Best-Ever Chocolate Quinoa Cake
Best-Ever Chocolate Quinoa Cake- super moist with the most incredible texture, this decadent chocolate cake is made easy in a blender. No one would ever guess it’s made from cooked quinoa. It’s seriously the best! (gluten-free and dairy-free)
This cake. It’s almost too good to be true. To start, it’s completely flourless, yet the texture is so soft and moist, you will swear it is made from good old whitey mcbleachy.
It’s also gluten-free without the help of starches or gums and oh, most importantly, it’s the most delicious and decadent chocolate cake you will ever have.
Best-Ever Chocolate Quinoa Cake Ingredients
- Quinoa- The base of this cake is made from quinoa. Not quinoa flour, cooked quinoa. Some of you might be skeptical about this, especially if you’re a quinoa hater. But you have to trust me on this one. YOU CANNOT TASTE THE QUINOA. The chocolate and sugar masks it completely. I like to soak my quinoa prior to cooking it to increase digestibility but that step is totally optional!
- Eggs- I tested this with flax eggs way back in the day and it was a blob of undercooked mush. The eggs are kind of a necessity. That said, I’ve had some readers mention they’ve had success without eggs in the comments. I’m not sure if their standards are different (ahem…lower) than mine but I personally have yet to land on an eggless version of this recipe. When I do you all will be the first to know!
- Coconut Oil/Vegan Butter- I like to use a combo of both coconut oil and vegan butter because I find that coconut oil provides superior moisture but vegan butter gives it that classic buttery flavor. You could likely get away with using all of one or the other, if that’s what you prefer.
- Milk- To keep this recipe dairy-free I use almond, soy or oat milk. If you only have dairy milk that should work the same.
- Vanilla Extract- Definitely a must here so please don’t skip it!
- Cocoa Powder- This is my go-to cocoa powder because it always yields good results and isn’t too bitter. I haven’t tested it with cacao powder (which is just unprocessed cocoa) as I find you often need more sugar to offset the bitterness.
- Sugar- You can use any kind of sugar you like here. Cane sugar, brown sugar, coconut sugar…I personally like coconut sugar but that’s just me. Some readers have had success replacing it with erythritol or stevia. I’m clueless when it comes to that so you’ll have to experiment at your own risk.
- Baking Soda, Baking Powder and Salt- Baking soda and powder provide leavening (I use both for extra lift since most of my recipes involve heavier ingredients). Salt offsets the sweetness and is essential in my opinion.
- Coconut Milk- Full-fat coconut milk and chocolate chips are the only thing you’ll need to make the frosting. I used to separate the cream but I’ve found that using the entire can of coconut milk makes for a slighter lighter frosting but still tastes incredible. So feel free to just dump it right in without the hassle of separating the cream.
- Dark Chocolate Chips- I’ve only tested this with Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips because I think they are the best. I’m not sure how chocolate with dairy in it would work since it might not be as firm once combined with the coconut milk. In that case, you may want to separate the cream and only add it to the pot with the chocolate chips.
How to Make Chocolate Quinoa Cake
One of my favorite things about this cake is that you don’t have to deal with measuring out flour or using a mixer to make it. You just blend up the cooked quinoa with the liquid ingredients then pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Fold that together and you have your cake batter!
Will any kind of blender work?
Yes, technically, any old blender will work. Using a regular blender will result in a cake that doesn’t hold together quite as well but it will still taste delicious. However, to achieve the texture you see in the photos, a high speed blender is ideal.
Tips for the Chocolate Frosting
If you’re not already blown away by the cake, just wait until you try the frosting. Two ingredients y’all. Coconut milk and chocolate. Yeah, you will want to smash your face into it. It might even make for a good facial but I can’t quite guarantee that one.
When I initially published the recipe, I used to separate the coconut cream and then add it to a saucepan with the chocolate chips. Then I tried pouring in the entire can of coconut milk and I liked that version even better.
You just melt them together, whisk until smooth and refrigerate until firm. Then use a hand mixer to beat it until a fluffy frosting forms. To make sure it has enough time to firm up I prefer to prepare the frosting the day before.
This cake is loved by so many and if you haven’t tried it yet, I’m sure you will love it too!
Looking for more nutritious desserts?
- Easy Chocolate Avocado Pudding
- Perfect Strawberry Cake
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vanilla Almond Flour Cake
- Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Brownies
- Flourless Vegan Tahini Brownies
- Almond Flour Cardamom Cake
Best-Ever Chocolate Quinoa Cake
Ingredients
For the Quinoa Cake
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, see notes
- ⅓ cup almond milk, or milk of choice
- 4 pasture-raised eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup melted and cooled vegan butter, Miyokos is my favorite
- ¼ cup melted and cooled coconut oil
- 1 cup coconut sugar, or cane sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
For the Whipped Chocolate Coconut Cream Frosting
- 1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 10-ounce bag dark chocolate chips
Instructions
Prepare the Frosting
- I recommend preparing the frosting the day before to assure it has enough time to firm up properly. In a saucepan, add the entire bag of dark chocolate chips and the full can of coconut milk. *If using dairy chocolate chips please see notes in the body of the post.* Warm the saucepan over medium-low heat, until the coconut milk and chocolate melt together. Be careful not to cook at too high of heat or your chocolate will burn! Whisk until smooth and transfer to a large bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature on the counter then cover and refrigerate until firm, usually at least 6-hours, ideally overnight.
- Once it is firm, remove from the refrigerator and beat on high for thirty seconds to one minute, until a fluffy icing has formed. You can taste test to see if you would like to add a little vanilla extract or pure maple syrup for flavor. Be careful not to add too much or it will make the frosting runny.
Prepare the Quinoa Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and then line two round cake pans (I used 6-inch but 8-inch pans will also work) with parchment paper. You can also make a single layer cake in a 9x13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt.
- In a blender, combine the cooked (and cooled) quinoa, eggs, almond milk (or preferred milk), vanilla extract, melted and cooled butter and melted and cooled coconut oil. Blend on high until smooth, scraping down the sides and blending again, if necessary.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry and fold together until well-combined. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Carefully transfer the cakes to a surface for icing with the bottom side up. Depending on the type of blender and cake pan size you use, I recommend that you only transfer the cakes once as they can be fragile and difficult to hold together. If you made a 9x13-inch cake, I recommend frosting and serving it from the pan.
- Frost the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. The icing will melt in really warm conditions but should be fine for a few hours in cooler settings. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on December 4th, 2013, and republished on January 28th, 2022
*runs to store to buy quinoa*
I’ve been having good luck with a tbsp. of stevia powder with a tbsn of brown sugar as a sugar replacement.
Me too. I cut sugar down by half and raw cocoa by a third! Awesome cake. Kids love it!
This recipe looks wonderful! We’re going to try it.
You might like using Erythritol instead of sugar. It is a little less sweet than sugar (so use 25-30% more)–but bakes nicely and has no unpleasant aftertaste, like most sweeteners do.
Caution: affects many people’s gastrics. You might get ‘farty’ from it, until your body gets accustomed to Erythritol…
Erythritol is my go to sweetener. It’s all I’ll use now.
I find pure sugar alcohols affect the taste slightly. I like using half erythritol and half another sweetener. I also like dates as a sweetener, but they have a strong flavor. For chocolate cake though, half dates and half erythritol would probably be good. Dates are a whole food, high in fiber and nutrients.
I have been using this recipe for our special occasion go to for a couple years now… everyone loves it!! I substitute honey for the sugar, and find that even about 2/3 cup or even a bit less still makes it sweet enough… especially with the fabulous icing!!!
So glad to hear it’s been a favorite, Mama G! Thanks for the tip on the honey! :)
Sounds wonderful and I’m definitely going to make it but you should know that it is not vegan because it contains eggs. Vegans do not eat eggs.
the author of the recipe wrote it is dairy free and vegetarian. She does not say it is vegan. Vegetarians eat eggs.
You are too funny!:) enjoying this!
Thanks Judit! :)
I kind of want to faceplant into my computer screen right now. This looks so fantastic. You could replace the 1 cup of sugar with 1/2 cup Stevia? Or Stevia baking blend? That might work!
OOOh ! Way too much stevia ! I use the ratio of 1C sugar = 1 heaping teaspoon stevia. (That’s the green stevia, not the processed.)
Do you have good results using the ‘green’ stevia? I know it’s unprocessed and use it in my homemade chai, but only steep it for 5 minutes. I’m wondering how it performs when baked for long periods of time?
You can make it SUGAR FREE: I added 400g of dates pureed with the almond milk instead of the sugar. Turns out great and you get additional fibre from the dates.
I love you. You just made my day. I need a scale now.
One consideration to remember is that dates are high sugar so replacing them for the sugar just changes the type of sugar used, but doesn’t change it into sugar-free.
Super! I will take dates any day over processed sugar! thanks! :)
cynthia: you’re right, dates wouldn’t make it sugar free, as any fruit contains sugar. But since dates are a whole food, it would make the cake free of “added sugars”. Dates also add tons of fiber and nutrients, making it superior to other sweeteners.
Holy cow that looks amazing!
What about the substituting the eggs to make vegan. Can you use flax seed of egg replacer?
This version (with eggs) was very delicate so I don’t think a flax version would hold together. Adding xanthan gum might help but it would probably take some experimentation. Please let me know if you end up trying it!
Ive made this with flax instead of eggs a few times(several family members are allergic) and it comes out more like a torte. It’s DELICIOUS. Different than the original recipe’s texture, but still amazing.
Sugar is also non-vegan. They use ash (ground up bovine bone) in its processing… Did I just ruin sugar for you? (Sorry!)
We used organic evaporated cane juice. We’ll try coconut sugar next time.
If it’s organic sugar it’s not filtered through bone char.
Goreti Ta, try Ener-g Egg Replacer.
Unrefined sugar (aka evaporated cane juice) does not use ash, since it’s unrefined. The juice is just pressed out of the cane and then evaporated over heat or under the sun.
A friend of mine has been using Chia seeds as an egg replacement in baking. It does give a slight crunch, so that might throw off the texture of this cake.
Probably have to soak Chia in water to get it goey.
I DO want to smash my face into that frosting. This cake looks phenomenal, Sarah, and I’m super intrigued by the fact that it’s made with cooked quinoa rather than quinoa flour. Definitely saving this for when I’m finished with the Christmas cookies and candies.
I LOOOVE quinoa cake! I use a recipe from this cookbook, Quinoa 365 and it is so wonderful. Except I use overripe bananas in place of the oil/butter. I haven’t tried frosting it though. YUM. I like the sound of the coconut whip. Want right now…
I’m pretty sure the original recipe for this cake is from that book too. I love the idea of using banana in place of the butter and oil. Have you blogged about this cake? If not, you should. I would love to see your version.
And the coconut icing will freakin’ blow your mind. You have to try it!
How many bananas do you use instead of the butter/oil? Thanks!
I was wondering if you can replace the butter with all coconut oil
Or just read this idea about the bananas
So how many bananas would you use to just replace the 1/2 cup butter .
You can also use a ripe avocado in place of the butter, just mash it first. Makes the cake very filling so you don’t snarf the whole thing down at once too…..lol
Oh my goodness! I am so glad I stumbled over your blog today – and when I saw this recipe I knew I had found a kindred spirit. This is going on my To Bake list for 2014. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is unreal! So so good
BUT Has anyone tried to make these into cupcakes?
How did it work out, and what’s the cook time?
I’ve made it as cupcakes with good results! I cooked them for about 25-30 minutes.
Thanks Jen! I appreciate you stopping by! :)
Hey Sarah, I sent you a comment back on my blog about some low acid coffee that I drink just in case you ever want to try it. :)
Hi!
Thanks for the recipe. I was wondering if the batter would be good to make cupcakes?
Hi Vanessa! Yes, I think it would work fine for cupcakes. Just be sure to spray the inside of the cupcake liners to make sure they don’t stick. :)
Sorry, it’s 1 and 1/2 teaspoon!
Thanks! Also I noticed in step 4 that for the dry ingredients it missed including sugar (Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl (cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt)). I was able to catch it before I poured the batter into the pan but just wanted to let you know so you could include it. The cake is out of the over now and smells delicious. Just waiting for it to cool a bit as well as the frosting. Can’t wait to try it!
Ahh! I’m so sorry but I’m glad you noticed it. I’ll be sure to update the recipe. Thank you for letting me know. :)
I am waiting for it to cool on the rack bit it seems sticky and the rise seems to have collapsed. What could have happened? My quinoa may have been overcooked and sticky do you think that was the problem? It did rise at 20 minutes or so.
Can you use coconut sugar or maple syrup as I won’t use white sugar? Other than that, it looks awesome!
You could probably use coconut sugar but I’m not sure how it would taste. The cocoa powder might overpower it enough not to notice. I think maple syrup would change the texture too much but you never know unless you try! Let me know how it turns out if you do. :)
I made this recipe on the weekend with coconut sugar and it turned out amazing! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I absolutely love it!
I used coconut suger as well and it turned out beautifully. Love this recipe thanks for sharing!
I have used 400g of dates pureed with the almond milk instead of the sugar and it turned out wonderfully! Just make sure the dates get pureed until smooth.
How many dates?
