This is a succulent little gem of a cake that is gluten-free. The combination of quinoa and almond meal gives it a melt-in-your-mouth sweetness that is so delicate and just delightful! Its nutritional value is superb….as expected!
Almond Quinoa Cake
Author: Catherine Katz
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry)
- ⅓ cup smart balance
- 3 cage free organic eggs
- ⅔ cup almond meal
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- To make 2 cups cooked quinoa:
- Place 1¼ water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add 1 cup dry quinoa, stir once and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered.
- Turn off the stove and cover for a few minutes (you can make it ahead of time and refrigerate it if you'd like or just let it cool for 15 minutes before proceeding to next step).
- To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line the bottom of an 8” springform pan with wax paper to fit (see photo below) and "grease" it with a little smart balance or canola oil.
- Place cooked quinoa in the bowl of a food processor. Process until creamy and smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process again to blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides to make sure everything is all blended in.
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Unmold by unfastening the springform pan first, then place your serving platter over the top of the cake and turn over.
- Gently peel off the wax paper and dust with confectioner sugar.
- I like to serve it with fresh berries.
For this cake, I use a non-stick 8″ springform pan that I line with pre-made-to-fit wax paper liners that I buy in bulk or you can cut it to fit yourself.
Hi Catherine, this cake looks sensational. I’m from Australia, we don’t have “smart balance”, is there an alternative option?
Good ol’ butter. Lol.
Elke, I just noticed through Brittany’s humorous reply that we hadn’t answered your question. Catherine is away, but asked me to answer on her behalf: any “buttery spread” that is made of healthy oils (canola, olive) and NO saturated fat or hydrogenated oil, would make a good substitute. Enjoy!
Catherine!! Don’t laugh, I had the ingredients for this cake memorized. Got everything together, then darn, I don’t have a food processor anymore. Well instead of waiting I used my electric mixer. I mixed & mixed but it didn’t get creamy enough. Soooooo, I baked it anyway, the texture is off & it was slightly heavier then I think yours is but the flavor is good. I put fruit on it, mixed some Greek yogurt with a little honey, yum pretty good. But I must say I was really tempted to get some heavy whipping cream, I refrained as we are being healthy !!
Haha Tracey, it looks like you saved it after all! Thank goodness you refrained from the heavy whipping cream!!!
Is there something I can substitute for smart balance? I don’t have that but do have Earth Balance Regular, butter and coconut oil. Would any of these work? Thank you!
Hi Amy! Earth Balance is comparable nutritionally but I do not like its taste so I never use it in my baking. I find that the regular smart balance best approximates the taste of butter so that’s what I prefer to use when I need that “buttery” taste. Having said that, quite possible Earth balance could work as well. I suppose canola oil would too, but I am not sure because I have never tried, so please let me know if the substitution works for you, I always love to know!!
Hi there! This looks really great! I’m a vegan chef, would this work with flax or chia eggs? Thank you Catherine. You spoke at my school (IIN) last weekend and I really appreciated your foodie fervor 🙂
Hi Kanika! Thank you so much for your sweet words! About my quinoa cake, I don’t know if it would work with flax or chia eggs but I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it if you tried and let me know! I don’t see why not–Same for my flourless chocolate cake which has pureed beluga lentils in it and is absolutely “decadent” tasting but also has eggs, so eager to know for my vegan friends!
This cake looks beautiful! Love the pictures!
Thank you so much! I love taking the pictures almost as much as I love creating my recipes! It’s so much fun to bring them to life before we eat it away!!
absolutely agree with your daughters! c’est déjà merveilleux à regarder et je suppose à …déguster! je vais me précipiter vers mes fourneaux!! merci aussi pour ces belles photos , ça fait du bien aussi toute cette créativitéi! bonne journée gourmande ! Martine de France
Merci Martine! J’adore m’amuser avec toutes ces belles photos et ça me fait plaisir de partager tout ça, surtout avec des personnes comme vous qui appréciez tant! J’adore!
Thanks for another terrific looking (and I’m sure tasting) dessert! I love when I see Cuisinicity show up in my Inbox!!
It is truly my pleasure Caroline! I LOVE that you feel this way! It makes me so happy-thank YOU!
Well THANK YOU!!! Coming from such an artist as yourself, your compliment is going straight to my heart!!
Another gorgeous and scrumptious recipe.
You are a true culinary artiste! And your photos are amazing!!!
I totally agree with your daughters! Can’t wait to give this a try. I’ve lost 26 pounds so far eating stealth and this looks like just the right treat. Thanks for your awesome recipes!!!
WOW Karen 26 lbs and doing it well is just wonderful!!! I hope you love it as much as we do (I have it in the oven as we speak!)
Yum!!! This looks so great!
Hahah, my other sweetie Natalia, I know you are going to love it! It’s very similar in texture to my orange polenta cake you love!! I’ll make it when you come home, my sweetness!
Wow looks delicious!!!
Thank you my sweetie!!! I’ll have to make it for you when you come home!
Merci de nous transmettre votre nouvelle création.
Elle me parait judicieuse d’utiliser le quinoa sous cette forme,
Je m’empresse de suivre vos instructions et vous tiens au courant.
Encore une fois , MERCI.
Mme Nata
Merci à vous Mme Nata! J’espère que ça vous plaira!