This supremely moist and rich and chocolate quinoa cake with chocolate whipped cream frosting is going to blow your mind. It’s the ULTIMATE birthday or holiday cake, and you’d never know that it contains no flour. Best of all, the batter and frosting come together in minutes in the Vitamix or food processor, making it the easiest cake you'll ever make!
Chocolate quinoa cake recipe
Let me start by saying that chocolate cake is my husband's very favorite food. He orders it whenever it appears on a menu or when we visit bakeries. Now would you believe me if I told you that this chocolate quinoa cake, which contains NOT A SPECK OF FLOUR and is STUFFED WITH QUINOA is James’s FAVORITE CHOCOLATE CAKE IN THE WORLD? Sorry to yell there, but I'm a little excited. You need to taste it to believe it.
Key ingredients and swaps
This gluten free chocolate cake has a few secret ingredients that give it an amazing flavor and texture:
- Cooked Quinoa provides a supremely tender yet rich crumb (and I promise you won't taste it!)
- Unprocessed (raw) cacao powder lends a deep chocolaty flavor (you can use a good quality cocoa powder instead)
- Virgin coconut oil provides moisture (you can use melted butter or neutral vegetable oil instead)
- Coffee liqueur gives depth of flavor (you can use strong brewed coffee instead)
Vitamix chocolate cake
You won’t believe how easy this quinoa cake is to make—the batter AND the whipped cream frosting get whizzed up right in a Vitamix or food processor, meaning you don't even need to pull out your mixing bowls.
How to make chocolate quinoa cake
- Combine milk, eggs, vanilla extract, coffee liqueur (or strong brewed coffee) and melted coconut oil in a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix (or you can use a food processor).
- Blend until smooth.
- Add cooked quinoa along with sugar, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Blend again on high until the batter is rich and creamy.
Transfer the batter to two parchment-lined 8-inch cake pans. Bake the cakes for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Remove the cakes from the pans and let them cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate whipped cream frosting
The chocolate whipped cream frosting is my favorite frosting, period. It's light and creamy, and it comes together in minutes in a Vitamix or food processor using just heavy cream, powdered sugar, raw cacao powder, vanilla and coffee liqueur (which is optional).
Gluten free chocolate cupcakes
You can also use this same batter to make gluten free chocolate cupcakes! The batter will yield 16 rich, delicious cupcakes (be sure to line the tins with parchment liners so that the cupcakes don't stick). Check the cupcakes at 20 minutes - a toothpick inserted in the center should have a few moist crumbs (the cupcakes will slump slightly as they cool).
Tips for making quinoa cake:
- You'll need a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix to make this cake, or you can use a food processor.
- This double layer cake is on the smaller side, but it easily feeds 8-10 people. The cakes get baked in two 8-inch cake pans. Don't be tempted to use 9-inch pans, as the cakes will be too thin.
- You can also make cupcakes! This recipe makes 16 cupcakes (the baking time is the same). Line the cupcake tins with parchment cups so that the cupcakes don't stick.
- You can use any plain white or golden quinoa in this recipe. Avoid red or black quinoa, as the flavor is too assertive.
- The coffee liqueur lends a wonderful flavor to the cake and frosting, but you can swap it out for strong-brewed coffee in the cake and omit it completely from the frosting, if you prefer.
- Raw cacao powder gives the cake an unparalleled rich chocolaty flavor (p.s. it makes the best hot cocoa!). It's a purer form of chocolate compared to regular cocoa powder (and it's higher in antioxidants!), but if you can't find it, you can use the best quality cocoa you can find.
FAQs
You want to use a white (also called golden) quinoa in this recipe, not a black or red quinoa, which both have a stronger flavor. You'll need 2 cups of cooked quinoa for the cake (I include instructions on how to cook it in the recipe). It's a great way to use up leftover quinoa (you can even make the quinoa a few weeks in advance and freeze it).
