Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Flour Cake
Last week I received an email from the President of Omega Nutrition. You all know of this company right? They are most well-known for their flax seed and coconut oils.
I was offered free samples of their coconut flour, flax flour, and pumpkin seed flour. These wonderful flours can be used as gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free baking alternatives. I was excited to try the pumpkin seed flour. It just sounds so exotic and new. I have never seen or made anything with this type of grain-free flour. Immediately after I read his email an image of a rich chocolate cake was beginning to take shape in my mind, right down to the minute details of the sliced strawberries and mint leaves for garnish!
This fine, pale green flour is perfect for those following a grain-free diet and for those also allergic to nuts. What about the nutrient profile you ask? Well, we certainly can't complain! 100 grams of this flour offers about 7 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbohydrates, and a whopping 64 grams of protein!
The pumpkin seeds are processed and ground at a low temperature and packaged according to the omegaflo process. This special process protects the nutrients from damaging light, heat, and oxygen exposure. This gluten-free, organic, and kosher flour will not disappoint!
This evening I made a chocolate cake. I used eggs, sorry to those of you who follow me because of my egg-free baking. This was just what my mind had conjured up last week so I wanted to stick with it. For an egg-free version, you may try substituting the almond flour for pumpkin seed flour in my Grain-Free, Vegan Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes. I prefer the flavor of egg-free baked treats, so the next time I bake with pumpkin seed flour it will be egg-free.
Chocolate Pumpkin Seed Flour Cake
This rich, dark chocolate cake is high in protein and nutrients like zinc and essential fatty acids (linoleic and oleic fatty acids). Because of its richness, serve it with a light, fruity sauce or sliced fresh strawberries. Watch the baking time closely. Test for doneness after about 35 minutes. If the top of the cake feels jiggly to the touch it needs more time, if not, pull it out.
Pumpkin seed protein powder can be purchased online if you cannot find it locally at your health food store. This is the one I use in my recipes: Omega Nutrition Pumpkin Seed Protein Powder.
Dry Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 9-inch round cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the pumpkin seed flour, cocoa powder, arrowroot powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, oil, coconut milk, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together well.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Place pan on the center rack in the oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes.
- Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then run a knife around the edge of the pan and flip cake onto a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. It is delicious served with fresh berries and coconut whipped cream!
Use this recipe in our Meal Planner
About the Author
Ali Segersten
Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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Comments
Yes! Please enter me in the drawing. I am always looking for new, nutritious, gluten-free foods to incorporate into our diet. The cake looks amazing!
I'm just learning about grain-free baking and would love to try pumpkin flour. The cake is making my mouth water.
Megan G
I am so excited to hear of a high protein flour that is not almond or bean flour. I had allergy testing done thinking wheat would be show up, however, almonds and apples were positive. What a surprise. I have been wondering what other high protein flours I could use to bake! Thanks!
The cake looks amazing. I will make it Vegan as my daughters are vegan and I am wheatless. The protein content of pumpkin flour is amazing.
thank you for all of your wonderful recipes
Ali, I love your blog- it is very clean, artistically done, easy to read and inspiring! I've spent almost a year on the Specific Carb. Diet, which helped my gut tremendously. Finding out that there are grain-free flours was very fascinating to me. It is fun and challenging to cook like this and in the end, it seems, much healthier anyways. I would like to continue experimenting with grain-free flours. Thanks for all the great recipes! Laura Bergsma
Awesome, a new high-protein flour! And from pumpkin seeds at that - very cool.
I am quite new to this gluten-free scene (as my husband has also recently gone gluten free) and am collecting recipes and any other good flour ideas.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
I LOVE your desserts! I can't eat gluten, dairy, sugar (for now) or corn, but I love chocolate! Needless to say I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I am going to try this as soon as I can get my hands on some of this special flour!!!
I follow a pretty strict grain free diet and would LOVE a chance to test out a new seed flour! I also am working on getting my blog up and running, so this would be the perfect ingredient to start it off with!
I'd love to try this flour. I've only been gluten free for three months, and I still have a lot to learn.
This looks great. I think we'll be grinding pumpkin seeds this afternoon!
This cake looks marvelous and I would love to be able to try it. Having celiac didease can make baking quite a challenge, and having a flour with such high nutritional to work with would be just great. I hope that this flour will be available in the Bellingham area in the near future.