I absolutely love this cake! I made it for my sons second birthday but now he has fallen ill. Have you had good results freezing it without the icing by chance? I’d love to save it until next weekend if it freezes OK.
Thanks
Can’t wait to make this… It looks great. I use quinoa a lot for salads, soups, instead of rice, casseroles, etc… But never used it for desert… Looking forward to it.
This recipe looks deeeelicious!! I do no have baking soda.m just baking powder.. can I still make this cake? And how do I chsnge it to accommodate my ingredient shortage? TIA :-)
This has been a go-to recipe in my life for the past 4 years now. I like it best as cupcakes. But I’ve been having the worst luck with the icing. It turned out beautifully the first few times I made it, but now it never seems to get fluffy anymore… it’s like a dense, stodgy almost crumbly texture. I’m not sure what changed, but i suspect I may be measuring the chocolate wrong. You suggest a 10 Oz bag, but since I buy in bulk, I’ve been just measuring 1 cup of chocolate chips (since I assume that 8 Oz = 1 cup). But I think I might be putting in too much chocolate. It’s the only explanation I can think of… any other ideas on what might be going wrong? Is it possible to refrigerate it for too long?
It’s possible you might be burning the chocolate! Try cooking it over low heat and whisking until smooth.
Snow days here in Ga, the kids are home. I will be trying this tomorrow because we need to soak the quinoa. This looks divine. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Patricia! I have sourced the recipe from the blog that I found it from. It is possible that she got it from your book. If you would like me to source you as well, I would be more than happy to. It’s a great recipe, thank you! :)
Hi Laura! You might want to try it as cupcakes first since it had a hard time holding together even with real egg. I think cupcakes would hold together better. But yes, please let me know how it turns out! :)
What a fantastic cake! Mine didn’t turn out as thick as yours, but still delicious. Even my 17-year-old liked it and asked for a second piece. What a genius recipe!
Using a smaller sized cake pan will make it thicker! :)
What kind of quinoa do you suggest? Thank you I am looking forward of trying this. I too would like to make them into cupcakes. I’m looking forward to checking out more of your recipes this is the first I’ve seen and looks delish! Thank you, Sarah.
Hi Ashley! I used white quinoa but you could use any kind you like. I’m so happy you found me! :)
I am baking this in the oven as I type! I did find that when I added the cooked quinoa to the wet ingredients my blender struggled and it is a Vitamix!! It was very thick coming out so I added another 1/3 almond milk to thin it out so it resembled a batter rather than a dough (That may turn into cookies on another day!) I also substituted the sugar for 2/3 cup of agave and reduced the cocoa powder to 3/4 cup. Waiting for it to bake and can’t wait to try it!
This looks fantastic – I am going to try it this weekend. Just wondering whether you whip the icing before or after you refrigerate the chocolate /coconut cream combo? Thanks!
You whip it after it has cooled! :)
I have quinoa at home and everything else to bake this cake tonight!!!! I’m drooling. I might try coconut sugar instead of white sugar, I’ve had success with it in banana bread and there is no bitter aftertaste like Stevia. It is a darker sugar though, so you get a hint of molasses-y flavor.
when I make my regular cakes instead of oil I use apple sauce to make it moist, can I use apple sauce instead of oil
You could most certainly give it a try but I can’t guarantee it would turn out the same since this cake doesn’t use regular flour.
Have you considered replacing the sugar with honey? Honey is actually sweeter than sugar; and it includes a digestive enzyme which aids in its breakdown, with less stress on your insulin levels …
I have been working on a breakfast banana bread, swapping out (though not entirely) wheat flour for others higher in protein and fibre, and have replaced 1.5 cups of sugar in that recipe with 1 cup of honey and no one has been able to taste the difference (and they would, believe me) …
I love baking with honey too! I adapted this recipe and was afraid to change it too much but if you try it, please let me know how it turns out!
Have you tried it with the use of honey? If so, how much should go in?
Thank you!!!!
I make this with honey instead of sugar often I use 1 cup but I’m sure it could be cut down.
I made this recipe today and it’s the best thing I’ve ever baked!! I’m so glad I found your site…so much goodness going on here. I can’t wait to try more recipes.
I’m so glad you liked it Cheryl! :)
I am going to try this, do you think I could substitute xylitol for the sugar?
I’ve never baked with xylitol so it’s hard to say. It’s worth a try though.
Yes, you are supposed to scoop out the solid portions. But I always have a hard time getting it to solidify so mine actually had a good deal of the liquid in it and it still worked fine.
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Could you use chocolate almond milk instead?
Sure! I’m not sure you need to but it would work.
Can you use an egg substitute?
Just came across your blog yesterday and tried this recipe and oh…em…gee it is so delish! The cake is so moist and the frosting…oh the frosting! Love that you get protein from the quinoa in a dessert! Can’t wait to try some of your veggie burger/fritter recipes! You have a new follower for sure!
Aw, thanks Mallory! :)
Have you substituted eggs before? And if so with what? Chia, banana? How?
Sounds amazing! Will definitely make! I’m thinking of cutting a bit of the fat by using unsweetened applesauce for the butter… using light coconut milk (still refridgerated overnight) but mixing in some chocolate whey protein isolate for sweetness, protein & thickness to the frosting!
Sounds interesting and tasty!
Its not vegan with the eggs… does a vegan egg substitute work?
Has any one had any luck or success substituting anything for eggs…… due to allergies there a no go in my home-and I would love to try this cake out!
Thanks
I’m going to try this recipe this weekend. It looks amazing. Have you ever tried using coconut sugar? Also instead of the chocolate chips for the icing how about carob chips? I’ll yet you know how this works out!!
Use apple sauce as a substitute for your sugar. (Homemade you can control if you add sugar or not.)
I’m thinking I’ll try freezing the cake overnight to be able to handle it more easily, out of the pan, since it may bit a bit fragile. I learned this working in a bakery years ago. Makes frosting the cake easier too, since the frosting will adhere to the cake easier. Will taste test the whole lovely project with my classmates at a massage clinic this Sunday. Thanks Sarah, very happy to have found your treasure recipes!
That’s a great tip! Thanks for sharing. :)
Tried it, tweaked the sugar a bit (palm sugar, and less of it) and froze the layers. Holy cows this is an EXCELLENT cake. 8 massage students and a teacher can;t be wrong! The other fun thing is it keeps much longer than say, gluten or even ‘traditional’ flour recipes…and just knowing you’re eating something ‘good for you’ is the icing on the cake…which, by the way is soooo good. It’s like a less-sweet ganache, or chocolate ice-cream.
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Thanks for the recipe. This is cooling on the counter right now and I’m just waiting for the icing to cool before whipping it. It smells delicious! :) I made it in a smaller square pan (9×9 I think) – took longer to bake, closer to 45 mins but made for a thicker one-layer cake.
Oh wow is this ever GOOD! My 8yr old told me it was the best cake he has ever eaten! Pretty high praise! Made it exactly as written in a 9×13 pan. Already sent the link and pics to 5 friends! Thank you for the recipie!
Thanks Terry! I’m so happy you and your son enjoyed it and thank you for sharing. :)
Is it possible to make the frosting vanilla instead of chocolate?
You could do plain whipped coconut cream as a topping but it wouldn’t be like an icing.
I made this recipe today, it was not only simple, it was delisious everyone loved it will make again forsure super moist yum :)) thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for sharing this. I made this cake yesterday and it’s a hit! and my recently gf daughter was so happy for it. :) the smile on her face made me so happy. It is just as sinfully delicious as you described and as it looks in the pictures. I agree with your suggestion of baking it as a double layer as it does not rise too much. It was my first time using quinoa and I was amazed at the results-tastes great. Only thing (which is my fault) is I wish I read the entire recipe before I stared as I had a Homer Simpson “Doh” moment when I hit the part about about soaking the quinoa over night. :) I saw the part about refrigerating the coconut milk but not the other part about the quinoa. :) lol. Just a suggestion to advise readers to read the entire recipe thoroughly before starting or TIPS at the top with the ingredients list with things to prepare the day before maybe. But I made it anyway without soaking the quinoa over night and it was perfect!! I really just came on here to say WOW. That cake is mind blowing! and I’m so glad you shared it and that my friend Aneila was so thoughtful to share it with me. I finally have a keeper that makes my gf daughter happy…and that makes me feel great. :)
Most people don’t soak their quinoa and it’s not even a necessary step. I appreciate the feedback though and will update the recipe. I’m so glad you and your daughter enjoyed the cake! :)
I made a test version of this cake. It came out of the oven while my husband had a bunch of guys over. I tried it out on them without the icing to see if I should bother to make a pretty one with icing. Every single one of them loved it and trust me, they’re not ones to mince words or spare feelings. :) My three kids also loved it so I turned my test cake into a brownie-style snack for us and I’m in the middle of making a real one for company. Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s so fun!
Thank you for replying so quickly :). One problem though…everyone loved the cake so much it finished in no time…so my gf daughter, Sarah didn’t quite get enough…now I need to make it again tomorrow. :) Thank you for sharing pics of your trips and experiences as well. I’m dying to go to Europe so I really had a pleasant surprise when I explored your website further.
I’m so happy to hear that Bridgette! I hope you get to go to Europe one day soon. :)
Delicious …a hit with the family today! I used real butter, a mix of 1/2cup of white and 1/2cup of coconut sugar, Rodelle dutch dark chocolate. Baked in a 9×12 cake pan. For the frosting, I ended up using some chilled coconut milk which had been removed from the can a few days before …all of it ended up thickening nicely. I used Costco’s 60% dark chocolate chips also. I’ve seen another recipe that used whipped cream so I may try that next time.
It was absolutely delicious! Rich chocolatey, dense cake …yummy!
I am excited to try this! I have tried quinoa FLOUR before in my baking and never liked the texture. I use whole grain organic pastry flour for all my goodies now and it is delightful and almost guilt-free. This certainly looks like it’s worth a try! We have been on a health kick for a few years now and do not use sugar or refined flour that’s not whole grain any more. I substitute oil with applesauce (but sometimes I cheat and put in 2 tbsp. of oil or butter). As far as sweetener, we have switched to using a combination of Stevia and Xylitol. Xylitol is a life saver when it comes to sweetener, doesn’t leave that strange aftertaste, but very expensive and really healthy for you! So I typically use 1/2 xylitol and 1/2 stevia for all my desserts (I mostly make muffins). As far as icing, I usually blend my own almonds until it becomes almond butter, then add xylitol, vanilla, a splash of almond milk, dash of salt and cocoa powder… better than anything you can buy in the store! Try that one next time if you like almonds, that is. Anyway, good to see I’m not the only health freak! :-) I will try this next week, thanks for the recipe and will be sure to let you know how mine comes out!
Loved this! I substituted sugar free apple sauce for butter and used honey instead of sugar (halved the amount) and OH. MY. GOODNESS! It was so amazing! Thank you!
Instead of sugar I used agava syrup ( sorry on the spelling) it’s a natural sweetener.
My cake looks and tastes just like you say. I made the frosting with cream cheese and milk instead of coconut milk because that was what I had on hand. Warning though – there’s a reason to divide it into 16 servings – it is chocolate overload with all that cocoa. Not something for small children or eating at night. Love the flavour though. Thanks!
Made this today. I’ve got the icing in the fridge right now. I found the icing to be bitter. Was I supposed to use milk chocolate chips? I used semi sweet.
No, I used semi sweet as well. But if you used light coconut milk or not enough coconut cream, then that would result in a bitter flavor. You could always add a little honey or maple syrup to sweeten it though.
It sounds like there was something wrong with your coconut milk. Semi-sweet chocolate isn’t bitter – it’s the same chocolate used in chocolate chip cookies and is usually 40-50% sugar. So if your frosting was bitter, my guess is that the culprit was the other ingredient – your coconut milk was probably going off. If semi-sweet chocolate always tastes bitter to you, though, and you know you like milk chocolate better, then may as well use that! The frosting is just a dairy-free ganache so as long as you like dairy, there’s no reason not to make it with milk chocolate :-) Nomnomnom.
I can’t wait to try playing with a no-eggs version, probably using Ener-G egg replacer powder. Two people posted this on my Facebook newsfeed. I fell in love with the picture right away and wanted to taste the screen! Your picture was great. (I know what you mean about winter light picture taking, though. I can’t post my newest recipe because the pictures were awful. I’ll have to make it again.) The frosting – I must try the frosting! Mmmm. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Pixie! Thank you for sharing in my food photography woes. :) Please let me know how your vegan version turns out if you end-up making it!
I’m so excited to try this cake! It’s baking as we speak. I’m a little confused about the icing part though. I am baking my cake in a foil 9×13 pan. Do I still need to flip the cake over once it is cooked and cooled to put the icing on it, or can I just ice it the way it is in the pan, right side up? Does it make a difference? Thanks for the recipe!
No, you should be able to spread the icing right on top. I only did that because mine was a layer cake.
