Black Bean Chocolate Cake with Cocoacream Filling

Makes one 9-inch square cake

It’s grain free, gluten-free, marvelously moist, and no one believes it’s beans! To reduce the caffeine content substitute roasted carob powder for up to half of the cocoa powder in this cake.

1 cup whole cane, date, or coconut palm sugar

¼  cup butter or extra-virgin coconut oil, plus more for oiling the pan

1 ½ cups cooked black beans, drained (3/4 cup dry beans, soaked overnight and boiled until soft; or use plain unsalted canned beans)

3 large eggs

1 vanilla pod

6 tablespoons non-alkalized, fair-trade cocoa powder

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt, finely ground

1 ¼ cup Cocoacream Filling

Have all of the ingredients at room temperature. Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9–inch square baking pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper. Butter the sides.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade combine the sugar and butter or coconut oil. Process until the mixture becomes uniform, about 1 minute. Add the beans and eggs. Process until smooth, about one minute. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the tiny beans. Add the vanilla beans, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Process until the mixture resembles a traditional cake batter, about 1 minute. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Cut two pieces of parchment paper slightly larger than the size of the cake. Use a knife to loosen the cake from the edges of the pan. Place one piece of the parchment paper and a cutting board or plate on top of the cake pan. Quickly flip the cake and pan over onto the paper and board (or plate). Lift off the pan. Discard the parchment paper on top of the cake.

Stabilize the cake by gently pressing the top with a flat hand. Use a long knife to slice the cake into two layers of equal thickness. Use long spatulas to transfer the top layer of the cake to the second piece of parchment paper.  Brush the loose crumbs from the tops and sides of both layers. Spread ½ cup Cocoacream Filling evenly over the bottom layer. Place the top layer. Frost the top with the remaining ¾ cup of filling. Leave the sides unfrosted. Carefully transfer to a serving platter.

Two layers of cake, ready to assemble

This was shared at Slightly Indulgent Tuesday the Grain-Free Real Food Link Carnival.