The first Celiacs I ever met went bun-less at McDonald’s well before Dr. Atkins made it de rigueur.  I was too young at the time to give much thought to what might happen if said Celiacs ate a cookie or a piece of birthday cake.  Fast forward 15 years to my high school bestie being diagnosed, and me gaining a much better understanding of the gastrointestinal and nutritional problems that gluten can cause.

My heart breaks when time and time again my dear friend is left with few options when dining.  No bread, pasta, pie crusts, cakes… the things most of us require in large quantities.  On a regular basis.  Yes, yes, there are gluten-free varieties of all of those.  But have you ever had corn pasta?  Or rice bread?  They are sad substitutions.  Hence, my heartbreak.

Tasked at making a dessert for a dinner party chez Celiac bestie, I scoured the internet for something that would not be crumbly or too dense.  I wanted to find something that could fool us flour lovers.  No mousses or puddings or custards to avoid the issue.  She deserved a cake and I was going to try and make it.

The magic ingredient I would try was quinoa.  I found a recipe that would result in a cake without having to search for things like gums (xantham and guar) or strange flours (sorghum).  The original recipe called for sautéed apples, but with summer’s bounty still available, I switched gears and went with B.C. peaches and plums.

It all came together well.  It looked like a cake (sort of), smelled like a cake while baking and when pulled out of the oven, it even had a spring in its step like a cake does.

But did it taste like a cake?

Well, dear reader, it tasted very good.  Especially with a good dollop of freshly whipped cream.  Moist like a good brownie and cobbler-like with its fruit filling, the dinner party guests gave it rave reviews.  But… it was no cake.  (Obviously) another way to describe its flavour would be “gluten free.”  No breaks in my heart, but some fractures, for sure.  The quinoa gave it depth and body (no crumbles) but it also made it grainy.

Would I make it again?  Absolutely — if a gluten-free dessert was required.

Would I make it for a dinner party for flour lovers?  Perhaps not.

In any case, I made it for someone who has to manoeuvre menus and grocery aisles with creativity and great care.  This was for her to enjoy having what everyone else was having.  No substitutions, no omissions.  Extra cream, however, just for her.

Gluten-Free Quinoa Cake with Peaches and Plums

Adapted from Lucullian Delights

2-2.5 cups chopped peaches (peeled*) and plums
0.25 cup sugar**
1 teaspoon cinnamon
0.5 cup water

4 eggs
0.5 cup salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup sugar**
1 1/3 cup cooked quinoa
1 3/4 cup cup rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Simmer the peaches and plums with the water, 0.25 cup sugar and cinnamon until the fruit is cooked and almost all the liquid has evaporated.

Whisk egg, vanilla and sugar. Add the melted butter. Stir well.

Add the quinoa , mix well and then add flour and baking powder, always stirring well.

Pour half of the batter into a greased cake tin. I used a 10-inch springform pan.  Flatten out the batter and spread the peaches and plums evenly over it. Then cover with the rest of the batter.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

*How to peel a peach:  Score the bottom of a fresh peach with an X.  Drop in boiling water for about 1 minute (you don’t want to cook the peach), ensuring the whole peach gets exposed.  Move peach to an ice bath.  When cool to the touch, simply peel, starting at the X for ease.

** I had no white sugar and used golden.  This added a more caramel flavour to the cake.