This recipe was shared by a dear friend on Facebook. Having just finished the 10 Days of Real Food challenge, and having quite enjoyed it (I ate a great deal of quinoa), I immediately was intrigued by this recipe. I vowed to make it and yesterday (February 1, 2014) was the day. First, I approached this recipe with great trepidation . . . I simply could not get my head around what the end texture would be like. Well dear friends, this is NOTHING short of phenomenal; absolute gastronomical genius. I made it exactly as written, using the prescribed mix of coconut oil and butter. I whizzed all of the ingredients in my Nutribullet, making certain the texture was smooth. I baked it in a 9 x 13 Pyrex pan, greased with coconut oil, but not parchment-lined. I used bitter-sweet fair trade Nicaraguan couverture pastilles for the chocolate and the highest fat (17%) coconut milk I could find. I cooled this mixture quite rapidly by putting the stainless steel bowl in a convenient 2 foot snowbank in the backyard *S*. I found the texture of the cake more akin to that of a dense, moist brownie, but this was ‘lightened’ up by the creamy frosting. I would make this again in a heart beat.
Haha, I loved that you cooled it in the snow! Great idea. :)
I followed the instructions for the quinoa. Is it supposed to absorb all the water, or am I supposed to drain it. I cooked it for about 1/2 hour so it would absorb. My package of quinoa only recommends 1.5x water to quinoa, yet your recommendation uses 3x. My quinoa is not light and fluffy. Quite mushy. Starting over, no time to soak it though. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Yes, you would drain any excess water but you could have used the mushy quinoa. I don’t think it would have changed anything. I hope it turned out okay the second time!
Great recipe! However, as a celiac, I feel I should let you know that you can only be certain that this recipe is gluten free as long as you use a gluten free baking powder – most are not…
Also, you must check the chocolate chips to be sure that there is no risk of cross contamination :)
I made this today so we could have something sweet to eat during the Super Bowl. I followed your recipe perfectly and it came out awesome!!!! Thank you for giving me an excuse to keep extra Quinoa around. It really is so delicious. I just discovered your blog and I love it! Can’t wait to read about your upcoming nuptials.
Thank you for such a sweet comment, Courtney! I’m happy you enjoyed the cake. :)
It’s possible you used too little coconut cream (or maybe you used light coconut milk?). If you didn’t throw it away then you could re-melt it and add more coconut milk until the color looks light enough. Then re-chill it and whip after solidified.
Hi! This looks amazing and I think my children would love it. I am just wondering if I can substitute the sugar for something else? (apple sauce, banana, dates?) any feedback on this would be great! Thank you!
Someone else commented and said they used honey in place of the sugar (1/2 cup- I think) so you could try that. It always a risk to alter gluten-free recipes like this but you never know until you try. Let us know how it turns out if you do!
Absolutely in love with this recipe!! Tastes amazing, you can’t even tell it’s quinoa. I used coconut palm sugar in place of white sugar and it worked very well! I also added vanilla extract to the icing… Mmmmmm!
This is the most delicious chocolate cake ever invented! I kept my ingredients quiet, served it, watched the cake disappear,, saw second servings devoured,, I just smiled at finding this treasure! A must try! Thank you Sharon, a golden globe winner for me!
just made this tonight and it is amazingly tasty! thank you!
just wondering, have you tried putting the cooked and cooled quinoa in the blender (with the butters) first to get a finer consistency? i’m trying to pull the wool over my daughter’s eyes with this one and she thinks it’s chunky. maybe i’ll try adding choc chips next time to disguise it. ;)
oh, and i made these as cupcakes! filled the cupcake liner about 4/5 full (as they don’t rise well as you said) and cooked for 20 mins. came out perfect!
Hi Julie! No, I haven’t tried that but it might help with the texture. I think having a high powered blender helps too. Glad to know the recipes makes good cupcakes! :)
This cake is our new favorite! I approached it with trepidation but was surprised how easy it came together. I didn’t have to make altitude adjustments as I usually do for flour cakes. I couldn’t get the coconut milk to solidify in the frig so, since the temperature outside was -17C, I stuck it in a snow bank for 3 hours. Everyone loved the cake and it was literally gone in minutes! Thanks for posting it!
This sounds wonderful but I can’t have chocolate. Is there any way it could be altered to substitute something for the cocoa? It seems that it is important as a dry ingredient for texture.
I’ve actually been trying to think of how to make a vanilla version. I’m tempted to try almond meal instead but I’m not sure how it would work. I’ll let you know if I come up with something! :)
Does it matter what type of quinoa you use? I have the red type, i used to have the more tan ish colored type. Just wondering which one you used!
I used white quinoa. I wouldn’t think using red would change it too much but it’s hard to know for sure without trying.
I just made this delicious cake and I was spectacular! thank you very much for the recipe!!
I just recently started baking. So I need help! Lol Can I use Nutella instead of chocolate chip?? Also I only have a round 9inch pan will that work instead of 2 pans?
You can put all of the batter in one pan, that should be fine. For the icing, I want to say the Nutella will work but it’s hard to know for sure. I’m worried it won’t thicken as well. It’s risky but if it worked, it would be aaahhhhmazing. :)
Has anyone made the cake using Stevia powder if so how did it turn out? How much stevia did you use and did you add anything else for texture?
I’ve now made this TWICE and both times were fantastic. Since we’re dairy, gluten and sugar free we did it two ways. 1st time used 1/2 cup stevia powder and 1/2 cup powdered xylitol (I grind mine in a coffee grinder to get powdered.) For the icing we used half the vegan chocolate chips recommended, some cocoa powder and a can of coconut cream rather than coconut milk. DELICIOUS! Second time around we used 3/4 stevia powder and 1/4 xylitol and it was fantastic. Icing only had 1/4 cup chocolate chips + cocoa powder and powdered xylitol and it was still yummy.
This cake was the bomb-diggity! I am a holistic health counselor who is GF (and soy-free) and this is the closest I’ve tasted to a “real” cake since 2008 when I still ate gluten. Hats off to you for this recipe! I replaced the sugar with https://www.coconutsecret.com/crystals2.html and it still came out great. I had several people taste it and they could not believe it was a quinoa cake! This will be my go-to for birthday cakes and recommendations to clients for special occasion treats. Keep up the good work!
Wow, what a thing of beauty! I am going to make this on the weekend but i am going to add some shredded zucchini. Will check back to let you know how it went!
I started this recipe and realized I didn’t have enough quinoa. So, I used brown rice instead. Same process: cooked it up and blended it with the wet ingredients. Still turned out really amazing!! I would suggest if you want to try this as a vegan recipe to substitute half your quinoa for brown rice and use egg replacer. The rice made it much thicker than the quinoa would have been. It will probably stay together better.
Can you cook the quinoa the night before and then make the cake the next morning?
Also has anyone made the cake the night before and eaten it in the morning, was it ok?
Thanks
Jody
Hi Jody! Yes, you can cook the quinoa ahead of time. I made the cake and then ate it for the next 3 days and it still tasted amazing and was moist as ever so I don’t think you have to worry about that. Hope that helps! :)
Vegan/egg-free people: did anyone ever try this (delicious-looking) cake without eggs?? I’d love to hear how it turned out and if you have any tips! Thanks so much.
I just veganized this cake and i can honestly say it was the best chocolate cake i’ve ever had and my family said the same! Well, I actually made them into cupcakes and then assembled them onto a plate and iced them to make it look like a cake only because I was worried it wouldn’t hold together as a cake. But as cupcakes they held up wonderfully and next time I am trying it as a whole cake. I used 4 flax eggs and it came out beautifully. 1 egg = 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. I did 4 of these in one bowl whisked it really good and let sit in the fridge for 15 minutes or until a gel like consistency. I added the flax eggs when I was combing the blender mixture to the dry ingredients, I just mixed the “eggs” in. Seriously, it was amazing. I also topped off the whole thing with strawberries which I seriously recommend!!! Thank you for an awesome amazing recipe.
I’m so glad to hear a vegan version works! I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing! :)
My hubby bought lite coconut milk, can I use this or no?
Hi Jessi! I wouldn’t recommend it as I’ve had a few comments saying the icing turned out sticky and bitter.
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Best cake ever! Didn’t leave the coconut milk in the fridge overnight…but discovered you can leave it in the freezer while you make the cake (half hour or so) and it works just as well. Also, didn’t have parchment paper. Greasing the pan with coconut oil worked fine.
This is a wonderful, non-gritty cake that maintains it’s shape and consistency well when kept in the refrigerator.I put this through “Calorie Count” and it ends up being about 186 calories per piece if 20 pieces in a 9 x 13. I used butter and whole milk.
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I have baked this cake numerous times from the Quinoa 365 cookbook. Have never had it with this really yummy looking icing though- it is good on it’s own. I have also never soaked the quinoa overnight first, so it has a slightly crunchy?/chewy texture that my kids don’t always like- so thank you for the soaking overnight tip!!
Made this today with flax egg and it came out great! I let it cool completely before taking it out of the pan and stuck it in the freezer for an hour before frosting. I doubled the recipe and made 3 layers in 9″ round pans and frosted with a dark chocolate peanut butter fudge frosting and it holds together pretty good with the sturdy frosting.
Made this cake for an event yesterday because gluten-free people were attending. Oh my goodness it is so amazing. So what other recipes can you come up with using cooked quinoa and coconut…how about banana bread?
I am going to make this with coconut sugar today. Thanks for the recipe!
Is there something else I can substitute for the coconut oil? This looks so delicious, I can’t wait to try it =)
Yes, just use all butter or Earth Balance instead. I hope you like it! :)
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Do you think you could keep this batter in the fridge or freezer?
Also, I made them as cupcakes (and only had 3 eggs on hand) and they turned out great! It made 18 cupcakes of 1/4 cup batter each baked for 14-16 minutes. I let them cook in the pan for 2 minutes before putting them on a cooling rack.
Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks for the feedback, Sharon! I don’t think the batter would hold up very well in the freezer. I think it would probably change the consistency of the end product.
Just made heart shaped cupcakes for tomorrow and my kids think I’m the best mom ever! (Also sugar free using a blend of stevia and xylitol.)
How cute! I’d think you are the best mom ever too! :)
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I made the cake the other day, I made a different frosting though and I shared the cake with neighbours who have kids that refuse to eat Quinoa, they had NO Clue the cake was quinoa & loved it & wanted more.
I didn’t have any coconut milk so what I did was use this recipe that is dairy free, and only has 3 ingredients, chocolate chips, coconut oil, & vanilla & OMG it is sooooooooo good, and in the cake I substituted Coconut sugar for the white sugar & it worked awesome.
Sarah is it ok to print the recipe & share it with neighbours that loved the cake
we have Nver had a chocolate cake that is as moist as this one is. The cooked quinoa is wonderful than you so much for such a devine recipe :)
I made this yesterday as a surprise for my boyfriend and he absolutely loved. Thank you so much for the recipe!
I just made this cake. I used flaxseed instead of eggs. The cake baked for 37 min…..still very doughy…..what did I do wrong.????
I haven’t made it using flaxseed so I’m not sure if it works the same. That could have been your problem.
My mother-in-law made this cake last night and it was delicious!!! Yummy! I will definitely make this at home! :)
Made it today, haven’t eaten it yet. Usually when I bake a cake I do a “toothpick test” to see if it’s done — the toothpick’s supposed to come out clean. I baked this cake for 40 minutes in a 13×9 pan and it never passed the toothpick test — eventually I decided to just take it out, especially as the edges of the cake were pulling away from the edges of the pan (another standard done-ness test). Should I avoid the toothpick test when making this? The comments about fudginess and similarity to brownies make me think that probably the toothpick test should not be applied here.
Looks yummy. Although, I’m not sure how it is gluten free with the cocao, unless you are using gluten free cocao??? I haven’t seen that in any stores. Please explain. Thanks.
Cocoa powder is naturally gluten-free. Maybe you are thinking of hot cocoa mix? That’s not always gluten-free.
No cocoa powder has wheat listed in the ingredients..just checked. It’s Fry’s premium cocoa..is there one without wheat I don’t know about?
Can quinoa flour be used instead of cooked quinoa?
I’m not sure it would work the same. But I have a chocolate quinoa cupcake recipe on here that uses quinoa flour. It’s not nearly as moist as this cake but it’s still delicious.
This was outrageously yum and I will keep the recipe forever! Thank you. Do you have a carrot cake recipe with quinoa in it? Or ideas on how to modify a recipe? Hoping to make it tomorrow so your quick response is appreciated!
Hi Leah! I don’t have any other cake recipes that use cooked quinoa, only quinoa flour. I tried experimenting with coconut flour in place of the cocoa powder as well as honey instead of sugar and the texture was gritty. I need to experiment some more. I’ll let you know if I’m able to come up with something else!
what is the calorie count on this bad boy
I haven’t calculated it but you can enter the ingredients into My Fitness Pal to find out.
Do you think this could be made with a regular mixer? I don’t have a blender but would love to try this recipe!
Hi Meghan! Unfortunately, I don’t think the texture would be the same. The blender helps break the quinoa up so that the cake doesn’t turn out chewy with little bits in it. A food processor would likely work though, if you happen to have one.
Substitute the sugar for coconut sugar. I have replaced all my sugar with it and it is divine! You also typically do not use as much, I use 25-50% less depending on the use. Coconut sugar doesn’t spike your glycemic index or cause inflammation, great for diabetics and has all the wonderful benefits of coconut! Give it a try!
This is the best recipe ever! I used the “batter” as a base for many things. What site are you using for this blog?