Yes! The two 8-inch cakes can be baked one day in advance. Once they cool, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature (take note that these cakes are delicate since they don't contain gluten, so be gentle!). Once frosted, the cake can be refrigerated for several hours. Leftovers will also last for several days in the fridge (I cover the cake with a large bowl, or you can use a cake dome).
*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you or supporting From Scratch Fast!
Other gluten free desserts to try:
- One-Bowl Chocolate Almond Cake
- No Bake Chocolate Pudding Tart (Vegan)
- Foolproof Flaky Pie Crust
- Almond Coconut Cake (Naturally Sweetened)
- Pumpkin Pound Cake with Bourbon Cream Cheese Glaze
- Crustless Pumpkin Pie Custards
- Easy Gluten Free Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- (The Best) Pavlova with Dark Chocolate
*Thank you to Vitamix for sponsoring this post! I was compensated for this post, but all opinions and recipes are my own and are not endorsed by Vitamix.
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Get the recipe!
Gluten Free Chocolate Quinoa Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
Chocolate Quinoa Cake
- Cooking spray or oil, for pans
- ½ cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons coffee liqueur or strong brewed coffee
- ½ cup (100 g) virgin coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 cups (290 g) cooked quinoa, see notes below*
- 1 cup (190 g) organic cane sugar
- 1 cup (90 g) raw cacao powder (such as Navitas Naturals brand)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- ⅓ cup (44 g) powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup (30 g) raw cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (optional)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch fine grain sea salt
Instructions
Make the cake
- For the cake, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray or oil, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a Vitamix or food processor, combine the milk, eggs, vanilla, coffee liqueur and coconut oil. Blend until incorporated. Add the quinoa, sugar, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Blend, increasing the speed to high, until smooth, stopping and scraping occasionally.
- Divide the batter between the prepared pans and spread in an even layer. Bake 20-23 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbles (don’t over-bake otherwise the cake will be dry). Let the cakes cool in the pans set on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto racks, and peel off the parchment. Let cool completely before frosting. Make it Ahead: Once cooled, the cakes can be wrapped well and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day (take care when moving the cakes, as they are very tender and can break fairly easily—I find it easiest to slide them onto the plastic wrap instead of picking them up.)
Make the frosting and assemble
- For the cocoa whipped cream frosting, place all of the ingredients in a clean Vitamix (or you can use a bowl with hand beaters). Blend on low until fully incorporated. Slowly increase the speed, and blend until the mixture is thickened and no longer moves around the blade (if using hand beaters, beat on high until thick and creamy). Take care not to over-blend, otherwise the frosting will turn a bit grainy (but it will still taste great).
- To frost the cake, very carefully slide one of the cake layers onto a cake stand or serving platter (the cake is very tender and has a tendency to break if it’s handled too much, so go slowly. That being said, if it does break, simply patch it back together on the cake plate—nobody will know!). Spoon about a quarter of the frosting on top, and spread it in an even layer. Place the second cake layer over top, and spoon on the remaining frosting. Spread the frosting in an even layer on top and around the sides of the cake. If possible, cover the cake with a dome or large bowl and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- *You’ll need to start with ¾ cup of dry quinoa to yield at least 2 cups of cooked quinoa (be sure to use golden quinoa, not red or black quinoa, which will be too assertive in flavor). Rinse the quinoa well, then place it in a small saucepan with 1 ½ cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Remove the pot from the heat and let sit 10 minutes, covered, to steam. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, then transfer it to a bowl and let it cool completely. Once cool, measure out 2 cups of cooked quinoa for the cake (you will have leftover quinoa, which you can toss is salads or use in grain bowls).
- The cake batter and frosting gets made in a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix, or you can use a food processor.
- You’ll need two 8-inch cake pans for this cake. Don’t be tempted to use 9-inch pans, as the cakes will be too thin.
- You can also make cupcakes! This recipe makes 16 cupcakes (the baking time is the same). Line the cupcake tins with parchment cups so that the cupcakes don't stick.
