Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Almonds and pureed quinoa replace the flour in this decadent cake. We promise you won’t miss the flour one bit.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 ml) cooked quinoa, loosely packed
- 4 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) milk
- 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut oil
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 egg whites
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup (240 ml) ground almonds
For Chocolate Almond Glaze
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter, melted
- 1 cup (240 ml) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) hot water
- Slivered almonds for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9×2 inch round cake pan.
- Place the cooked quinoa in a blender along with the milk, egg yolks, vanilla extract, almond extract, butter and coconut oil. Blend until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a rubber spatula, stir the quinoa mixture into the sugar mixture until combined. Stir in the ground almonds.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Using the rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean but moist.
- Let the cake sit in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully inverting it onto a plate and then carefully inverting it again (top side up) onto a cake platter to cool completely.
- To make the Chocolate Almond Glaze: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the completely cooled cake, spread evenly over top and sides of cake. Immediately sprinkle with the slivered almonds. Allow the glaze to dry before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Category: Chocolate
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 430
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the cooked quinoa do in this cake?
The recipe uses 2 cups (480 ml) of cooked quinoa blended smooth with the milk, egg yolks, butter, and coconut oil as a direct replacement for wheat flour. The excerpt notes that “almonds and pureed quinoa replace the flour” — the blended quinoa provides starch and structure while the ground almonds add fat and a slightly nutty texture.
Why are the egg whites beaten separately and folded in at the end?
The 4 egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks with 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar, then gently folded into the dense quinoa-cocoa batter. Since there is no gluten to provide lift, the whipped egg whites are the primary aerating agent — without them, the finished cake would be very heavy and dense.
Why does the recipe invert the cake twice after baking?
After 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, step 7 has you carefully invert the cake onto a plate and then invert it again (top-side up) onto a serving platter. The first flip releases the cake from the pan; the second restores it to its original orientation so the glazed top faces up for presentation. 
How much milk?
She’s already stated how much twice
Hi Nora, I’ll email the editors again about making that correction, thanks. It’s 1/3 cup milk. I’ve never tried it with agave or any liquid form of sweetener so I’m not sure how it would turn out. But because of the already tender, moist and delicate texture of the cake I would not recommend liquid sweetener. You could try it with an alternative powdered sweetener. Happy baking!
The milk measurement is not corrected and I was wondering if agave or something else could be used for the granulated sugar? thank you
Woo-hooo! I am so happy to hear that, Yulia! My reaction after I tried this baking experiment was the same as your boys’. And then I thought, “Wait, I’m sure I MUST have had even better chocolate cake before…” but I couldn’t think of any! It’s a family favorite now. Thanks so much for making this and for your feedback!
Hi.
Just made it. It’s wonderful. My boys love it. They said “It’s The Best cake we ever had!”
Hi Lindy! I’ll notify admin to correct that. In the meantime, it’s 1/3 cup of milk. Thanks and enjoy!
This looks great and I was going to give it a go, but how much milk?