I’m so glad you like it as much I do!
I’m not sure exactly what you mean by site? Do you mean what theme am I using? Or do you mean who do I use for hosting?
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Can’t wait to try this. Could you put coconut oil only? if yes how much would you reckon?
Yes, I think you could replace it with 3/4 cup coconut oil. It should turn out just as good. :)
Wonderful!
I did substitute all of the following:
Butter for equal amount applesauce
Sugar for halved amount raw honey (from my own hives)
Then, I used 60% cocao chocolate chips.
It was strong, but good! Not gritty at all, so smooth! Surprisingly excellent cake texture.
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Has anyone had success making this into cupcakes? Also, my husband isnt quite the chocolate lover as I am, can I make this into something like banana bread instead of chocolate?
I’ve had several comments that cupcakes worked well. I’ve been trying to think up a banana bread version so hopefully I get around to a success soon!
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We live in Germany, and finding gluten-free baked goods that are yummy and not full of vile additives, or made primarily from corn starch – ick, is really difficult. I used red quinoa because it was the only one I could find with the GF stamp on it. Also, I couldn’t find any certified GF chocolate chips, so I used unsweetened bakers chocolate along with some frosting sugar for the icing. This cake was superb! It weighed a ton, so I was concerned it was going to be another heavy, dense, uninspired GF cake: boy was I wrong! I brought it to a dinner party, and it was an immense hit. I squirred some away for myself for the next day – still just as spectacular! Thank you so much!!!
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This is the first time I have ever taken the time to post a comment because this recipe warrants it! I’m telling everyone, this is THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE dessert I have ever had. (Even my hubby who is very fussy about his chocolate cake and thinks gluten-free is punishment, loved it!) I am a wholistic practitioner and will be recommending this to all my clients who require a gluten free lifestyle. The one change I made is that I did not use white sugar as the sweetener. Anyways, KUDOS KUDOS!!!
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Is 1 C of sugar what can be used instead of the 1 C of cane juice? And 3/4 C butter versus the coconut oil and earth balance? Looks fabulous and I like that it is gluten free. Thank you lots for posting!
Yes, you can use 1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup butter. Enjoy!
Hey, I don’t have cane juice, so i was wondering, can i substitute that for something else? i REALLY wanna make this cake :)
Evaporated cane juice is just a more natural form of sugar. You can use regular white sugar in its place. Hope that helps!
thanks!! :) I’ll let you know if the cake turns out :)
Hey, I made the cake, (finally!) :) and it turned out amazing!!! I’m egg free, so I used gelatin to replace the eggs and it worked great! I am so gonna be making this again. Thank you SO much for posting the recipe.
That’s good to know! Thanks Mercy! :)
Try coconut crystals instead of sugar. I use them to bake and in my coffee. Low glycemic index and really rich in flavor. Need extra to achieve similar sweetness to sugar.
I replaced the eggs with bananas as my daughter is allergic and now I have more of a pudding then a cake lol! Suggestions for future tries? She can’t have wheat, gluten, dairy or eggs.
Thanks
Sorry for the fail. That’s always a bummer! I’ve had a few people comment and say that replacing the eggs with ground flax seed has worked. I would imagine they used 4 flax eggs in place of the regular eggs. I think that’s definitely worth a try!
4 Flax eggs?
Yes, one flax egg is 1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoon water. You mix it together and allow it to set for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator, then it will be thick like the consistency of an egg.
So four of those would be 4 T ground flax + 12 tablespoons water.
I would add them to the bowl after mixing the blended quinoa/milk with the cocoa powder.
Hey Nikki, I use gelatin to replace eggs in baking and so far its worked well. Use unflavored gelatin. Dissolve 1 packet of gelatin into 1 cup of boiling water. The ratio of gelatin to egg is 3 1/2 tablespoons to replace 1 egg. You want to use it while its liquid, because it gels up real fast. Hope that helps! :)
This is by far one of the best gluten free cakes I have ever eaten! My sister and I just made it today for my dad’s birthday. My mom has to be gluten free and my sister has to be sugar free, so instead of sugar we used 3/4 cup of agave syrup, and instead of the coconut oil (simply because we forgot to buy it) we used applesauce. We also decided to make a butter cream frosting with the agave syrup which turned out great! The cake was phenomenal!
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I have a question about the ingredients: is it 1/4 cup coconut oil measured then melted, or 1/4 of melted coconut oil? Thank you!
Hi Angela! You are supposed to melt the coconut oil, then measure out 1/4 cup of the melted oil. :)
Follow on from my previous email. I just realised the cane juice has replaced the cup if sugar (I’ve been making this recipe for a while now and was floored just now when I read cane juice and thought…..I’ve been skipping that out if the recipes????? What does adding the juice do to the texture/moisture of the cake? Does it change it? Ps. Love this recipe, have vowed never to use normal recipe ever again!
Oh! Sorry for the confusion. I changed it because I was getting a lot of questions about replacing white sugar and I actually used organic evaporated cane juice when I made it so I wanted to update it to reflect that. It isn’t actually juice; it’s the same consistency as sugar. I’m so glad you like the recipe! :)
Just wondering when the evaporated cane juice is added into the recipe?
Hi Jan! Where it says to add sugar. Evaporated cane juice is just a more natural form of sugar. Hope that helps!
Yes I did! I had questions about substitutions for the white sugar and I actually used evaporated cane juice (which is essentially the same thing as sugar, just less processed) so I changed it to reflect that. But it is still the same amount! :)
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If I use coconut sugar instead of cane juice will it change the moistrue of rhe cake?
No, it shouldn’t. I used evaporated cane juice which is the same texture as sugar.
Sarah,
Do you think that Monk Fruit will work as a replacement for the sugar? I am diabetic and want to make this cake so I can enjoy it too.
Hi David! I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with Monk fruit so I can’t say if it would work or not. I know others have used coconut sugar with success. Sorry I can’t be of more help to you!
I just made this cake and everyone loves it! I think I may switch out the frosting in the future and use a coconut/pecan frosting so it will be like a German Chocolate cake. Thank you!
Oh, that is a fantastic idea! YUM.
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Would these work as cupcakes out just fall apart?
I’ve had feedback from others saying this worked great as cupcakes!
Any thoughts on replacing the earth balance/butter/coconut oil with 3/4 cup palm oil? Lactose and sunflower allergies eliminate the use of either butter or earth balance for me! (also intolerant to banana and apples – no fruit replacements okay either!)
I’ve never cooked with palm oil but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Canola oil might also be another good option.
I just made this yesterday and all I have to say is OMG!! So delish! And really quite easy to make….as someone who loves to bake and cook I really enjoyed this one!! The icing is so awesome that I can really see myself using this from now on for any chocolate icing….SO good!! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe turned out great. I would suggest using the coconut milk that is thinner, for the 1/3 cup milk in the recipe….that way it doesn’t get wasted. Also, I found the cake a bit salty, then realized I had used salted butter and added salt, so omit salt if using salted butter :) Cake is nice and moist and fluffy! Great flavor!
Made this today for my son’s birthday and it was definitely kid approved…they all loved it and had no idea what was in it! I used sucanat as my sweetener and it worked great. Frosting was best I’ve ever had!!!
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Thanks for posting this. It was quite tasty – especially the frosting. I recommend using a high quality chocolate to pair with the coconut. You will be rewarded for it.
I made this for my son’s birthday. Everyone loved it. It is even better the second day – seemed more moist. I will definitely be making this again!
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I’ve made this cake a few times now and it’s incredible! Thank you so much for a chocolate cake recipe that I have nothing to feel guilty for and won’t upset my dietary restrictions. My junk food lovin’ teenager took a bite of it the first time I made it and crinkled up her face and said “this should NOT be this good”. :) Oh my… I just can’t thank you enough. I just made some icing for the next one to take to our family Easter dinner tomorrow and I added sea salt to it. Delicious!!
Oh I bet the sea salt was sooo good! Yum. :)
Just made this for Easter using carob in place of chocolate and finely ground monk fruit sweetener. I could’ve devoured the cake batter! My entire loved this cake. I used the coconut milk icing…no chocolate but dusted a little carob powder over a cake stencil. It looked pretty and tasted soooooooo good. Thanks!
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Ok so I made this once with my ninja blender and the cake was really good, but it did have whole quinoa in it because the ninja didn’t blend them. Still good, just didn’t like that texture and the chunkiness of it. The second time I made it I made it with my (new) vitamix. OH EM GEE. Obviously the vitamix pulverized all of the quinoa and the cake came out moist, creamy, deliciousness I can’t even begin to describe. It was the best cake I have ever had!! So I would definitely recommend a high powered blender for this! Thank you for the recipe, this will be my go to anytime I want chocolate cake!
I’m going to make this with Whey Low, ever tried it? It’s my favorite sugar substitute. Last year, we made Christmas cookies with it and no one could tell the difference. It even caramelizes!
I am making this for my son’s birthday today. We fought over who got to lick the spoon!
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I have made this cake twice – both times delicious..but..it’s very flat/thin/small..anyone else’s?? Like I do 2 layers but each layer isn’t even an inch tall probably…anybody else? Other than that- delish!
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Has anyone tried freezing this cake after baking it? Wondering how well it will hold up.
The cake looks amazing and I love the idea of icing made with coconut milk. Thanks for the recipe!!!!!
It will depend on how much quinoa is in each serving. It basically falls nicely as an S Helper.
This cake is incredible!! Thank you!!
Love this cake!!! But I’m out of margarine could I use all coconut oil instead?? Would it still be just as amazing!
I just made this today for my sister-in-law who can not eat gluten. She thought this was the best cake she’s had since being diagnosed 3 years ago. My nieces agreed!! And even us gluten consumers thought it was quite tasty! Thank you!
This is truly a divinely decadent cake, and so easy to make! I’ve made it twice now and it’s been a huge hit both times.
I did find the icing too sweet for my taste, so instead I topped it with whipped cream (unsweetened) plus stewed sour cherries in brandy – a variation on Black Forest cake. The cream & cherries complemented the chocolate beautifully. I like the cherries on the tart side, but if you prefer them sweeter, stew them with a bit of sugar or honey.
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I just found this and it looks delicious! I am gluten free but I also just found out I am also allergic to coffee and chocolate. Can you suggest another flavoring for this cake and the frosting? I love coconut so I can definitely make a coconut icing but thought you might have another recommendation for the cake itself. Thanks!!
Hi Laverne! I’m sorry to hear you’re allergic to chocolate. That’s rough! I’ve been working on a vanilla version of this cake for a while with no luck yet. I tried using raw buckwheat groats and blanched almonds ground into flour in place of the cocoa powder but it turned out a little too moist. The problem is that cocoa powder is very drying and high in fat so finding something to replace that is tricky.
I’ll be posting a recipe for an vanilla almond flour cake soon which is gluten-free so that might be a good alternative for you. Check back within the next few weeks and I’ll have it up on my site.
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What a great recipe! Use palm sugar and ener g egg replacer and cake texture was super! Trader Joe’s has canned coconut cream, so I used that and the frosting was fabulous! Thank you so much for this recipe!
This cake came out amazing!!! Thank you so much for this instant favourite! I will most definitely be making this again and again….
Has anyone had success freezing this gem?
Yes, it freezes really well!
Made a lemon cake following the basics of your recipe. Replaced cocoa powder with coconut flour and added lemon extract along with zest and lemon juice. Texture not at rich as chocolate cake, but really good :)
Also, used white chocolate (ended up using Lindt as I couldn’t find vegan white chocolate chips and didn’t really want to search too hard) along with zest and extract with the coconut cream – excellent flavor!
I love this recipe! Thanks, again!
Wow, that sounds delicious!! I was actually just writing my next post for a gluten-free almond flour cake and I was saying how much I’ve struggled to make a vanilla version of this one. I tried it with coconut flour too but I used honey in place of the sugar which didn’t work out so well. I’ll have to try the coconut flour with sugar next time and see how it works out!
Hi, I just have to share. My sister has celiac disease and I have tried many recipes over the years for her. Often times they are bad, or she likes them but everyone else in the family can spot the impostor. This is the ONLY recipe that everyone in the family not only enjoys but fights over the last piece. THank you for sharing!
HI! I don’t have any coconut oil, is it okay if i use regular oil?
Hi Klara! Yes, regular oil should work the same.
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This is sooo good! I am Paleo, but do eat quinoa on rare occasions. I have tried so many cakes using alternative flours, but it’s just always been disappointing. Until now! I was able to enjoy cake for the first time in years. My mom even liked it, and she is very picky about baked goods. The frosting is divine. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have since made quinoa coconut chocolate chunk cookies and quinoa cocoa cinnamon bread. I am so inspired! Now to figure out how to do a vanilla version…………
Robyn- I’m so excited about this cake too, just make it tonight and wow! I have so many food allergies that I had to modify the cake some. I prayed it would come out and it did! I would really like your recipe for the quinoa cocoa cinnamon bread! That I’m interested in as well.
