Best-Ever Chocolate Quinoa Cake

4.98 from 310 votes

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)

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 317kcal

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

US Customary - Metric

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

Approximately 3/4 cup dry quinoa will yield 2 cups cooked quinoa. I like to soak it overnight, rinse and then cook it in 1.5 cup water by bringing the water to a boil, adding the quinoa and then reducing to a simmer. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and cover with a lid to allow the quinoa to steam a little longer. The quinoa should be soft and fluffy when cooked. You don't want any hard/crunchy pieces in your batter!

Nutrition Facts are for 1/12th of the recipe (or 1 slice, if you slice the cake into 12 pieces). Exact numbers will vary depending on the brands you use. This cake is meant to be enjoyed as a decadent dessert that offers more nutrients than a standard white flour cake (think protein, iron, potassium, etc.). It was not developed as a recipe for weight loss.

Quinoa cake adapted from the cookbook Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming

Frosting from Oh She Glows

Nutrition