Must Make This Now

There are a few occasions when I see a recipe on a blog and I know that I need to make it immediately. Of course, I bookmark several new recipes each week, but I never have time to try all of them.  Unsurprisingly, it was a chocolate and peanut butter recipe that made the “must-make-this-now” cut.

When I saw this cake on chocolate and carrots, I wanted to stick my fork through the screen. Realizing that the cake was made with black beans, I was even more intrigued.

I’ve actually made black bean brownies before, but they were dense and fudgy. This cake, on the other hand, looked light and, well, cakey.

Last week, I had some time off from work and took advantage of the opportunity to try this wonderful dessert.  Links to the recipe components for this Chocolate Black Bean Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Glaze are below.

Start the cake by combining dry ingredients: cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; set aside

Combine black beans, sugar, vanilla, and some of the eggs in a blender until mixture becomes liquid; set aside

Beat softened butter in a mixer until light and creamy

Add remaining eggs, one at a time

Once fully combined, add the black bean mixture and mix; then add the dry ingredients

Mix batter until everything is well combined, batter will be just like regular chocolate cake batter!

I did not have small cake pans, so I baked the cake in a spring-form pan instead (20-25 minutes)

Set cake aside to cool

For cream cheese peanut butter frosting, use cream cheese softened at room temperature

Beat well until light and creamy

Add peanut butter and then confectioners’ sugar

Frosting is ready when creamy but slightly stiff (I used fat free cream cheese and had to add a tablespoon of milk to the icing because it was too stiff)

Scoop peanut butter frosting onto cooled cake

Cover cake entirely

Since we didn’t have cream, I made a chocolate glaze instead of a ganache

Combine chocolate, butter, and corn syrup over low heat; stir in vanilla

Top cake with glaze immediately

Slice and serve!

The black bean cake was light, moist and perfectly complemented by the rich chocolate glaze and creamy peanut butter frosting.  It was lower in calories than a typical cake, but still satisfying enough that I was able to enjoy one slice and walk away (a slight miracle for me).  I can’t wait to make it again!

Click links below for the following recipes:

Chocolate Black Bean Cake

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Chocolate Glaze

What was the last recipe you saw and had to make immediately?