Guilt-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
The wait is finally over! I've found you a gluten-free cake that I don't just think you'll like, I think you'll love! Many of you have asked for a gluten-free cake for a while, but I needed to do some research and testing before I recommended anything because if I'm going to suggest a flourless alternative to my favorite chocolate cake, one that's rich, flavorful and moist, I'm going to make sure you can hardly tell a difference.
As I researched different gluten-free cake recipes, I kept getting turned off by the use of coconut flour in so many of them. I've used coconut flour in my baking in the past and just haven't loved it. It has a certain taste and texture you can notice and that's definitely something I wanted to stay away from.
I finally came across this Decadent Chocolate Cake recipe by Mel's Kitchen Cafe (which she originally found from the Good Dinner Mom website), and was immediately intrigued by the fact that it uses cooked Quinoa and doesn't have an ounce of a flour-like substitute in it! I was also drawn in by Mel's mouth-watering description of the cake, "This is definitely one of the most decadent, rich, moist cakes I've ever tasted." Since I've made several of Mel's recipes before, I knew I could trust this statement, and so, I got to work.
I decided to start by making the recipe exactly as Mel wrote it, and like her, I didn't say a word to my family about what was in the cupcake. In fact, I went through three rounds of taste testing with my family, extended family and friends to ensure that this recipe would pass as unrecognizable gluten-free cupcakes.
So, in round one, both my husband and son, two of this world's toughest cake critics, loved the cupcakes. My son had no idea they were any different from my normal chocolate cake recipe, and my husband, who's favorite cake ever is my chocolate cake, did notice a slight different but had no problem finishing his cupcake and afterwards gave me the thumbs up.
In my second round, I decided to use coconut sugar instead of granulated sugar. You'll see in the recipe below that I ground up the coconut sugar into a fine powder-like consistency. If you've used coconut sugar in your baking, you know that it has a grainy texture more like brown sugar than the finer texture you get from white sugar. I was afraid of getting a heavy, dense cake because of the thicker sugar granules, so I had the idea to grab my Magic Bullet and grind them up. I think this helped to keep the cupcakes light and fluffy, while still sweet and rich. Again, these cupcakes past the taste test with Ryan and Westin, as well as some friends.
In my final round, I added an extra egg and two scoops of my favorite chocolate protein powder by Ideal Fit (it's the only one I've tried that doesn't have a weird after taste, and I love that it uses minimal but quality ingredients - I have it every day, either in a shake or just as a post-workout drink), to see if I could make an even healthier cupcake while still maintaining the rich, decadent chocolate taste. My taste testers in this round included Ryan and Westin, along with my mom, my brother, my sister-in-law and a couple close friends - all of which were blown away by the fact that these cupcakes were made with Quinoa and protein powder. Again, I didn't tell them before hand that there was anything different about these cupcakes, and again, they all gave me thumbs up, lick-the-plate-clean reviews.
So, now it's your turn! Check out the recipe, give it a try and let me know what you think. If you're aiming for gluten free, just leave out the protein powder. You could also substitute the milk with coconut milk, the butter with melted coconut oil, and the heavy cream with coconut cream for a vegan version.
Guilt-Free Chocolate Cupcakes
Yield: 21 cupcakes or 2-layer, 8-inch round cake
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes or Cake
2 cups Quinoa, cooked and cooled (about 1/2 cup uncooked - and cook the Quinoa in water, not broth)
5 large eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup, plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I use dark cocoa powder)
1 1/2 cups coconut sugar (or granulated)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 scoops IdealFit Chocolate Protein Powder (optional)
For Whipped Chocolate Ganache
2 cups dark chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cupcakes or Cake
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Fill any empty cupcake spots with a little water. For the cake option, spray two 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Spray again. Set aside.
2. Using a blender or food processor (I used a Magic Bullet), grind your coconut sugar into a fine powder. Set aside. If using granulated sugar, DO NOT grind it.
3. In a blender or food processor, combine the cooked Quinoa, eggs, milk, vanilla and butter. Blend until the mixture is smooth and silky.
4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the finely ground coconut sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and protein powder (if using). Mix the ingredients for about 30 seconds.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add the Quinoa mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another 30 seconds on low speed.
6. Fill your cupcake liners about 2/3 full with the batter. I like using a large cookie scoop to distribute the batter evenly. For the cake option, pour half of the batter into one pan and smooth out the batter with an offset spatula or spoon. Pour the rest of the batter into the second pan and evenly spread the batter.
7. Bake cupcakes for 12-14 minutes. Bake the cake layers for 20-25 minutes (check at 20 minutes with a toothpick).
8. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pans.
For the Whipped Chocolate Ganache
1. Heat the whipping cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches a gentle simmer. Mean while, pour the chocolate chips into a medium bowl.
2. Once the cream reaches a simmer, pour it over the chocolate chips and let sit for about 5 minutes.
3. Whisk the cream and chocolate chips until glossy and smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 2-3 hours. (I sped this up and put the bowl in my freezer for about 30 minutes.)
4. When the chocolate ganache is chilled, use an electric mixer (handheld or stand) to whip the mixture into soft peaks.