect guilt free desert!
Hardly guilt free…full of refined sugar. I was all excited until I looked at the ingredient list 🙁
Make it with maple syrup or coconut sugar
try using agave for sweetener 🙂 also organic for rest of ingredients.Note to ALL : just because it has organic and healthy ingredients in it. doesn't mean we can eat the whole cake and keep our waist lines 😉 Hats off to the gal who sent her husband to work with the rest of the cake… now that's will power !!
Could use radadura sugar in the cake and coconut cream for the frosting. I DEFINITELY will be trying this!
Agave is still sugar. Same thing. I'm going to make it with Swerve (as natural a sweetener as possible, erythritol etc) and unsweetened almond milk.
Why not use Honey in the place of the sugar.
Honey would completely change the texture of the cake. Unfortunately, sugar vs honey is not an equal swap.
You had me at unforgettable 🙂
I can't imagine something that looks this good being made from Quinoa, but again I'm not very imaginative. You've sure kept you sweet tooth satisfied this summer with treats like this and the many varieties of ice cream.
You KNOW I am making this cake! Thanks so much for trying it for me first – ha ha. Love it 🙂
Wow I had no idea you could bake with quinoa! This cake sounds very intriguing but I trust you when you say you can't taste the quinoa at all 😉 Thanks for sharing Mary!
Oh Mary that cake is beautiful!! I need to make this soon!
Just had to pin this at it sounds to good to be true – so I will have to try it for myself! Love the look.
I love the quinoa chocolate cake recipe will try it for my first time.Trying new things trying to eat better hubby has dietbetis so every little bit helps thanksss.Carmen
Mary, I've used quinoa flour many times for GF baking, but never just plain cooked quinoa. This goes on my must-try list!
This cake was so well liked I'm making it again for the 2nd time this week!!! Thanks so much. People told me this is their perfect cake and no one could believe it was made with quinoa!!!
How interesting! It sounds delicious (and looks it too)!
I can't quite wrap my brain around this, but if you and Mel are saying this is good I just have to believe you! I will say I love the nuttiness of quinoa and it does go well with sweet flavors so I get it:-)…Would love to try this!
This seems too good to be true, but I believe you! I am going to make this today! Thanks for the recipe.
Blessings
Susie
This seems too good to be true, but I believe you! I am going to make this today! Thanks for the recipe.
Blessings
Susie
Delish. My food processor didnt get all the quinoa small enough, but STILL devine.
I just had the same problem. The quinoa didn't puree, but once it was mixed with all of the dry ingredients, you could not see quinoa in it at all. looked and tasted just like regular old chocolate cake batter 🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it for my husband ( who doesn't care for quinoa at all. Had him try it before I told him the secret ingredient. That was about a week ago and today he asked if I could make another one. Absolutely a winner.
Absolutely wonderful thank you!
Have you tried it as a vanilla cake recipe? I made the recipe you posted above and it was divine (with chocolate tofu icing)…but my husband is not a big fan of vanilla. I'm not finding a vanilla quinoa cake recipe without flour…have you?
I haven't tried it yet, but it is on my list of recipes to play with soon!
I am making this for the second time in a week today for a pot luck…. Sooo good!