Who would have known it was even possible to make such a delicious healthy guilt-free chocolate cake?!  I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about a recipe.   Thanks to Lauren over at Healthy Indulgences, we now have a healthy alternative to the regular sugar filled chocolate cake that I used to like so much…and this one even tastes BETTER!!! It is moist and chocolaty and delicious.  Be sure to check out Lauren’s Healthy Indulgences blog.  She has some really great recipes over there!

The secret ingredient?  Black beans!!  Seriously!  For those of you concerned about tasting the beans when you are done, Lauren promises that you will NOT be able to taste any beans after 8 hours and she is absolutely right.  Everyone who has tried this has been in awe of how good it is and NO ONE can taste the beans.  So don’t let that stop you from trying this cake!

Okay, without further ado, here is her recipe.  I’ve made some italicized notes next to ingredients that I changed a little bit in my cake.  Enjoy!

This makes a single 9″ layer cake, which can be halved and stacked for the taller cake you see here!

Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans

OR 1 1/2 cup cooked beans, any color

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR extra virgin coconut oil  (I used 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil)

3/4 cup erythritol plus 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract OR 1/4-1/3 cup honey plus 1 teaspoon stevia OR 1 cup Splenda  (I used 1/2 cup agave nectar plus 1 tsp. stevia)

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon water (omit if using honey)  (also omit if using agave nectar)

Mint Chocolate variation:

2 teaspoons mint extract (in place of 2 teaspoons vanilla)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9″ cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of butter. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.  (I just lightly buttered my pan, sprinkled cocoa powder on it and skipped the parchment paper.  I had NO problems with it sticking.)

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or honey) (or agave nectar) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even. Frost immediately before serving

For those watching carbs:

~ 57.6g net carbs for the whole cake using erythritol/stevia.

~5.7g net carbs per 1/10th

~125.6g net carbs for the whole cake using honey/stevia.

~12.56g net carbs per 1/10th

For those watching calories:

6 servings = 350 calories per serving (this includes the frosting)

Healthy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to thickly cover one layer, or fill and frost a halved stacked layer.  (I found it to be not quite enough when layering so I made one and a half times the recipe the second time around and it was better.  I would probably double it if I wanted to really frost all of the outside edges well.)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened, OR 7 tablespoons nonhydrogenated shortening

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon erythritol powdered, OR 1/4 cup xylitol powdered

5-6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons half and half OR coconut milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

Good-tasting pure stevia extract, to taste (I didn’t have liquid stevia and found the powder one to begin leaving a bitter aftertaste before it was sweet enough so I used 1/16 tsp. powdered stevia and then a squeeze – how’s that for a measurement? – of agave nectar.)

Optional addition for a glossy finish:

1 fresh organic egg yolk (I have made this both with and without the egg yolk and have found that the egg yolk improves both the consistency and the spread-ability of the frosting so it’s a good idea to use it if you can.  I do recommend that you refrigerate any leftovers if you do use it though.)

Preparation:

Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two (I used my blender and it worked great), until extremely fine in texture (reminiscent of powdered sugar). Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top. Stir powdered sweetener into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), vanilla, and sea salt. Beat in the half and half and egg yolk, if using. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon. You’ll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking. (see note above)

~7g net carbs for the frosting, using erythritol

 

Linked to:  Monday Mania