In life, there are some mysteries that CAN be solved. Like creating a truly healthy gluten free chocolate cake recipe, for example!
And doesn’t it look divine?
In my earlier series on incorporating healthy peas and lentils into our gluten free diets, I decided to pull off the ultimate magic trick: hiding lentils in a chocolate cake!
Now before you scrunch up your nose, hold on. What do you know about me and my recipes? That’s right – I’m your real food girl.
I make foods you’re familiar with and are used to eating with your family, except that I make them gluten free! This one is no different, except for the part where I snuck some healthy stuff into your cake.
- Veggie Burger & Yummy GF Buns
- “Eat Your Veggies!” Zucchini Bread
- Chilled Mexican Pea or Lentil Salad
- Easy Pumpkin Hummus
Here, the lentil puree takes the place of fat to hold the cake together and give it good texture — and it works!
One note on cooking with lentils though, be sure to rinse and pick through your lentils before cooking, as they have been found to sometimes contain errant grains of wheat or barley, and other debris. It’s important to clean them well before cooking.
So pull up your big kid pants and take the chance that I just might be right: it IS possible to make a chocolate cake that’s too delicious to resist and also too healthy to pass up.
Healthy Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe
This delicious chocolate cake lacks nothing in flavor or texture; no one would ever guess its ingredients make it a healthy gluten free chocolate cake!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lentil purée – use any color dried lentils (cooled)
- 1 cup gfJules™ All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar, date sugar, coconut palm sugar or other sugar of choice
- 1/2 cup cocoa (unsweetened; not Dutch processed)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup sour cream, dairy or soy (or plain coconut, soy or rice yogurt) – room temperature
- 2 large eggs (or favorite egg substitute – room temperature
- 1/2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar (or use white vinegar)
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup hot water
- Powdered sugar to dust on top
Instructions
Measure out 1/2 cup dried lentils, rinse, and add to 1 1/4 cups of water in a medium sized pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cover.
Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed, and the lentils are tender but not yet broken apart. Drain in a colander.
Using a large food processor, blender or potato masher, briefly pulverize the drained lentils until they form a purée – they should be the consistency of pumpkin purée. Add water by the tablespoon if it is too dry; it will set up as it cools, so don’t add water unless you need to do so.
Measure out 1/2 cup of purée for the recipe, cover and place the purée in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Preheat oven to 350° F (static) or 325° F (convection).
Oil an 8-inch round pan, then line with parchment paper (oiling the bottom of the pan first helps to keep the parchment in place; the parchment helps you get the cake out easily!).
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Beat the sour cream, eggs, vinegar, vanilla and cooled lentil purée together, then add in with the dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the hot water while beating the other ingredients together. The batter will be fairly thin, but should not be watery. Add less water if you think your batter is getting too thin.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then remove the cake by lifting up on the parchment.
To serve, dust the tops of each piece with powdered sugar.
Notes
Be sure to rinse and pick through your lentils before cooking, as they have been found to sometimes contain errant grains of wheat or barley, and other debris. It’s important to clean them well before cooking.
Pin for later!
Would this work well as a 2-3 layer cake? Looks delicious!
Hi Mel, I haven’t tried it in layers, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t double the recipe and bake two cakes and layer them — it would be delish, I’m sure!
~jules
Hi! I see on your nutritional list sugar is not listed. Can you tell me if the calories include sugar on this list? I am anxious to try this recipe. Thanks!
Hi Susan, because the sugar option could vary between which sugar you choose, it’s not included in this nutritional calculation. For example, if using ordinary granulated white sugar, add 34 calories for one serving of this cake; for date sugar, add 28 calories. Enjoy the recipe!
~jules
I can’t believe how delicious this looks! So intrigued by using lentils and chickpeas in baked goods – pinned this one!
Hope you enjoy Amy!
~jules
The texture of this cake looks bombastic
Great way of putting it, Kortney!
~jules
Great idea adding lentils to this cake to make it healthier! It looks delicious and moist 🙂
Love this recipe, made for my birthday!
Wonderful!! Happy Birthday!
~jules
This sounds delicious and so healthy! I’ve never thought to bake with lentil. I love this idea so much 🙂
Oh my gosh, I love the addition of lentils here! How creative!
Having same problem.
I clicked on the link to read the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe and each time I get the Chocolate Cake recipe. Would you fix that?
Hi Tina, in the follow-up email, my husband Jeff resent with the right link. We were in the ER all night and he had forgotten to change the link. In any case, there is a search bar at the top of every page. Just type in whatever you’re looking for there and recipes or article choices will come up.
Hope that helps!
~jules
Help! When I click on the link for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies it brings me to this chocolate cake recipe. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Bettie, sorry for the confusion in the newsletter. Did you get the follow-up email? My husband Jeff resent with the right link. We were in the ER all night and he had forgotten to change the link. In any case, there is a search bar at the top of every page. Just type in whatever you’re looking for there and recipes or article choices will come up.
Hope that helps!
~jules
Just stated on the Gluten-Free diet, and this looks great, will have to give it a try.
Hi Norreen, so glad it looks like a recipe you’d like to try! Here’s some more information since you say you’re new to the gluten free diet. I hope it’s helpful!
~jules
This is definitely a must make! Looks so tasty!!
JUST WOW JULES !
🙂