Flourless Chocolate Black Bean Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Who would have thought that black beans work so well in a chocolate cake? They add moisture and help support the structure of the cake in place of flour, and also provide protein, vitamins, and minerals, without any “bean” flavor. In fact, you’d never know there were there.
This Flourless Chocolate Black Bean Cake comes together rather quickly using a food processor and a large mixing bowl. It bakes up quite moist and light, and delivers rich chocolatey goodness to satisfy any chocolate craving!
Yield: 1 – 9” round cake
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground coffee
4 eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup olive oil
8 ounces cooked black beans
2/3 cup organic raw cane sugar (prefer Florida Crystals)
2 tablespoons mild molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Optional Toppings:
organic powdered sugar, fresh berries, organic whipped cream, powdered cocoa – or –
Chocolate-Balsamic Ganache (recipe follows)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a round 9” cake pan with cooking spray and line with a round parchment circle. Set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and coffee. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil until light and fluffy. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a food processor, place the black beans, sugar, molasses, vanilla, and vinegar. Process until very smooth and incorporated, about 1 – 2 minutes.
5. Add the bean mixture to the large bowl containing the eggs. Add the cocoa mixture and mix well to combine fully.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 25 – 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center, comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack to finish cooling. When completely cool, transfer to a serving plate, and add any desired toppings at serving time.
CHOCOLATE-BALSAMIC GANACHE
Makes enough Ganache for 40 mini-cupcakes, 24 regular cupcakes, or 1 – 9” round cake
INGREDIENTS
9 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons high-quality, thick, and slightly sweet balsamic vinegar
Optional – fresh berries for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the chopped chocolate pieces into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, heat cream over medium-low heat. Bring just to the point of simmering, do not let it boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in the mixing bowl. Whisk together until smooth. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. The ganache will thicken slightly as it starts to cool.
For cupcakes – dip cooled cupcake tops into Ganache, turn cupcakes right-side up onto a serving plate, and let set.
For the cake – Place the cake on a cooling rack and a cooling rack on a cookie sheet. Pour ganache over the top of the cooled cake and allow it to run down the sides. The cookie sheet will catch any ganache drips from the cake. Transfer cake carefully to serving or cake plate.
NOTE: If garnishing cupcakes or cake with fresh berries, place berries on top of the ganache just after dipping, before it sets.
© 2018 Susan Denzer, Love + Craft Kitchen, LLC, All Rights Reserved
photo: Love+Craft Kitchen
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