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.
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I made these today. My husband said this had the BEST texture of any GF thing I’ve made. Kids ate them up.
So much better than the black bean brownies that make the rounds.
I also used coffee instead of hot water. Great flavor. I’m sold! Now I have an alternate use for that huge box of lentils I have. Thanks.
P.S. Jules, your portions are huge! I easily had 12 servings.
Clare- funny, I was going to use coffee instead of water (LOVE that coffee-chocolate combination), but I was trying to keep the recipe as simple as possible, ingredient-wise, since I’d added in the lentils. I think it would be fantastic with coffee. Funny about those portions, I guess when it’s “healthier” chocolate cake, I must cut bigger pieces!!! ; )
I’ve heard of black bean brownies, but not lentil chocolate cake–sounds great!
Very creative use of lentils, Jules. Can’t wait to give this recipe a try. Thanks for your tireless efforts to provide us with new and delicious GF options.
Well, I have made cake out of beets and brownies with black beans, but never tried lentils. One more to try !
That baking sheet looks really neat too.
I’m just getting started in my Glutenfree intorlerent walk and what you have shared with this Chocolate cake recipe may be the Icing on the chocolate cake for me. Thanks for sharing.
This cake looks soooo moist and delicious
I’m going to make it tonight!
This chocolate cake looks great. I will try all the recipes. But the chocolate cake will be first!
I’m having Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for breakfast today.
OK – so this one has to be my favorite!!!! A chocoalte (my favorite treat!) cake with so much protein and fiber???? Need to try it!!! One more project for this long weekend. Thank you!
Healthy and delicious! Can’t wait to try this!
Sounds delicious. My celiac son loves to help me make recipes with “secret” ingredients! This will fit the bill for our next kitchen project.
Thank you so much. My GF husband and I are reaping the benefit from your delicious recipes. How wonderful that you’ve found a way to make dessert so nutritious as well as delicious!
Sounds yummy!!! Will have to give it a try for my daughter!
I have been meaning to try a white bean cake but now I’ll have to add this one to my list too because it looks really tasty.
I have already made the zucchini bread, chilled mexican pea salad, and the pumpkin hummus. This looks and sounds amazing best of all I have all the ingredients right now!!! Thanks for all these recipes.
Alicia – seriously!? Girl, you cook almost as much as I do! Way to go!!!
Thanks for again sharing! Can’t wait to try it out!
I think I found out what to make for Memorial Day!
I love this. Did you try it with egg replacer? did it turn out ok?
Hi Lexi & Stephanie – I haven’t had a chance to try an egg sub yet, which is why I didn’t specify one, but I feel sure the texture and body of this cake would work nicely with a couple different egg substitutes. In lieu of the 2 eggs in this recipe, I’d start with either 1/2 cup firm silken tofu blended with 1 tsp. baking powder OR even 1/2 cup mashed banana, applesauce or pumpkin puree. I’m not sure how Ener-G would work in this recipe, but it’s worth trying too. The nice thing is that the egg sub will either make the cake exactly the same, or it will be more dense and fudgier … neither of which is a bad option! I have TWELVE recipes for homemade egg substitutes and where they will work best in my new cookbook, Free for All Cooking!
Well, I picked up more lentils today for the veggie burgers… Who knew they would be doing double duty. Dinner and a dessert! Thanks for the work you put into this. My family likes trying new things, and Chocolate is never refused.
This looks absolutely amazing. I can’t wait to try it!! I like it because it is healthy. Thank you!!
Looks good, and love adding the nutrition of lentils!