I just made this cake! OMG!!! Talk about chocolate! I can’t have chocolate so I used carob powder. I also used just egg whites because I could not have egg yolks. I added some egg replacer just in case. It came out wonderful! I can have cake again!!!! I also need to soak my quinoa like you said to do. I was just so excited to make it. I make a cream cheese icing for it since I can’t have coconut. I used Tofutti cream cheese. Awesome!!!! I also just used 3/4 cup fleshmann’s margarine because I can’t have butter or marjarine. I’m just so excited!!! I’m stumbling all over myself with glee!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it Karen! :)
Sarah: Thank you so so much for this recipe. Five years ago, my daughter unable to eat anything but protein and vegetables. She is now TOTALLY healed and vowed the day she would be eating a scrumptious chocolate cake and “….smashing her face into it…:My daughter is the only other person I have ever heard say this other than yourself. She will be making it soon.
all I can think of now is “whitey mcbleachy”. funniest words- EVER. recipe sounds fabulous.
After reading other comments I decided this was worth a try. I needed a last minute gluten free chocolate cake recipe for dinner at my in-laws and was shocked to see something made with quinoa. I figured it was worth a shot b/c they always have other desserts there anyways. OMG what a hit! This cake came out so incredibly delicious! Every single person, from my 4 year old son to my 75 year old junk food lover father in law thought it was 1 of the most delicious cakes they’ve ever had. Like myself, they actually liked that this cake was made w/quinoa b/c it gave it some nutrients. I will be trying more of your recipes!
I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks Anna! :)
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I just made this cake and am having trouble with the icing! I used 10 oz. of Ghiardelli semisweet chocolate chips and full fat coconut milk (almost the whole can was cream – 150 calories per 1/3 cup). The coconut milk was in the fridge overnight, and after mixing it with the melted chocolate the mixture stayed in the fridge for a whole day and night. After whipping for at least 2-3 minutes it is still very liquid! It is like a thin cake batter, I could pour it. It was not thickening at all and I was worried it was getting to warm so I have put it back into the freezer now and am hoping for it to stiffen up so I can try to whip it again.
I see that you posted you only need to whip it for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Any idea what might have gone wrong? Has anyone else had this happen? Thank you for any tips, I will update if I get it to work.
I’m sorry to hear about the trouble Dana! The only thing I can think is that maybe you added too much coconut milk. There should have been a decent amount of liquid left in the can after you separated the cream. Was the color of the icing lighter than my picture? That would be another indicator that you used too much milk.
Also, you shouldn’t have to whip it for so long. Doing that could definitely be warming it and causing it to thin out but I’m not sure if that’s the problem.
Hi Sarah, thank you for your prompt reply! No, it is about the same color or maybe even a little darker. The can was about 90% solid, which I scooped out and about 10% liquid at the bottom that I did not use.
If the freezer doesn’t work to firm it up I do have another two cans of coconut milk in the fridge. I might try to whip those two up on their own, and then maybe add a bit of my chocolately liquid from the original frosting to chocolate it up a bit.
Any troubleshooting ideas on how I could salvage this icing or thicken it at this point? Thanks again!
I think trying to get it as cold as possible is the best option. The chocolate helps it to solidify when it’s cold so you could always add more chocolate. Although it seems like you should have had enough, assuming you used the same amount as me.
It’s hard to say what went wrong without being in-person, I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
Thank you for your suggestions Sarah! The freezer did not work. It sort of froze it but when it warmed it was liquid again. I ended up using BOTH of my other cans of coconut milk (they were two different brands, so one was mostly cream and the other was about half cream, half milk). It whipped up into a nice whipped topping. I added some of the chocolate liquid to it because I didn’t have more chocolate chips and didn’t have time to head to the store. It made it taste a little chocalatey and was more firm than the original as long as it was cooled in the fridge. I haven’t served it yet but am going to encourage people to eat quick before it melts. It looks good and tastes good but isn’t really an icing.
I will definitely try this again with maybe a different brand of coconut milk. The first brand I used in the chocolate mixture was Chaokoh. The next two brands I used were Chef’s Choice and Hawaiian Sun. All are products of Thailand. Since I didn’t see these brands used by other reader’s, here is some info: The Chef’s Choice had the most cream, followed by Chaokoh, and Hawaiian Sun the least (about 40-50% of the can; it also lists guar gum as an ingredient but the other’s don’t).
It sounds like the brand of coconut milk must have been the culprit. Sorry it didn’t work out as planned but I hope the next time is a success!
HaHa .. “whitey mcbleachey”
Hi Sarah,
I have made this cake few times already with great results. Have a question about quinoa. Have you ever tried red quinoa? Or do you know if it will result with altered taste of the cake?
Thanks!
Hi Sylvia! I haven’t tried it with red quinoa but I don’t think it would alter the taste. To me, the white and red taste pretty similar. Let me know if you end up trying it!
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Hi there,
Just wondering how many grams or ounces = 1 cup
I have 3 sets of measuring cups and each set is a different size.
I always bake using weights.
Thank you
Clare
Hi Clare! 8 ounces= 1 cup. I’m not sure of the gram measurement because I don’t have a scale but hopefully that helps somewhat.
Thank you Sarah
Here in ireland, we tend to measure on scales rather than cups..
Will make this delicious looking cake to morrow!
Regards
Clare
I love this recipe. I substituted xylitol for sugar, 1:1 ratio. Turned out great! Sugar free!
Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s incredibly delicious. I have made it a few times now. I am really fussy so this is a huge compliment. My kids loved it too. The icing is fantastic but I have found it makes too much. Also adding less chocolate is better for kids. I have also made the icing by itself and served it as a desert in little pots with little spoons, or with strawberries to dip in. The texture is of the cake with the quinoa beads is what makes this cake so delicious and moist. The silky fudgy consistency of the icing rocks too. It’s really easy to make as well, which I love as I’m not the best baker in the world. I used butter as well as coconut oil. Might try out the date idea next or coconut sugar. We have cane sugar here – so hopefully no bone used it that? I only use the organic one anyway.
This is delicious! Everyone in my household of 7 is a fan of this cake and not all of them eat quinoa or like coconut! I took it to the office and it was well-received. Thank you for doing the work to adapt this recipe and for sharing it with us!
I’m so happy to hear that, Sheila! :)
Can this be made egg free – got a kid who is gluten and dairy intoleraant. Thanks!
Hi Caroline! Here is a comment from another reader who has tried a vegan version:
“I just veganized this cake and i can honestly say it was the best chocolate cake i’ve ever had and my family said the same! Well, I actually made them into cupcakes and then assembled them onto a plate and iced them to make it look like a cake only because I was worried it wouldn’t hold together as a cake. But as cupcakes they held up wonderfully and next time I am trying it as a whole cake. I used 4 flax eggs and it came out beautifully. 1 egg = 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. I did 4 of these in one bowl whisked it really good and let sit in the fridge for 15 minutes or until a gel like consistency. I added the flax eggs when I was combing the blender mixture to the dry ingredients, I just mixed the “eggs” in. Seriously, it was amazing. I also topped off the whole thing with strawberries which I seriously recommend!!! Thank you for an awesome amazing recipe.”
According to her, a cupcake version worked with flax eggs so it’s worth a try!
By the way, I’m not sure if you are aware but eggs are not considered dairy. Is he allergic to eggs or just dairy?
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This is absolutely the best chocolate cake I ever tasted! I love the combination of coconut and chocolate frosting!
My daughter desperately wants a chocolate cake for her 17th birthday Friday, and I get to make it, but I am the one with celiac disease. I am going to try this one – it looks fabulous and the comments are very encouraging. I will let you know how it goes!
It really, really, really is every bit as good as they say it is. It’s one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever eaten, and I can eat cakes with gluten, AND I’m a baked-goods snob. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Do you think it would be possible to make this as a vanilla cake? Like jsut leave out the cocoa powder and at more vanilla extract or something?
Hi Jamie! I don’t think only omitting the cocoa would work, it needs something additional to take it’s place. I’ve been working to develop a vanilla version and I’ll be sure to post it as soon as I figure it out. In the meantime if you’re looking for a gluten-free vanilla cake, I also have this recipe on the blog: https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/2014/07/01/vanilla-almond-flour-cake-with-berries-and-whipped-cream/ that uses almond flour.
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Hi,
This cake looks absolutely delicious!! I’m planning on making it this weekend :)
However, couldn’t a tin of coconut cream be used rather than solidifying coconut milk in the fridge??
Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Melody! I haven’t tried making it with a can of coconut cream but it might work. You would still need to refrigerate it so that it solidifies though. I hope you like it!
This cake was delicious and so easy to make. I served it with an icing made of whipping cream, sugar and cacao powder, whipped until stiff, and I filled the middle of the cake with sliced strawberries and decorated the top with more and it was a big hit. I had a cup of quinoa left over and so I halved the recipe and made a pan of ‘brownies’ for my picky son and he loved them too.
That sounds wonderful! :)
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Just wanted to give a shout-out to you, Sarah, and your blog and all the work you do responding to comments on this cake. The writers of Quinoa 365, to whom you give credit, should be thankful (rather than being negative). You have shared this recipe far and wide!
Thank you, Diana. I really appreciate that! :)
hi,
I am making this for my daughters 3 rd bday coming up. I can replace the chocolate for white chocolate in the icing recipe with no problem right?! :) i hope it works out good.. What do you think about pipping the icing on would turn out like?
Hi Anika, I think white chocolate would work just fine. If the icing turns out like it’s supposed to then you should be able to pipe it. I would recommend refrigerating it in the bag for an hour or so before hand so it’s nice and firm. Worst case scenario, if it doesn’t work, you can just slap on there instead. :)
I hope your daughter has a wonderful birthday!!
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About the frosting, I didn’t have coconut milk last night and I’m amazing the cupcakes for today. Do you think it’s ok to put the coconut milk can in the freezer for a few hours to speed up hardening?
Thanks!
I’ve tried to do that and it usually just freezes the whole thing rather than separating the cream. You could probably do it for like 20 minutes and then put it in a cold spot in the fridge. Or another option would be to put it in the sink or a large pot filled with ice. That might help get it cold enough without freezing it.
These are fantastic! I love that you have reduced the sugar (compared to the original recipe) yet they still taste deliciously sweet! I made these into cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party this morning. One recipe made 12 regular sized cupcakes and 8 mini cupcakes. Baked the regular sized ones for 23 minutes and the mini ones for 20 minutes. I added peanut butter frosting from The Realistic Nutritionist…and they taste like a Reeses!
Thanks for sharing this recipe :)
Mmm, peanut butter icing sounds like a scrumptious addition! I just made the cake again over the weekend too but with a healthy German chocolate icing instead. It was delicious! I’ll be posting that one soon! :)
THANK YOU! I made this cake for my son’s first birthday today! it was a hit!!! i was so happy to find it last night! He has FPIES allergies to soy, milk, and all grains except quinoa …. so this cake was perfect!!!!! He smashed it up and ate away! I made him a small one and a big one for guests… and every single kid loved it!!! and the parents did too :) Thanks!
I’m so happy to hear everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know. :)
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i felt silly. i misread the recipe and soaked more than needed amount of dry quinoa. do you know if i can store the remaining (uncooked) soaked quinoa for something else? does it have to be cooked right away? thanks!!! love your website by the way xx
Hmmm…I’ve never saved soaked quinoa but I know that if you soak it and rinse it and then soak it again, it eventually sprouts which is supposed to make it even better for you.
But I think if you rinse it and then let it dry completely, then you should be able to store it for later.
And thank you so much for the sweet comment!! :)
I needed to double the recipe in order to make it a thick enough cake. It still was only one inch high made in a 9 x 13 pan after it cooled.
I made this recipe into a birthday cake for my son who can’t have gluten or dairy. It’s an excellent recipe, however, my cuisinart was not enough to get the quinoa blended. I made two cakes, and the first I followed the directions to the letter, and then second, I blended the quinoa and fat first. Neither one was completely smooth. I will be making this again when I have replaced my broken blender.
Do you think this recipe would work well as cupcakes instead of the cake??
Absolutely! I’ve made it as cupcakes and it works great. Check them at about 25 minutes and they should be done. Enjoy!
Awesome! Thanks! I’ll have to try them then :)
Thanks for this recipe! It was so I awesome that I chose not to make the frosting; it was already so good. . .
You’re welcome, Sara! I’m so happy you enjoyed it. :)
The cake was amazing! My icing however was WAY darker than the photo, and it was a pudding consitency, just slid right off the cake in pools on the sides… I must’ve done something wrong because the picture looks delicious and mine literally tasted like chocolate pudding..
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Unbelievably light and fluffy!
It’s hard to believe it’s made from quinoa, right?! :)
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Thank you! I made this cake for a dinner party last night and it was a delish! I am celiac so this will be a staple in our family for a long time. It’s also a nice way to sneak quinoa to my kids ;)
I’m so happy to hear it worked out well for you, Kristy! And yes, it’s a great way to sneak some nutrition into little ones! :)
I ADORE this cake!! I use honey instead of sugar. It is amazing!!!
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If i wanted to make this Vegan, could i substitute the eggs for something?
Cheers
Hi Charlotte! I’ve had two readers say that flax eggs works (1T flax + 3T water) and also Ener-G egg replacer but it didn’t work for me when I tried it with a different egg replacer. If you end up trying it please let us know!
