It was Wilhelmina’s 1st birthday a few days ago and we needed a cake!
Because she reacted to Gluten we are keeping her diet Gluten free for now, which means that I needed to keep our usual cake recipes in the binder and find an alternative.
I never would have thought that Black Beans would work so well in a cake! It was chocolatey, it was moist… it was delicious and I would never had guessed there was no flour in it!
so you need…
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed) (540ml/19 fl oz)
5 large eggs
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter or extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup Demerara (or brown) sugar
6 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9″ cake pan and dust with cocoa.
Place the beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, sugar and salt into blender or food processor. Process or blend on high until beans are completely liquified.
In a small bowl, Mix together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.
In a larger bowl, beat butter/coconut oil until light and fluffy. Add the remaining two eggs, beating well after each one. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder mixture and water and beat the batter on high for one minute until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done when the top is rounded and firm to the touch.
Instead of making frosting, I waited until the cake was cool and then sprinkled some powdered sugar on top and then made a side of chocolate whipped cream.
Going to make this soon! Now I’m going out for some black beans!!
What an interesting ingredient for cake! Beautiful pics! We’d love for you to share your stuff with us over at dishfolio.com!
Happy 1st Birthday Wilhelmina – you little cutie pie. I live in a hippy, alternative community pueblo in Mexico. Black beans and all things extra healthy are always in demand. I’ll add this to my must try recipes. I already bookmarked this page.
Oh WOW! What an interesting idea! I love black beans and am sooo trying this!!
yay!
xx
[…] can’t wait to try this healthy Gluten Free Black Bean Chocolate Cake […]
We made your gluten free chocolate cake this morning…
and my family and myself love it.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
If you have any more awesome gluten free recipes – please post.
Sooooo delicious!!!
I also make a similar cake with chickpeas!
These suprise ingredients that make desert “healthy” always make my guests feel better about eating a second piece!
ps..i noticed some of your recepies aren’t linked in under your recepie page…i almost missed the sweet potato pie!
I look forward to finding the chickpea recipe!
Absolutely STUNNING photos. Recipe looks delicious. Can’t wait to try! 🙂
Tried this today as our Valentine’s dessert (we’re celebrating a day early). I made a strawberry “frosting” with icing sugar and strawberry freezer jam that wouldn’t set and it was just perfect. I found the texture to be a bit odd and needed to eat at least 2 pieces before I decided it was delicious either way. Definitely bringing this recipe home to try on my sister who is gluten and dairy free.
[…] adapted from a hippie with a minivan […]
[…] saw this on A Hippie with a Minivan and, apart from loving the name of this particular blog, the recipe caught my attention because […]
We made one batch for a party, NEEDED to eat so many that we had to make another batch! Plan to make them again for my kindergarteners Halloween party!!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you have a recipe for this chocolate whipped cream you speak of!?
I don’t have a recipe, but I just added a bit of cocoa powder to my cream before I whipped it… how much would depend on how chocolatey you want it 🙂
[…] i angloj?zycznych blogach (np. tutaj, tutaj albo tutaj). Piek?c ciasto skorzysta?am w ko?cu z tego przepisu. Na zdj?ciach wida? dwie wersje ciasta: „zwyk??” i „tortow?”. […]
Any issue with using regular sugar instead of the Demerara?
No, not at all!!
I made this a week ago, it was so good. I added a tbsp. of mint extract and I loved it! You can’t taste the beans at all! It was rich thick but light! I absolutely LOVED IT!
I’ve read on other blogs that black bean cakes taste better after they have sat overnight or so… did you leave this cake to sit before eating, or just eat it right away?
We eat it the same day just because I can’t have a cake in the house without it being eaten… but it is true that the day after is even better 🙂
I tried it but I must have missed something because it was awful! I didn’t have coconut oil butter (must get) and used flora instead. I used Stevia instead of Demerara so maybe it doesn’t work as a direct sub. It rose and looked yummy but tasted like cardboard. I’ll have to get the exact ingredients to go it a proper go 🙂
Love your blog!
This was SO GOOD. Amazing. And easy =] my partner and I were wondering the nutrition facts! It’s so good we just sit here eating it… thinking it can’t be that bad.. ! =X
side note, we used honey for the sweetener
Hi there, Paxye! I am so glad you and your precious little one enjoyed the black bean cake. 🙂 Looks lovely dusted with powdered sugar like that – nice touch! Found you on FoodGawker.
Would you mind crediting the source for the recipe–my post at Healthy Indulgences Blog–with link? I’d sure appreciate it. 😀
http://www.healthyindulgences.net/2009/05/healthy-chocolate-cake-with-secret.html
I got the recipe over the phone from a friend and took it as inspiration and made my own changes, so the recipe is not the same and sorry to say but you are not the source. (as I see. you also adapted it from another site who adapted it from somewhere else etc) I know of a few others that have also made a simular recipe so I will compile a few links and add it to the end along with yours when I have a bit of time.
Making this right now….just realized I forgot the salt! Oops! Also realized you list water as an ingredient but I do not see it mentioned in the directions. My “batter” already seems pretty liquidy so I did not add it. Hoping it turns out ok. Thanks for the recipe, excited to check out the rest of your blog, you seem very like minded to me and that is always refreshing as I often feel in the minority.