Ali, you fascinate me in how you come up with recipes, dreaming, visions. I did that once for a knitting project, it came to me almost like a vision when I was laying in bed, I knew exactly what I was supposed to do. I've been on Tom's Elim. and Detox diet since January and am exploring the possibility of going grain free. It is great to know that there are options so many options. I'm thrilled to know that I can still eat things that resemble bread and cake! Thanks for entering me into your drawing!
http://www.mrsglutenfree.com/
Posted on my blog about your new/fun/awesome recipe. I so hope to try it soon. :)
Yuuuuumy! I'm always interested in nutritional flours that are gluten-free! Thank you for making this into a contest. What a great idea and a great product. I can't wait to try it! :)
Please enter me into this contest; I'd love to win some pumpkin seed flour! I want to try this because pumpkin seeds are supposed be very beneficial for Type O blood types - and gf! Also, I eat a ton of nuts/nut flours, so it'd be wise for me to diversify to prevent further intolerances/allergies.
I don't blog, but I do subscribe to your's via Google Reader!
Thank you for this delicious looking cake! Many of my patients are gluten-free and have many other food sensitivities. Recipes that are nut-free as well are a blessing :)
Being from the southern states and having a multitude of food allergies, my menu choices have dramatically changed! I can't wait to use this new flour! I am dreaming of beignets and cannolis and fried green tomatoes and my great-grandmother's applesauce cake! I haven't been able to at or make those (with success) for years! Yay for the great giveaway!
I'd like to enter a *cake* giveaway! :-) I am not too sure what I would do with pumpkin seed flour besides make this cake and then hope that you post some more recipes using it.
I imagine that this flour would be good to keep blood sugar levels in check since it's very high in protein. Nothing quite like getting some good protein in a muffin or some chocolate cake! This sounds like a definite plus!
Do you have any ideas when your next book will be out?
I would be SO excited to try this new recipe! I am gluten free and my naturopath also wants me to be grain free and with concious carbohydrate eating ... which is not always easy. I'm always looking for new ways to get good nutrition without compromising nutritional goals. I've also used pumpkin seed butter pretty extensively. If anything, I'm super excited for this flour to be made available on the market!
I am SO EXCITED to see this! I'm allergic to nuts and soy and try to stay away from refined grains!
Just tweeted about your post!
I love pumkin seeds in all forms! I think I would use this in bread,cakes, and crackers! And cookies and topping! I hope I win!
Wow, pumpkin seed flour is new to me. I love the green color. Did you like the cake? Would this flour work for things other than baking? What other nutrient values does it have? You have really peaked my interest. Can you tell. 20 questions here. The cake looks great and not too complicated for a non-baker like me. OK, so where does one buy this flour?
I would love to try this flour in my favorite recipes! I have been grinding my own pumpkin seed flour for a few years, but the texture isn't consistent. I am going to try this cake for my Sofi's 6th birthday this week. Yum!
I would be excited to try this new pumpkin seed flour! Your recipe makes my mouth water. :)
We have nut allergies and need to use unrefined flours so that doesn't leave us many choices. This would be a great alternative!
Oh Ali this looks so yummy!!! I am so glad this company contacted you.
I would love to try the pumpkin seed flour especially because pumpkin seed milk is my favorite, and look at that protein-wow!
I have baked with coconut flour, mixed with other flours, and I love it. I find it to be a bit dense and fibrous which I like in breakfast muffins, etc. So nice to have variety. Thanks!
This looks absolutely delicious. I've recently started looking for new ways to bake and ways to make more nutritious snacks and desserts. This would be perfect to try for my MIL upcoming birthday. She's could have her cake and eat it too. Can't wait to try this recipe.
I would love to try this! My husband is gluten-free and I am learning to bake goodies he can eat. He loves chocolate cake! This flour would be a motivation to me to try this recipe and a blessing to him as he would really enjoy eating some cake that was actually LEGAL and wholesome for him!
Thanks!
I can't wait for this product to come to market! My diet is ovo-vegetarian, but free of grains and legumes, so anything which provides extra variety is welcomed with great enthusiasm. Also, I'm an experimental cook (in a way I have to be), and this sounds like a super product to experiment with. Thanks so much for bringing it to everyone's attention!
This cake looks great!
And I love cooking & baking with nut/seed flours.
I searched for pumpkin seed flour a while ago but wasn't able to find a supplier. I believe it is more widely used in South America.
Anyway, the only option was to grind my own...I'm glad to see that this flour is now available and woudl love to give it a try!