I tried this today using gelatin instead of eggs (my daughter is allergic). The texture was all wrong, I think I used too much gelatin. How much gelatin should I use? Should I try applesauce instead? I’m really hoping to figure this out soon for her birthday next week – flavor was delicious! Thanks for any help.
Hi Liz, I had a reader who said it worked with gelatin and I just emailed her to find out how much she used. I will let you know as soon as she replies!
Thanks so much! I may try a half batch with applesauce in cupcake form so I can stack them into a mini cake for her.
I’m sorry, Liz. I still haven’t heard back from her yet but I found this in the comments: Dissolve 1 packet of gelatin into 1 cup of boiling water. The ratio of gelatin to egg is 3 1/2 tablespoons to replace 1 egg. You want to use it while its liquid, because it gels up real fast.
On other sites, it says 1 tablespoon gelatin replaces one egg so I’m not sure why she uses so much but she claimed to have good results.
I hope you’re able to figure something out!
Hey Liz,
Sorry I took so long to respond, I didn’t get Sarah’s email til just now. :( I can’t use eggs in any baking, so I mainly use gelatin to replace the eggs. It took some trial and error to figure out just the right ratio, but practice makes perfect. I had to try different amounts of water and gelatin for different recipes.Here’s how to do it: I use regular gelatin packets and use a whole packet per mixture. Mix 1/2 cup of boiling water with the packet of gelatin and mix it until all the gelatin is dissolved. You can use 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture per egg. It seems like a lot of liquid per egg, but it turns out great every time! :) I hope this helps you out, and I apologize again for responding so late!
I made this once before and though it didn’t hold together well, it was divine! I still had the quinoa texture so my first question is 1) do you have any tips for it holding together better? 2) if my quinoa is already bought pre-rinsed, do I still need to soak it and rinse as you recommend?
Thanks,
Jenn
Hi Jenn! I’ve found that the type of blender makes a huge difference in how well the quinoa breaks down and binds together. If you have access to a high speed blender (like a Vitamix) that will do the trick. Also, using smaller cake pans (like 6 or 8-inch) yields a thicker cake that holds together better. I hope that helps!
Hi. Is there an alternative for the coconut milk in the frosting? We have a nut and coconut allergy in our home. This recipe looks amazing.
The frosting is basically a non-dairy ganache (chocolate + cream). You can use any milk you like to make ganache – almond, cow, soy – you might just have to play with the proportions to get the right texture, but as long as you add the milk a little bit at a time, you really can’t go wrong!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe! I made the cake twice with different modifications and thought I’d report back since other people might be curious about what happens with these mods too.
Attempt #1 – I used 4 Tbs flax instead of eggs + maple syrup instead of sugar. It made the final texture of this cake kind of gummy; it also needed to cook longer.
Attempt #2 used the eggs, but still swapped the sugar for maple syrup. It came out incredibly moist and chocolaty and dense (not as dense as a brownie, just as dense as a really good dense cake). It held up well in the fridge over night (in my experience, even covered, cake dries out with refrigeration) and got rave reviews.
Also, both times, I used butter instead of coconut oil (didn’t want the strong coconut flavor) and red (brown?) quinoa instead of the more common light color because that was cheaper and we couldn’t taste it in the finished product. Given how moist it was, I think it’d be hard to make the maple syrup version into a layer cake. I also think it be very very hard to have just a 16th of this cake (as suggested to get to the 14 grams of sugar per serving) ;-) But, hey, it’s dessert and sugar is what we expect, nay, demand in baking :-)
Thanks for the awesome feedback, Liz!
I wonder if I could use an avocado instead of the “butter” and eggs. Hmmm……I can’t wait to give this cake a try. Thanks for sharing!
It might work to replace the butter but I’m not so sure about the eggs. Let me know if you give you it a try!
Amazing so delicious it was so light and moist! I drizzled peanut butter over it for my boyfriend and he loved it! I’m curious though I would like to use cooked quinoa to make a carrot cake.. Any suggestions as to how to go about that?
It’s funny you say that because I just tried making a quinoa carrot cake recently but unfortunately it didn’t turn out. I tried replacing the cocoa powder with coconut flour and almond meal. An all-purpose gluten-free flour might work but I don’t usually purchase that since it’s not as nutritious.
I tried to sub 2 bananas for 1 cup of the sugar, it was awful
Lol- yes, I’ve tried that as well and it wasn’t good. It’s hard to deviate too much from the original recipe and still have good results.
I have made this several times and love it! Want to try it without Cocoa and do a vanilla version… Has anyone tried or thoughts on how eliminating a cup of cocoa will effect the batter?
Hi Vivian, I have tried making a vanilla version on several separate occasions without success. I’ve tried coconut flour and almond flour. If you’re not allergic to gluten, all-purpose flour may work in place of the cocoa powder. But simply eliminating the cocoa would not work.
Success! I used Pamela’s gluten free baking mix in place of cocoa, halved the baking powder and soda and it came out perfect! I found a recipe for dairy free Boston cream and put that inbetween the two cakes and frosted with your chocolate frosting recipe… Tonight is my best friend’s birthday where the cake will debut!
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I would like to try this recipe but would prefer using all coconut oil as it compliments chocolate so well. I don’t like to use Earth Balance. Was there a specific reason you chose two different sources of fat?
I did it mainly because I like both flavors together but I’ve had other readers comment that using just coconut oil worked fine.
This cake is so fantastic! I have made it twice now for company and everyone loves it and can’t guess that it isn’t a real flour cake. I wonder if it can be made into a vanilla cake or lemon cake. I was going to attempt experimenting with it today. And perhaps for the icing using vanilla chips with the coconut cream. When I make the chocolate one I put fresh raspberries on top, so delicious!
I just wanted to let you know that this is now a “go to” recipe in my house when I make cake. Everyone LOVES it. Kids love it because it’s cake and the adults love it because it’s DELISH without being overly sweet.
Thanks Richelle! It’s my go-to chocolate cake recipe too. I’m so happy everybody loves it!
I made this last weekend for my daughter’s birthday because she had a friend come that has a wheat allergy. I was simply blown away by how delicious this cake was! The only thing I did differently in the cake was use a blend of Hershey’s special dark and regular cocoa powder (because that’s all I had) and frosted it with vanilla whipped cream. It tasted like an Oreo! My daughter, who usually hates cake, had 2 pieces! The adults raved about it. This one has been added to my recipe box. Thank you!
That’s great, Sam! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it. And I love the sound of that whipped cream topping, yum!
This cake is soo delicious!! i just baked it and added 1/2 cup of honey instead of sugar and that is sweet enough. I can barely wait for it to be cool enough to add the frosting! OMG
I just made this (currently typing with a mouth full of decadent deliciousness!!) and I am SO in love! I dont normally have success with baking gluten free things but this was so quick and simple, and totally not sinful to eat for breakfast, right?? I also added a tablespoon of cinnamon and a heaping teaspoon of cayenne powder to give it a little kick, and its fabulous! I also used all coconut sugar and it worked very well!
SO GOOD :)
Thank you for the comment, Catarina! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy it. And yes, I agree, it’s totally fine to eat for breakfast! ;)
I made this tonight, and it turned out DELICIOUS. I substituted a few things (eggs) to make it vegan, and was a bit worried since 4 eggs is a lot to substitute, but it ended up ok! (I used bananas)
Awesome recipe, I will definitely use it again!
I’m so glad it turned out for you, Aysha! I’ve tried a vegan version without success but I also tried to use maple syrup instead of sugar which didn’t work so well.
But I’m happy it worked for you! Thanks for the comment!
I’m a pastry chef. I’ve made this cake many times now. I once forgot to blend the quinoa and it was like tapioca in it (texture). Anyone who has eaten it says it’s the best chocolate cake they’ve ever eaten. My husband will let me make no other recipe. Just this one. I do use coconut sugar (cup for cup substitution) and all organic ingredients and it is wonderful. I’ve made it as cupcakes, 1/2 sheet cake, 9×13, 2 – 8″ rounds and 2 – 9″ rounds. It doubles or 1 1/2’s well. I’ve filled it with ganache and fresh raspberries, topped with ganache, letting it run down the sides and whipped cream with mashed fresh raspberries folded into the cream. It is rich, moist, very chocolatey and dense. I use conventional chocolate buttercream when I just want a decorated frosting look and then sprinkle real gold flakes on top. I up the vanilla a bit and sometimes use almond extract in addition. Some tips: Rinse quinoa well before cooking to avoid strong quinoa flavor. A pinch of cinnamon will up and smooth the chocolate flavor even though it doesn’t need enhancing – just a pinch! Make ahead and freeze unfrosted cakes that have been wrapped well if you use whipping cream to frost and the cream will hold up longer when taken to a picnic/party. Use a sifted tablespoon of powdered sugar in addition to other sweetener to help stabilize the whipped cream if you frost with that. I never bring any home when I take this cake anywhere. Because of the richness, 1/2 the usual size slices are plenty, especially if served with ice cream or extra dollop of whipped cream. It’s one you will definitely want to make over and over!
Can you use a bundt pan for this?
I think that would work okay but you would have to make sure it’s greased really well and then maybe refrigerate it for a few hours before removing to make sure it holds together properly.
This is the most delicious chocolate cake ever. Thank you!
I’m glad you think so too! :)
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Just made this cake and ate it too. It is a favorite after first try! Even replaced eggs with flax seed replacement and it turned out great. :) It will be a for sure go to recipe!!
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that, Adrienne. Thank you!
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Has anyone ever tried a non-chocolate version of this? I love the textrue of it and have made it a dozen times with rave reviews, but the family is askking for something non-chocolatey…can I just skip the cocoa powder?
Skipping the cocoa powder altogether would result in a mushy texture. It absorbs a ton of moisture. I’ve tried making it with coconut flour and almond flour but it didn’t turn out well. I had success with a different gluten-free cake made from just almond flour. Here’s the link if you’re interested: https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/2014/07/01/vanilla-almond-flour-cake-with-berries-and-whipped-cream/
WOW!! Amazing, clever recipe!!
Could I also make it with millet?
Thank you!! :D
I’m not sure because I haven’t tried! If you do please let me know how it turns out!
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I make this cake every week because both my husband and I love it so much. I have tried it with cooked brown rice when I didn’t have quinoa and no one could tell the difference. I also often use xylitol (cup for cup) instead of sugar – again, no one can tell the difference, and it doesn’t spike your blood sugar levels. I often use flax eggs when I’m out of eggs and it tastes just the same. I take this to potlucks and work events and everyone always loves it. Thanks for sharing!
I still haven’t been able to make a non-chocolate version that I liked as much although I’ve tried with limited success adapting the recipe to make a lemon poppy seed or banana nut version. Please share if you have another flavor version that works!
Thanks for the tips, Helen! It’s interesting to know that it works with brown rice. And yes, I have tried a non-chocolate version several times without success as well. I had a to take a break from it for a while, lol! But I’ll be sure to share if I ever land a winner! :)
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so when the recipe calls for 2 cups Quinoa cooked does that mean cook 2 cups and end up with 4 cups, or cook 1 cup and end up with 2 cups
It means you should end up with 2 cups of cooked quinoa. I hope that helps! :)
I love love love this cake and have made it a million times. I have a friend who is vegan and am wondering if anyone has tried any egg replacements with this cake?
Thanks!
Most of the time when I use flax “eggs”, I notice it doesn’t rise as well, or it rises and then falls flat. However, my husband prefers the texture with flax (it doesn’t stick to the paper cupcake liners as much) I have been experimenting with some success by using 1 flax “egg” to 3 regular eggs.
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Hi
Just made this today. I substituted the 4 eggs for 4 chia eggs (1 T chia to 3 T water per egg, left to sit until it absorbed the water). Also, I have a hate on for parchment in most cases because it often ruins the appearance of some of these less traditional recipes because everything sticks to it like sh!t to a shirt tail. I lightly oiled the 9×13 pan and sprinkled it with cocoa powder, enough to really cover the oil. It worked very well, except I am treating these more like a brownie than a cake (cutting into squares, from the tray as we want them). I left them to cool completely, iced them, and they have all come out of the pan really well. Hope my experience helps other people who are trying it. It’s a worthy recipe with the chia egg substitute! I’m sure the original is fine, too.
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I just made ths and put the cake in for 40min. Is this supposed to pass the knife test and come out clean? I decided to just cool it so the butter and cocunut oil harden back up.
Thoughts?
Krista
Yes, a knife should come out clean. It’s possible the cooking time in your oven may vary. Hopefully allowing it cool helped?
Made this last night. Didn’t read the whole recipe first, so I wound up not being able to fully blend the quinoa. It was still fantastic. As in, I eat wheat, and this is just a solid cake recipe. I added a chocolate cheesecake frosting for extra sinfulness, but you’re right, it is fine without adornment. I can’t wait to make a few other substitutions and play with the basic format. Thank you!
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OMG – this stuff is AWESOME!
Haha! Thanks! :)
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I made it without sugar. Xyletol and stevia! also used some coconut sugar which metabolizes better than cane sugar. It can be done!
Good to know! Thanks for the comment, Sage!
This cake is delicious! I swapped the sugar for 1 c. of date puree, and for the frosting I used 3. T butter, 6 T. Hersheys cocoa powder, and 1 1/2 T. maple syrup mixed with the coconut cream and it was heavenly!