@valleygirl, the water is added with the chocolate powder at the end. Hope yours turns out–I’m planning to make this today for my son’s birthday, as we’re trying gluten free for a couple weeks…
It was AMAZING! I have made it twice since then too, and never added any water at all and it’s perfect just the way it is. Soooo yummy. It was made even better by adding choco chips to the batter. For icing I just melted choco chips over the top when it was still hot. My boy will eat anything healthy but not my girls. Adding the chocolate chips was key for them bc then it tasted divine. 🙂
I made this cake tonight. I was fabulous!!! I am not good about eating healthy but I am working on it. This made my day!!! Thanks!
the butter… salted or unsalted? making this for a gluten-free bd cake tomorrow with high hopes.
I use salted. If you use unsalted, add back some salt… Chocolate needs a big of salt 🙂
Just a short note, thank you, thank you. We all loved your cake. I have made a single batch the first time and the second time a double batch. It is super super good. I replaced the chocolate for now, my husband has chocolate issues so we just replaced equal for equal with carob powder. It was some good, thanks again!! Definately a keeper recipe forever…….
I made this for my birthday a couple of days ago. Though I don’t have a gluten allergy or intolerance, and thus could have easily made a regular chocolate cake, i decided to give this a try and I have to say I am extremely amazed with the result. It tastes so good. I didn’t think black beans would work but they did. I posted this recipe on facebook and others have mentioned they are going to try it.
I’m excited to try this recipe, but did you use sweetened or unsweetened cocoa powder?
Unsweetened 🙂
Stunning! I can not believe how amazing this recipe is. Forget gluten-free flours which I think border on being pasty….its beans for me!
Thank you for adding this and to whom ever sent me a link to it recently. 🙂
Oh my yum!!!! Made this last night and the 3 kids and hubby loved it! I was just curious where you buy the sugar you used? I ended up using half cup stevia half cup sugar. and l wish I could find out how to make it w/out sugar. (stevia isn’t the best for this recipe I noticed) and If I calculated it right…(bad at math 😛 ) it should be around…. 5 eggs = to 2 grams carbs and 6Tbs of butter ( Golden soft o g trans fat) = 0g, 1 can black beans = 19 grams and the cocoa powder = 18 grams so in all its 39 grams if you use stevia…the 1/2 cup sugar is an extra 100 grams. For the whole cake….so 139 grams 🙂 Thank you so much for the recipe! 🙂
Demerara sugar is sugar just not refined and processed as much. Unlike brown sugar that is refined white sugar with the molasses added back, Demerara, or raw sugar, have not had the molasses stripped out of it yet so it retains more nutrients etc…
I don’t use any sugar replacements as I believe that they do mare harm then real sugar, not do I use stevia as it is too sweet for me and has an aftertaste I don’t like, so I can’t help you with making it sugar free, sorry.
Ok Thanks! I was just hoping there was a way around not using sugar , but you are right stevia left a small after taste just not that bad. Thanks for answering my question 😀 I have already made this twice and doubled it! (only last a day lol)
Made this cake a couple of times. It’s a big winner! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
You’re welcome!
I must comment on the last picture under your recipe:
Empty Plate….Good
Oversize Spoon….Better
Cream Hair Mousse….Best
A Picture Speaks a 1000 Words….Priceless
[…] Black Bean Brownies: These brownies are unbelievable- and this is coming from someone who considers themselves somewhat of a Brownie Expert. There are lots of variations on the black bean brownie, so you can do a google search to find one that fits your needs (sugar free, vegan, etc.), but I use, and love, this one. […]
thank you for this. amazing. goes really well with an avocado-based chocolate frosting. (whip together two avocados and add honey or maple syrup, coco powder and a small amount of water to taste)
[…] SOURCE: A Hippie With A Minivan […]
Thanks for the recipe, our kid can’t eat gluten or rice flour, or even spelt flour. This is great, nutritious and delicious.
[…] is the recipe I use. I find that it does not need to be cooked for the full 40-45 minutes, start checking around 30 […]
I made this on the weekend after googling “black bean chocolate cake”. IT IS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS AND MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN HAD SECONDS!!!!! I could never imagine making a cake without any sort of flour in it, and was a bit hesitant to try this recipe, but after reading some of the reviews and comments, I am very glad that I made this cake. Thank you Melissa!!!!! I have shared this with my friends on Facebook.
this cake worked amazingly well!!!(did it as my birthday cake) i also sometimes add a bit of cinammon, or coffee, and sometimes i mix a bit of honey too- of course with less sugar for balance
🙂
[…] gluten-free chocolate cake recipe doesn’t disappoint. I originally made this Gluten Free Black Bean Chocolate Cake that I found on A Hippie With a Minivan blog. It was an instant hit. It was deliciously dense […]
I tried this recipe on the recommendation of a friend who swore by it, when I was asked to make a birthday cake for another friend who eats gluten-free. It got such a great response that it is now my go-to chocolate cake recipe, even when gluten isn’t an issue. By the way, I’ve never added the extra water at the end either, but it’s still moist and wonderful.