- Using raw cacao powder in this cake gives it a richer chocolate flavor. You can find it online or in many grocery stores (p.s. it makes the best hot chocolate!).
- You can swap out the coffee liqueur in the cake batter for strong brewed coffee (you can also omit it completely from the frosting if you prefer).
- Before frosting the cake, I like to slide narrow strips of parchment paper under the edges of the cake so that I don't get my serving platter dirty (see the video for reference!).
Kathy says
My cake comes out like a flourless cake, dense and rich. It’s delicious but I want it to look like a cake with crumbs. Please suggest
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Kathy! If your cake came out dense I suspect it's due to the quinoa. Do you have a kitchen scale? If so, I suggest weighing the quinoa instead of using measuring cups (if the cups are packed too tightly it will result in a denser cake). This actually goes for all the measurements! Also, be sure to use room temperature or cold quinoa (if the grains are warm they might still be holding steam). I hope this helps, and happy baking!
Bouncedancer says
Delicious! You were right -- you cannot tell that its base is quinoa; it's very moist. I made this for my GF daughter. Because I only have a smallish food processor, I did it in two batches which I then stirred together.
Because I'm allergic to the milk proteins, I replaced the milk with coconut yogurt (you can't go wrong with yogurt or buttermilk instead of milk in baked goods) with a little unsweetened flax milk stirred in to give it a texture more like milk.
I baked it in ONE 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom; then, because of the problems people reported about the cake falling apart, I refrigerated it overnight in its pan to solidify it, and then it was a piece of cake (sorry, couldn't help myself) to slice it horizontally into two pieces -- no breakage.
For the frosting, I replaced the whipping cream with 2 tubs of truwhip vegan whipped topping (turqoise lid for the shoppers out there), which turned to be almost too generous of an amount. Because the texture of the truwhip is like softly whipped cream, I was concerned that it might be too gloppy for frosting, so I heated a small amount of canned coconut milk (the kind without any gums) to melt any lumps, stirred in a little extra cocoa and a small amount of powdered sugar, and the Kahlua of course, then cooled it and stirred it into the whipped topping, hoping that the chilled coconut milk would help hold the frosting together.
Even though the mix still looks too gloppy, it is miraculously staying put on the cake. I decorated it with a circumferential ring of the dark cake crumbs, and a rosette of freeze-dried mango slices (couldn't find the freeze-dried raspberries).
So yummy -- I just finished my Xmas breakfast which consisted of a big piece of cake with coffee and 3 breakfast sausages. Next I'll try it with a big glass of flax milk.
Nicki Sizemore says
I’m so glad you enjoyed!! (That sounds like the best breakfast ever 😊). Thank you for sharing your dairy-free swaps!
Bridgette says
Love love love this cake. Super moist and deliciously rich in chocolate flavor without overwhelming you! Super excited about this cake for people who love chocolate and also those who don't like super sweet things. This is great because it's sweet without being too much thanks to the whipped cream frosting and richness of the cake :)) this is a keeper!
Nicki Sizemore says
Thank you for your comment, Bridgette, and I'm so happy to hear you loved the cake!
T says
Is there a DF option for the frosting? Would coconut milk work for the cream? Sounds amazing! Thanks!
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi there! For a dairy-free option, I suggest topping the cake with coconut whipped cream (coconut milk won't work in this frosting recipe). You can triple the coconut whipped cream in this vegan chocolate tart recipe, or make any coconut whipped cream recipe you like!
Mathews says
Could I leave out the cup of chocolate and only make it a vanilla cake with the chocolate frosting?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi there, the chocolate is really important to the flavor and texture of this cake, so I don't recommend omitting it from the recipe. However, I'm testing a vanilla version, so stay tuned!
Stella Lau says
Hi can I make this sugarless?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Stella, I just had a reader use 1 cup of soaked dates in place of the sugar and she said it turned out great. I haven't tested this myself so can't guarantee the results, but I'm excited to give it a try!