Very rich chocolate flavor, thank you so much for this recipe! A keeper for sure!
Has anyone tried substituting eggs
Hi Holly! I’ve had a few readers report back that flax eggs work. I personally have not had good results with them but this is definitely a recipe I would like to revisit because I recently gave up eating eggs and would love to make a version without! :)
This recipe is amazing! Everybody loves it and couldn’t believe it had quinoa in it! Thank you! I am going to use this recipe the rest of my life. :)
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks Sally!
This cake is FABULOUS!! The flavor is great, the texture is soft and spongy, and the cake is not dry and crumbly at all, unlike most gluten-free cakes. My daughter is allergic to wheat, rice, oats, peanuts, tree nuts, and dairy. Baking without any of those thing is ridiculous! This is by far the BEST dessert I’ve been able to make for her. She was 3 when she was diagnosed with all of her allergies. Her birthday is coming up in a couple weeks, and thanks to your awesome recipe, she will be having birthday cake for the first time in 5 years!
Aw I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear your daughter is having her first birthday cake, finally! You are such a good mom to research something you can make for her. Thank you so much for the comment, Bee!
This cake is amazing my husband thinks it’s the best chocolate cake ever can’t believe it’s quinoa. And the icing is to die for. If you like dark chocolate you will love this cake. Next time will try blending the quinoa and milk first as mine takes way longer to get smooth.
This cake is delicious!!! Everyone loves it, whether they have special dietary restriction or not. Since finding this recipe, I have found that I shouldn’t eat chicken eggs or sunflower, so I’ve been working on substitutes. Substituting 3 duck eggs makes it too heavy in taste. Quail eggs work, but it takes approximately 21. I want to try with 2 duck eggs, but my next trial will be with flax “eggs.” Please don’t ever take this recipe down. I have shared this page every time I make the cake.
I’m so glad this recipe is a favorite of yours, Sheila! I promise not to take it down. :)
Hopefully one day I will figure out an eggless version for you!
All I have to say is – wow! This cake was wonderful, not too sweet, awesome chocolate flavor (I made with cacao instead of cocoa). The frosting was insane and I could have basically eaten a whole bowl of that too! Mine actually turned out a bit dense, not crumbly at all – but that just made it easier to layer and frost (although I am curious why it did that – I followed the recipe exactly)
Delicious, and my 4 yr old loved it for his birthday along with everyone else there too – and I felt good he got a healthy dose of protein along with a yummy treat!
I tried doing an aquafaba egg substitute. didn’t work. cake was very thin in 9×13 pan (like 1/4″). not cooked through despite baking 45 minutes. i will try with a flax egg.
Did you ever try with the flax egg?
Can this cake be made with Truvia or Splenda instead of sugar? And can I use stevia chips instead of regular chocolate chips?
Hi Catherine! I’m sorry that I haven’t experimented with Truvia or Splenda because I am averse to the taste. I wouldn’t be able to offer advice on this but you might be able to read through the comments and find someone that has tried it!
Best cholate I’ve ever tried. Mmmmm
I’ve made this incredible cake several times now (thanks by the way!). This time though, my son has requested cupcakes. Wondering how the cooking time be differ t and if there is anything else that’s different when making a cake.
Also, can coconut cream be used instead of full fat milk? I can only find cream or low fat coconut milk. Frustrating ! Thanks in advance.
Hi Meera! Usually cupcakes don’t take quite as long. I would check them around 25 minutes. And yes, coconut cream will definitely work!
Thanks! I baked mini cupcakes for 20 mins and the regular sized cupcakes at 25mins (as per your suggestion) and they all came out perfect!
Another question I had was about the consistency of the frosting. But before I do, can I just say wow, I mean WOW!! That frosting is just so ridiculously delicious!
Ok, so the question is how to make the consistency so that I can frost cupcakes using a piping bag. I found the frosting to be either too thick or if I let it sit out in a warm place, would get too ganache like. What could I be doing wrong? Thanks!
I’m glad to hear they came out well, Meera! The frosting is finicky because both coconut milk and chocolate are sensitive to temperature. You could try adding more coconut milk to thin it out some and then just keep it chilled when you go to pipe it on. Hopefully that helps!
Hello!
I am gonna make this on Tuesday cause it is my hubby’s bd. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Just one question though,
can I make this with maple syrup instead of sugar?
Thanks!
Hi Sofia! Using maple syrup will make the cake more dense. If you were making it just because I would say it’s worth a try but since it’s for your husband’s birthday, I recommend sticking with granulated sugar for best results.
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This has become my go-to recipe for chocolate cake. Even though we eat gluten, this is hands down the best chocolate cake I have ever made. So moist and rich – and my kids love it (both have made it for school potlucks and for their friends birthdays). Only recommendation I would make is to move the frosting instructions to before the cake instructions for distracted people like me who never read the whole recipe before I start since the frosting can be doing its few hour chill while you make the cake part.
This is the best cake ever, I made it for my work and they loved. It is a great go to and I love licking the bowl. Instead of the coconut whip cream I use the store bought one because I can’t seem to find the full fat coconut milk where do you buy yours?
So very tasty, most, delicious! Made for my sister who is gluten intolerant, and made a flour based cake for everyone else. Everyone loved THIS cake! I used Hershey’s Special Dark powder and a little more sugar. I didn’t have time to refrigerate the coconut so I made a Carmel drizzle. Thank you so much for this lovely and easy recipe!
Hi,
How to substitute the cooked quinoa in the recipe with dry quinoa flour? Does it affect the consistency of the cake?
I make this afew times a year because my husband is GF. Everyone loves this cake!
I’ve made this cake dozens of times and it’s always a stunner. Thanks! My gluten-free friends are thrilled. I shared a link to your site on a forum on Adriene Mishler’s Find What Feels Good Members site. I think the crowd over there will love you too!
Aw thank you so much! :)
Could this be made into a multi-layered cake? Like four or five cakes high?
It probably could but it is definitely more tender than cakes using flour. If you are wanting it to look like a professional layered cake then I’m not sure this is the best recipe for that.
Can you chill cocnunt milk and choc chips melted in the fridge overnight and then make frosting in the am while the cake relaxes so it doesn’t dry out in the fridge?
If I’m understanding you correctly then yes that should be fine!
Do you think this recipe would freeze well? Minus the icing?
I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure. I would worry that it might not hold together very well. If you wanted to cook it in a muffin tin it might them hold together better!
After I cooked this, I found the butter and oil in the microwave. Result was not pretty but tastes delicious. I have now renamed it super healthy fat free chocolate pudding
For some reason my coconut cream won’t thicken when I beat it…is there anything I could add to save it?
This cake is so delicious! My friend made it for me as a sweet gift and we LOVED it. I’m attempting it myself this weekend. For the icing, could I use a can of coconut cream instead of full-fat coconut milk?
Hi!! I want to make this for my birthday in 2 weeks but i have a few key questions:
1 – can i sub out the sugar for a stevia/erythritol blend (brand name Dr Coy or Sweet Like Sugar)? Would it be 1 – to 1 (if anyone knows) ? Or would honey be a better swap?
2 – in ireland i can’t easily and affordably find chocolate chips without sugar – i DO have an unsweet 100% cocoa chocolate baking bar… can i use that and will i need to add anything to it?
3 – has anyone tried this with nuts like pecans sprinkled in or on top?
4 – do you use the WHOLE can of coconut cream or just the thick creamy part (toss out the liquid)?
THANK YOU!!
Hello! To answer your questions:
1. I don’t have experience with stevia but there are several comments from readers who have tried it. You can do a search for stevia on this page by hitting ctrl + F.
2. Yes you can use the chocolate bar and it will work the same. The icing will just be bitter if it is 100% cocoa so you may need to add a touch of sweetener.
3. I haven’t but I think it would be good so long as you enjoy nuts! :)
4. You only use the thick creamy part and discard the liquid. You can save the liquid for smoothies if you prefer.
Thank you so much for replying!!
Can I use ALL butter instead of coconut oil/earth balance? if so, how much?
Yes! You would need 3/4 cup melted butter.
Thank you so much for replying!!
Can I use ALL butter instead of coconut oil/earth balance? if so, how much?
This is hands down my favorite chocolate cake ever. Every time I’ve made it, everyone loves it and no one can believe there’s quinoa and almond milk in it. Thank you for sharing!
I made this into cupcakes last night – wow! I couldn’t believe how great the texture was. They sunk a little in the middle so I’ll have to figure that out, also I think next time I will add slightly less cocoa as I actually found it a tad bit too chocolate-y! (There’s a phrase I never thought I’d say.) But overall a great recipe and one I am sure I will go back to again and again.
I have made this several times. I like to use coconut sugar or honey. When I cook with honey I always use 1/2 the amount of sugar called for and it’s plenty sweet and not too honey tasting. To make a German Chocolate cake, or a less chocolatey cake, I use only 1/2 cup cocoa then 1/4 cup almond flour and 1/4 cup coconut flour. It works really well.
I made this into cupcakes last week but made a cream cheese frosting (goat cheese) and took them to work as a treat. First of all a fight almost broke out over the last cupcake and secondly no one could believe quinoa could be so yummy. I’m gluten and lactose sensitive so this recipe is perfect. Will add this to my baking repertoire. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. ❤️
My Oh My!! I finally found the chocolate cake of my dreams! I have been searching, in vain, for a chocolate cake as good as the one my Nana ( who was the designated baker) used to bake for our family. It was dark, moist and the best cake I had ever tasted… until I made your Quinoa cake this week and have to say that it honestly surpassed my Nana’s!
This is THE ONE! Don’t even let me get started on the frosting; it can best be described as “food of the angels!”
This recipe will be made many, many more times and will be passed down to the future family bakers .
Sarah, you have added one more dedicated and grateful follower !
I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
Thank you!
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I made this twice now and it is tastes very good. Even the not gluten free people wanted to devour it. I was wondering why my cake is more dense, though. More like brownie texture. What am I doing wrong?
This is not a cake, sorry. I used a 9 by 13’’ cake pan and the recipe made WONDERFUL brownies. I fed it to my dad and he said he likes them better than regular brownies. So, don’t make this expecting it to be light and fluffy. It’s pretty dense. Good recipe, though.
I’ve made this several times now, I always wait till someone has sampled it before letting them in on the secret. Not only is this a way healthier variant but it’s the best darn chocolate cake anyone has ever had!
Love hearing that! Thanks for the review, Erik!
MY HUSBAND WILL NOT LET ME MAKE ANY OTHER CHOCOLATE CAKE. I’VE USED GERMAN CHOCOLATE FROSTING, WHICH MAKES IT TASTE LIKE A CANDY BAR. I ALWAYS USE COCONUT SUGAR.
I ALSO MAKE A CARDAMOM ROSE ONE WITH OMISSION OF COCOA (FOR THOSE WHO DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE) AND ADD A SCANT CUP OF COCONUT FLOUR (ACTS LIKE COCOA, SOAKING UP LIQUID) AS COCOA REPLACEMENT. ONE TEASPOON CARDAMOM AND A TABLESPOON OF CRUSHED, DRIED ROSE PETALS. A TABLESPOON OF ROSE WATER IN ADDITION TO VANILLA. I’VE ALSO USED ALMOND FLOUR IN PLACE OF COCOA WITH GOOD RESULTS.
I HAVE ALSO MADE IT WITH ALMOND EXTRACT AS A VANILLA SUBSTITUTE WITH BOTH COCOA OR PLAIN RECIPE . DELICIOUS.
I DOUBLE THE RECIPE FOR A 3 LAYER CAKE BECAUSE IT IS NOT A THICK CAKE. BUT IT IS SO RICH THAT THIN SLICES ARE RECOMMENDED FOR TRIPLE LAYER. BAKES A BIT LONGER.
YOU COULD ALSO TRY HAZELNUT FLOUR OR PECAN MEAL AS A COCOA REPLACEMENT FOR THOSE WHO DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE. EXPERIMENT AND HAVE FUN BAKING!
I HAVE MADE AND SHARED THIS RECIPE SO OFTEN, ALWAYS WITH RAVE REVIEWS WHEN I SERVE IT. IT IS NICE WITH UNSWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM AND A DUSTING OF POWDERED SUGAR IN LIEU OF FROSTING. FOR THAT, I SERVE JUST ONE LAYER.
This has become a family favorite. I have one grandfather that is a celiac and my other grandfather is diabetic. This works for both of them. I have made this cake as the recipe directs. I have also successfully made it into cupcakes for my sons birthday and a sheet cake for a family pot luck to make it go further. No one suspects it’s made without flour.
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AMAZING! This is really working quite Easy and Simple recipe and the results are unbelievable. I had made this cake for my brother on his birthday. He enjoyed.
Thanks!
This cake was very bitter and not sweet at all. It barely fit in 9×9 pan. I don’t see how it could fill a 9×13 pan or 2 8-9 round pans. Very disappointing.
Hard to imagine. Did you forget the sugar? I use 100% cocoa in mine, have made it over and over for years and it is always good. It is not a tall cake like a mix but what I find is I double the recipe and use 3 – 8″ pans, I get a nice size. Don’t give up on this one. I also use coconut sugar in mine.
