Healthy (Black Bean!) Chocolate Cake... Oh and it's gluten-free too

"This cake would be amazing even if I didn't know it was made out of beans", says my husband, after his second slice.

Meaning, it is truly delicious (and not just delicious for a "healthy dessert"). It tastes as decadent and as indulgent as any "normal" chocolate cake... only it isn't much of an indulgence at all. This cake is mainly made out of highly nutritious black beans - as odd as that sounds. The beans give the cake a wonderfully moist and fudge-y texture.

I was inspired to make this cake for my sweet-toothed toddler - as a way to sneak in some extra protein via the beans. I wasn't expecting to like it very much myself - but I LOVED it!
This cake is gluten-free too, as it contains no flour at all. It's sweetened with pure maple syrup and semi-sweet chocolate. And it's fantastic!

Read on for the recipe....

Healthy Black Bean Chocolate Cake (gluten-free)

Ingredients:

400g (approx 2 1/3 cups) cooked black beans (I used canned)
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt
200ml pure maple syrup
1/3 cup almond meal (finely ground almonds) - can substitute 1/3 cup all purpose flour (if you're ok with gluten), or any flour really.
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder.
125 g butter or coconut oil
180g dark chocolate, chopped
3 whole eggs

1. In a food processor, blend the beans, cocoa powder, maple syrup, salt, almond meal, baking soda and baking powder until relatively smooth (stopping and scraping down the bowl intermittently as needed).
2. Melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat on the stove - then add it to bean mixture.
3. Using an electric mixer - beat the eggs until nice and frothy (3 minutes on high). Then gently fold the beaten eggs into the chocolate/bean mixture using a spatula, until combined.
4. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Rub a bit of butter around the sides to prevent the cake from sticking. Pour in the batter, and bake at 350 degrees in the centre of the oven for about 50 minutes - an inserted cake tester should come out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in its pan before removing.

I like to finish the cake with a thin coating of  chocolate ganache (I'm indulgent like that), and serve it with fresh raspberries.... and possibly vanilla ice cream or fresh whip cream ;)
A light dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder would also be nice.