Marissa says
Absolutely amazing! I used 1 cup of soaked pitted dates instead of the sugar and it turned out amazing! Not too sweet and very rich.
Nicki Sizemore says
I'm so glad you loved the cake, and that's a great tip about using soaked dates!!
Juani says
This cake is the best I’ve ever tried!!! It’s so rich, but not over rich- and moist, the icing is just delicious! I give it a five starts for sure! It’s very tender and breaks easily , mine actually broke into two! But none noticed:) highly recommended!
Nicki Sizemore says
Thank you so much for your comment, and I'm so glad you liked the cake!
Mazie says
Does the quinoa give the cake a coarse texture (like cornbread)? Can the 2 cups of cooked quinoa be processed in a blender until smooth, before mixing in other ingredients, to yield a cake with a finer texture?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Mazie, the quinoa completely smooths out in the batter, giving the cake a fine texture (you'll never know it's made with quinoa!). There's no need to blend the quinoa first; it will smooth out when you blend all of the ingredients as instructed. I hope you enjoy the cake, and keep me posted!!
Melinda Wilcox says
Mazie...after making this cake several times I did just that...pureeing the quinoa in my Cuisinart with some of the liquid and the sugar and cocoa (dutch processed) til the quinoa is very fine. Otherwise I had trouble getting the quinoa blended adequately.
Patricia kay Martin says
can you sweeten the frosting with maybe a swere confectioners powder..or something else as trying not to do sugar as much?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Patricia, I haven't tried the Swerve Confectioner's sugar, but if you like the taste then it should work! If it has a strong flavor I suggest adding a bit less to start (you can always fold in more to taste). Happy baking!
Jenny Spencer says
P.S. I forgot to mention the frosting! This was so light and delicious! Most frostings are that typical sugary buttercream frosting that is way too sweet for me. But this was perfect.
My mom and family LOVED it SO MUCH!
Thank you Nicki!
Raine
Nicki Sizemore says
Hooray!! (p.s. I totally agree with you about buttercream frosting!)
Jenny Spencer says
This was by far probably my most favorite chocolate cake EVER!!!!! Nicki! You are brilliant! Sadly, we didn't have golden quinoa so I used leftover multi-colored quinoa and it worked beautifully!
My mom and I were wondering, what made you think of using quinoa instead of flour? It turned out so moist I couldn't believe it. It was very hard for me to stop eating it.
Thank you SO much for creating this recipe.
Raine 🙂
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Raine, I'm SO HAPPY that you liked the cake, and thank you for the tip about the multi-colored quinoa!! Sometimes the best recipes come about by accident. This one happened because I had leftover quinoa in the fridge and decided to experiment. It's now the only chocolate cake my family wants me to make! xo
Gaye says
I only have 9 in pans. How do you think this would work as a sheet cake? or 9x12?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi there! I haven't tried this cake as a sheet cake, but I think the batter would work in a 9x12-inch pan. I also had somebody tell me they recently made it in cupcake tins. Just be sure to watch the cooking time, as it's important that this cake doesn't dry out (it should still be moist with a few crumbs when tested with a toothpick). If you give it a try let me know how it turns out, and I will add it to my testing list as well!!
meg says
This looks yum! I am planning to try this tonight, but would like to know what I could use instead of coconut oil to get the same end result. Also what do you think would be the difference if I skip coffee liqueur. Thanks!
Nicki Sizemore says
You can absolutely use melted butter in place of the coconut oil and omit the coffee liqueur! Just up the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons in the frosting. I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think about the cake.
Lois says
Can I make this with ghee or melted butter instead of coconut oil?
Nicki Sizemore says
Hi Lois, yes! You can use melted butter instead of the coconut oil (ghee has a stronger flavor, so I would go for butter instead). I hope you like it!
Marie says
Amazing recipe ! Everybody loved it.
Nicki Sizemore says
I'm so thrilled you liked it, Marie!