My favorite cake! Been baking this for years. Love it! Thanks for sharing!
I made this recipe. I did not like the cake, I think I tasted the quinoa. I used dark chocolate chips in the icing and it was too bitter.
Made this cake with modifications because of my food sensitivities and it was amazing! Definitely suggest trying it. I will definitely be making it again for a party!
When I saw this recipe, it sounded intriguing. I love chocolate, but I am a diabetic so I am always looking for delicious, healthy recipes that I can modify. I used Monkfruit zero calorie sweetener instead of sugar, and I used Lilly’s dark chocolate chips sweetened with Stevia instead of regular chocolate chips. I think it turned out pretty good. I don’t know what it would have tasted like following the full sugar recipe, but I think my Diabetic friendly version tasted pretty yummy.
Has anyone doubled the recipe? Just wondering what the cook time may be if so. Thanks!
I’ve doubled it a few times and bake it in two baking pans at the same tome. But I haven’t quite kept track of the baking time. Although for me, even if it’s just one batch it takes longer for he knife to come out dry. So more time for the double batch as well. But I just keep checking after half an hour. Good luck and enjoy!
I LOVE this recipe. It has become my favourite chocolate cake ever. It is the one I bake for my birthday and my family’s bday’s. Kids have no clue they are eating healthy quinoa and LOVE it too! I used another frosting that I created, or sometimes make them as mini muffins and add the Lindt dark chocolate with caramel. I’ve passed this link to so many people by now! Thank you!!
Thank you!
Loovee this recipe! The cake was super moist and decadent!
I made this cake myself and I am not much of a baker! I followed it exactly as written. I have eaten it twice before and braved it for my son’s birthday. He is gluten intolerant. It was a huge hit with everyone. And we had quite a few sceptical people! I would totally recommend it. Simply delicious
Best chocolate cake e-v-e-r
Sooooo glad my wife found this recipe.
Slight modification: We reduce the sugar down to 1/2 cup for us, or 3/4 cup if we’re making it for others. And we add a handful of dark chocolate chips to the batter. I think we’ve made the frosting once (It’s really good) but we instead opt for either dusting it with powdered sugar or serving with vanilla ice cream. LOVE it!
I was super excited to make this cake but I modified it a bit and it turned out COMPLETELY different. I used aquafaba for the egg and it turned out like a lava cake. It wasn’t what I was hoping for but it was SUPER amazing. I am not sure if that was a complete fluke or if it would happen again if I did the same thing but if I am ever looking for a vegan, gluten free version of a lava cake, I will use this recipe and use the aquafaba. I had friends raving about it and asking for the recipe. Thank you.
Oh that sounds wonderful! I’ll have to try it. Thanks!
I’ve been making this recipe for years as my go-to healthy dessert and everyone loves it and never can believe how healthy it is. I always change it up with the oils, milks and sugar based on what I have and it always turns out great. Just tried making it as cupcakes for the first time and they turned out great! Baked at 350 for 14-15 minutes.
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Without one ounce of hyperbole I can say this is one of the most important recipes in my life. I made this for my husband years ago, back when he was just my boyfriend. It is his favorite cake and I make it every year for his birthday. Through marriage, and babies it has remained his favorite cake. He will eagerly ask for it when ever it’s a special occasion. My son who is now 6 made the cake almost entirely by himself this year for my husband’s birthday. Watching him bake this and be so proud made my heart hurt with joy.
This year when we came to bake it, the link we had bookmarked said “ERROR 404 – NOT FOUND
We’re very sorry, but that page doesn’t exist or has been moved.” I panicked, did I have this recipe printed? I had made it so many times could I make it from memory? I was happy to find it had only moved. But it made me realize that I’d never left a review, and never said thank, or let other’s know how amazing this recipe is.
This recipe is amazing. I’ve personalized it a bit. I don’t soak my quinoa. I add a little less sugar. I add raspberry jam in the middle layer, and cover the outside of the cake in fresh raspberries. But it’s wonderful. Dense and moist, the frosting is think and has an almost tempered quality. It tastes expensive, and luxurious, it is truly a show stopper.
Thank you so much for this recipe. We have had many wonderful memories while making and eating it. I’ve made sure I have it printed, so I can pass it down. But I will not take it for granted one more year, and will say thank you!
Wife found this recipe a few years back for a special needs food party… That menu was a challenge! This cake was a life saver as part of the desserts. We use a ninja blender, and it runs 5-10 minutes on high for the texture. I have not done a ton of substitutes yet, but was recently tried with applesauce, instead of butter. Soft, but wonderful. I am enjoying the comments for the substitutions. We found the recipe on allrecipes. I don’t remember the notes for who the author was, but whoever, its amazing! As the title says. Now my wife wants to try it with just quinoa flour. This means skipping the cooking part, etc. I notice in some notes that people toast the flour some to remove bitterness. Then I wonder; is there a way to figure out how much quinoa flour to use, compared to cooked quinoa… Or will it even be the same at all. I will have to experiment today… since we are not vegetarian, or vegan, we have usually done the recipe as originally presented. But on occasion, we have people ask questions about the recipe. My search for info on flour, lead me here… Can’t say I will find the answer I’m looking for except thru trial and error… Glad this recipe is a game changer for so many! We even made my dads carrot cake subbing the flour with the quinoa and by changing up how we combined the ingredients, it was fantastic! Thanks for yours, and many others input on this wonderful recipe.
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Made this many times, and I use flax eggs to make it vegan. Perfect every time
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Has anyone tried making them into cupcakes?
Yes. works well, but cut back baking time.
yes. follow the recipe, and shorten your bake time. probably best to use a liner, but not required. what ever your best non stick pan(s) is what I like to use. Usually just made the cake, but it makes a soft cupcake. Either way, I’m sure it will be devoured :) I found I would usually bake a little longer than the original recipe we found called for, as well as I always blended a long time (i.e. 3-5 minutes min.) Since I would use butter, I would melt it and with as cool as temp as I could get, but still liquid, I would drizzle the butter in with the other ingredients while blending. I/we (late wife) loved this cake refrigerated with chocolate ganache on top. Flavored/spiked optional :)
Thanks, Russ!
This cake is Amazing!! I just made it tonight :) one thing I noticed is the cake was very crumbly and didn’t hold together as well as I’d hoped, and the quinoa didn’t really blend to where it was completely smooth, even though I blended like crazy you could still see the quinoa in there (maybe it’s supposed to be like this?). Did I do something wrong, I used a food processor but maybe I need to get a stronger one so that the quinoa blends better? The taste of the cake is amazing but I’m not getting the consistency right :(( help! Lol
Hey Alicia! It sounds like your food processor isn’t really doing a good enough job breaking down the quinoa…that’s why it’s crumbly and not holding together. I would invest in a blender and give it another go! :)
Thanks so much! I thought that might be the culprit – I’ll definitely be trying again, because the flavor of the cake is amazing! :) Thanks again!
I have had the best luck using a Ninja blender. The multiple blades seem to really work in blending the thicker mix. My sister has a Vitamix. I have not tried the recipe in one of these machines, but you see them in professional business, or Costco. I have mentioned drizzling the butter in, but make sure its not too warm as to cook the egg. I tend to find it a soft cake, but I love it best cooked in a bunt pan… Good luck and happy chocolate cake!
Thanks Russell! I have a Nutrabullet, I probably should’ve used this instead of my food processor. I’ve heard good things about the Ninja as well!
Yes, Nutribullet. I used my Cuisinart and did not break down quinoa. Nutribullet is the way to go. Your cake will be smooth and rich!
Your welcome! I did a batch in a regular blender and it was good, but not the same as my old ninja. I think it really has to be able to move the mix around thru the blades to make the quinoa into ‘flour’ to have that really smooth texture.
I’ve heard of the Nutribullet, have not used one. As a side note, When we first made this cake we lived at around a 4000 foot elevation. I don’t know if this has an effect or not, but I never made any adjustments for it. Assuming it would or would not need any, we just followed the recipe. The blending device seemed to be the key to the best texture!
I used a 9×13 pan but my cake didnt rise much… Its very thin is that normal? I double checked all ingredients and it looks like i got everything correct.
Yes that is normal! Using a smaller size cake pan will make for a thicker cake. :)
How have I not made this cake before?! I can’t believe it has so much quinoa in it! Will be making it the first chance I get my friend :)
Hi! I love this cake! Haven’t made it in a while and I see it’s updated. Is it 1/2 cup of butter?? The measurement is missing! Thanks!
Yes! Sorry about that. Fixing it now. :)
Wonderful cake! so tasty, even without the icing! I even tried it with avocado icing. OMG!
I tried the recipe and it turned out great! I’m happy I found the healthy alternative. Thank you for posting!
Greetings from Malta (:
Wow wow wow so delish and moist. Used Ghee, Coconut oil, homemade creamy almond milk and raw cacao powder, and cane sugar. AMAZING Thx for website
I made this precisely as printed for a gluten-free friend with sibo and other issues. She can’t stop raving about it and has asked for another. I used a ring pan, well ghee’d and cocoa’d; the finished cake turned out beautifully. Unable not to tinker, I might separate the eggs and whip the whites before folding them in only to make the lovely spongey texture a bit lighter. Otherwise and in every sense: Brava!!!
Do you need to adjust baking time for 8inch pans?
No it should be about the same!
This recipe…I have been using it for at least 5 years now (maybe even more!). My son asks for a Black Forest Cake every year for his birthday, and this is the cake recipe that I use.
I am constantly asked for it, we have a GF friend who is always SOOOO grateful to receive some cupcakes when I make this, it is SUCH a great recipe. Very tasty, excellent texture (though a little more dense then fluffy). and just the right richness.
Thank you so much for posting this and keeping it online, I highly recommend it (as well as other recipes that I have found on this site.
I love this cake, but now sadly I can’t have quinoa, and I can’t find anything else to match this recipe…is there anything I can use as a quinoa substitute that will still produce this fluffy moist wondercake?
I haven’t made it with anything other than quinoa so I can’t say for sure. But it seems like trying another grain might work (like rice?). You would have to be willing to experiment to see how it turns out.
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I have been making this cake for quite a few years now it is always our go to chocolate cake. I have frosted it with German chocolate coconut frosting with great results but today I made it with whipped and fold it in egg whites. I only had three whites after one of the yolks broke in the first separation, which was good, because the better I was going to fold. The egg whites into was pretty thick. It seems this is going to be my new go to in this recipe to keep it less dense. I also use coconut sugar instead of white sugar. I have made it with maple syrup and it turns out fine that way as well. Happy baking.
OOPS. I dictated the above comments and they came out wonky. I folded in three whipped egg whites which was good because the base with only one white was quite thick without all 4 egg whites. So I may whip only 2 next time. But what a fabulous recipe! I put ¼ teaspoon almond extract in whites before whipping.
I made this cake for a birthday party. I served it to a dozen people and everyone raved about it. This is the absolute perfect chocolate cake. I followed the recipe but did not have round cake pans so I used an oblong glass baking dish and baked it for about 40 minutes. It is amazing!!!
Hi so I made this cake today.. followed the recipe to the T, I made it in Nordic ware loaf pan.. baked for close to hour.. it did have a beautiful rise, and the toothpick tester came out clean, but 5 mins out of the oven and the cake collapsed.. on cooling and slicing it the inside/ middle is very soggy and looks undercooked.. what could have have caused this??
Did you cook the entire recipe in one loaf pan? It is intended to be made in two 8-inch round pans so it’s possible that the loaf pan is the issue.
Your problem is that a loaf pan is not the best choice for baking this cake. It is definitely rich, moist, and dense. For that reason, it must be baked in two 8 inch round pans. I have made it in three 6 inch pans with success too. But know, it is not like a Betty Crocker, springy, light cake. It is almost torte like. But any time I make and take it anywhere, I am always asked for the recipe.
I’ve been making this cake for more than 10 years now, at least to celebrate my birthday, and sometimes more often. It’s fantastic! I’ve taken it to work, and no one ever knows that it’s GF and sugar free (since I make it with monkfruit sweetener). Everyone loves it, hands down.
Here are a few tips I’ve learned from many years of making it:
1. Save time by blending all the wet ingredients in your Vitamix, then use a separate dry blender to mix all the dry ingredients. Make a hot mocha drink in the wet blender by adding hot water or coffee to make cleaning easier, and enjoy a rich and tasty mocha while saving yourself the hassle of trying to scrape out the delicious last bits! (Put your drink through both blenders and enjoy. Then add a touch of dishsoap and water to blend each briefly to do a final clean before a final rinse. Makes cleanup quick and easy and something to look forward to, if you make this in the morning.
2. Serve at room temperature. Makes ALL the difference. If you serve it cold, it won’t be even half as good.
3. If you make the quinoa right before the cake, then it’ll still be hot enough to melt your butter and coconut oil, so that saves you the step of melting it separately and then having to clean another pan. Just be sure to let it all cool before you add the eggs, otherwise you’ll get scrambled eggs!
4. I like to use stevia sweetened chocolate chips with coconut cream, so the frosting doesn’t spike my blood sugar at all.
LOVE, love, love this recipe and have recommended your blog to so many people. Thank you!!!
Insanely delicious!