Paula Shoyer’s Chocolate Quinoa Cake

Celebrated Jewish cookbook author Paula Shoyer has many Passover-kosher recipes in her latest book, “The Healthy Jewish Kitchen,” published by Sterling Epicure in November. This parve, gluten-free cake made with quinoa is one example (as long as you don’t use pure vanilla extract, Shoyer notes).

“I had heard the myth of chocolate cakes made with cooked quinoa and didn’t quite believe they’d actually be tasty,” she writes. “This cake is surprisingly moist and delicious — great for Passover and all year round.”

The recipe requires 20 minutes of prep time, 15 minutes of cook time for the quinoa and 50 minutes of bake time. It serves 12.

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¾ cup quinoa
1½ cups water
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons potato starch
1/3 cup orange juice (from 1 orange)
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or other vanilla if for Passover)
¾ cup coconut oil
1½ cups sugar
1 cup dark, unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
Fresh raspberries for garnish (optional)

For Glaze (optional)
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon sunflower or safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or other vanilla if for Passover)

Place the quinoa and water into a small saucepan and bring it 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. Set the pan aside. The quinoa may be made 1 day in advance.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use cooking spray to grease a 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle the potato starch over the greased pan, then shake the pan to remove any excess starch.

Place the quinoa in the bowl of a food processor. Add the orange juice, eggs, vanilla, oil, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt and process until the mixture is very smooth.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, or place in a medium, microwave-safe bowl and put in a microwave for 45 seconds, stirring and then heating for 30 more seconds until the chocolate is melted. Add the chocolate to the quinoa batter and process until well mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then remove it gently from the pan and set it on a wire cooling rack.

For the glaze, melt the chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave (see above) or over a double boiler. Add the oil and vanilla and whisk well. Let the glaze sit for 5 minutes, then whisk it again. Use a silicone spatula to spread the glaze all over the cake.