Monday, March 24, 2014

The Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cake {Recipe}


This cake, y'all. I don't even know where to start. I guess I could start by saying that it's made with quinoa. No - don't go! I promise it's delicious. My family said they liked it better than non-gluten free chocolate cake. They are self-proclaimed "cake snobs," so that is saying something!


The quinoa is cooked and then pureed, so if you puree it enough it is undetectable. I didn't puree mine quite long enough, so there were still little tiny bits of quinoa, but it didn't bother me or my family. There is no quinoa flavor, just delicious chocolate flavor. I never would have guessed that quinoa could make such a delicious, gluten free cake.


This isn't the typical light and fluffy cake - it is super fudgy and rich. It is paired with a whipped ganache so as to not be sickeningly sweet. It's amazing. I didn't call it "ultimate" just for fun.

The Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
{Printer Version Here}
Source: Once Upon a Tier. Adapted from Barefeet In The Kitchen.
Yields 12-14 servings

Ingredients:
The Cake:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder  (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups cooked white quinoa
1/3 cup milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, melted 

The Ganache:
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:
For the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans generously with baking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Add the quinoa to a food processor and pulse until the quinoa is broken up and sticks together. Add the milk, eggs, vanilla, and butter and puree until smooth and no bits of quinoa are seen, stopping to scrape the sides of the processor occasionally. 
4. Add the quinoa mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until fully combined.
5. Pour the batter evenly into the cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before flipping them out onto cooling racks. Let cool completely before frosting. 

For the whipped ganache:
6. Place the chocolate chips in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Whisk the cream and chocolate until the chocolate is completely melted. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least an hour.
7. When the ganache is chilled, attach the whisk attachment to the stand mixer and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form. 

Assembling the cake:
8. Place one cake layer onto a cake plate. Spread half of the whipped ganache onto the layer. Place the other cake layer on top of the ganache. Spread the remaining ganache on top of the cake. Keep refigerated.

Enjoy!   
  

Rachel and my mom dug in as soon as I told them I was done taking pictures. The piece was gone in seconds.



It's seriously that good.

36 comments:

  1. This cake is totally fudgy deliciousness! Unbelievably good. Just might convert me to a gluten free diet. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is so interesting! I love to learn and see something new. Using cooked quinoa for cake is something I never heard of but I'm more than willing to taste this for you. : ) I'm a fan of quinoa and I can imagine you really can't taste it. It looks incredibly moist and whipped ganache always gets a thumbs-up from me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Monica! The quinoa really did make the cake super moist, I was surprised myself. I would offer you a piece, but...there's none left. :(
      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. Mmmmmmm...Jenn this looks delish! I've never heard of cake made with quinoa. The whipped ganache looks mouth-watering. Might have to attempt to make it someday. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Taylor! I really think you would like it, so I hope you do make it sometime!

      Delete
  4. I'll be honest...I almost dropped my cup of coffee when I saw that you used quinoa in this cake. It looks delicious, and if your "cake-snob" family gave it a thumbs-up, then I think I need to try it out! Nice work!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, David! You should definitely try this cake!! And I'm glad you didn't actually drop your coffee!

      Delete
  5. I can't believe you identified to whom those hands belonged, ratting out your own family. Shameful, just shameful. But, oh, I wish I had another piece right now! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ;) I sure wish I had another piece, too!

      Delete
  6. I would never have thought to use quinoa for a cake! Thank you for the idea. This cake looks absolutely decadent. I like the idea of using whipped ganache too instead of the usual buttercream. Lovely! Glad I found you and your recipe :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! I only recently discovered the wonders of whipped ganache and I am so glad I did because it is just perfect on this cake. Thanks for your lovely comment!

      Delete
  7. You're a bad girl. Here's me, hungry and thinking about dinner and then I see this cake and all dinner thoughts go out the window. Looks like it's cake for dinner!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I could say I'm sorry, but...I'm not. :D Ya know, since it has quinoa, it's a totally acceptable thing to eat for dinner! Right?

      Delete
  8. It doesn't look one bit healthy! I love how the texture looks so soft and chocolatey...like I just want to curl up with it! I'll have to give this a try

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Lindsey! It was so chocolatey and delicious.

      Delete
  9. Whoa! Now, this is one gorgeous gluten free chocolate cake! Just look at that crumb. I'm with you...since quinoa is a complete protein, I think we could have a slice for dinner. ;) Thanks for sharing, Jenn. Just beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, thanks so much, Stacy! We can have this cake for dinner and your lovely Carrot Cake Jam by the spoonful for dessert! Sound good?

      Delete
  10. Simply amazing use of quinoa in this cake! I so wish I had a slice - amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This cake looks wonderful. I love fudgy chocolatey cakes so I can't wait to try this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Shannon! Not much beats fudgy chocolatey cakes!

      Delete
  12. This definitely looks ultimate Jenn! I never would've guessed your secret ingredients; you nailed this cake! And um, who can say no to chocolate??

    ReplyDelete
  13. It looks decadent and delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Okay, I've NEVER seen anyone add quinoa to a cake before, this is awesome! What a fabulous idea! I'll be coming back to this next time I entertain gf friends!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Karen! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  15. Yum! This chocolate cake looks amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Jennalee, this looks so lovely! And I am so intrigued by the quinoa. I'm addicted to the stuff but haven't tried using it in desserts. Can't wait to give it a try :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Quinoa is rather addicting, isn't it? This was my first time ever using it in a dessert and it definitely won't be my last! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  17. Hey Jenn it's Mary I commented awhile ago. I never had gluten free cake or quinoa and I can't pronounce that word either well this cake looks miost and here is a tip for velvet and chocolate cake add a cup of freshly brewed coffee!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Mary! Thanks for your comment! Coffee is wonderful in chocolate cakes, isn't it? It really enhances the chocolate flavor! Have a great week!

      Delete
  18. I'm always looking for a great gluten free dessert and this looks delicious! I love that the recipe uses everyday ingredients and I don't need to buy any specialty items.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you!! That's a great thing about this recipe..you don't have to go out and buy all kinds of different (and expensive) flours! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to leave a comment! Your comments make my day!