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Their headline for this recipe was "This Super-Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cake Has a Genius Star Ingredient". Yup. Click-bait, but it worked and I clicked, and read with interest the popularity of this (Passover-friendly) cake from Paula Shoyer’s newest cookbook The Healthy Jewish Kitchen. Learn more about her at her website, The Kosher Baker.
If that wasn't interesting enough, it turns out that she took her inspiration from Canada's own Quinoa Sisters - Patricia Green of Cochrane, Alta., and Carolyn Hemming of Mississauga, Ont.!!!! They have many publications since their first, Quinoa 365 - though oddly seem to have no web or social media presence!
I have made many things from that book, but never ventured into the dessert chapter - hard to believe, I know... Anyhow, there it is - their recipe for Chocolate Quinoa Cake. I ended up making the Food52 / Paula Shoyer recipe, but will try the original one as soon as I can, and report back.
The texture of this cake is luscious and fudgey and you will wonder what the texture is. Not that it's an unpleasant texture - in fact, I love it! The Food 52 article explains that the texture can differ from cake to cake depending on how much you process the batter. BTW, you can make this in a blender or food processor. I thought the blender would be cool - never again - the food processor is simply an easier to use tool for this. It's been so long since I made a Bundt cake - was a treat to dust it off.
Getting Ready:
- cook the quinoa - Note: this must be done early enough for it to cool off; can be done the day before
- prep the orange juice
- bring eggs to room temperature
- grease a 12.5 cup Bundt pan
- melt the coconut oil
- measure chocolate and dry ingredients
- prep orange juice
- preheat oven to 350 F
3/4 cup (130 g) quinoa (enough to make 2 1/4 cups cooked quinoa)
1.5 cups (360 ml) water
Many cooks rinse quinoa before using it, even if the label says pre-rinsed. This is to remove a natural coating that can make it take bitter or soapy. I always rinse it. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and cook the quinoa for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Always stir quinoa with a fork to prevent it from clumping. If the quinoa is still a bit crunchy add a little more water and keep cooking until it's softened). Set aside. (Can be made the day before.)
2 TB potato starch or Dutch processed cocoa
Heat the oven to 350 F. Use cooking spray or melted coconut oil to grease the 12-cup Bundt pan, sprinkle the potato starch over the greased pan and shake the pan to remove any excess starch. If you use cocoa (which I did) be sure to sift it over the pan since lumps do not coat a pan very well ;-)
See Notes (below) for info about Dutch processed cocoa.
1/3 cup (80 ml) orange juice (from 1 orange)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (180 ml) melted coconut oil
1.5 cups (300 g) sugar
1 cup (80 g) Dutch processed cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 oz (55 g) bittersweet chocolate (melted)
Place the quinoa in the bowl of a food processor (or blender - see Notes). Add the orange juice, eggs, vanilla, oil, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and process until the mixture is very smooth. Melt the chocolate in a microwave, using medium heat setting for 45 seconds, and then heat the chocolate for additional 10 second intervals, stirring after each, until it is all melted. Add the chocolate to the quinoa batter and process until well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake it for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes and then gently turn it out of the pan onto a wire cooling rack. Let it cool on the rack.
5 oz (140 g) bittersweet chocolate
1 TB sunflower or safflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
The Glaze. Melt the chocolate in the microwave (see above). Add the oil and vanilla and whisk well. Let the glaze sit for 5 minutes and then whisk it again. Spread the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. (See Notes) Serve at room temperature and store airtight at room temperature.
Notes and Tips...
- Processor or Blender - I thought it would be cool to do this in my Vitamix - but it was much more awkward than I had anticipated - never again. Use a food processor.
- Dutch Processed Cocoa - check out my resource page for a brief overview of the types of cocoa
- Glaze - this looked lovely "on the day" but by next day it was no longer glossy - am going to hunt for a better glaze - let me know if you have one to recommend!
- For KB Recipe Attribution Practices please click here.