Black Bean & Banana Birthday Cake

A gluten free take on the famous Guinness cake with a fermented kefir 'creme fraiche' topping.

Guinness cake was most probably my favourite baked good ever before starting on my autoimmune healing journey ~ it was always rich, delicious and felt so decadent.

Since giving up gluten, baking cakes with beans has become a bit of staple. They are fuss-free and to date have always come out well

With a birthday approaching, I decided to have a little search around for a black bean cake recipe that could satisfy any Guinness cake cravings.

What manifested was inspired by the BB Brownies in The Art of Eating Well by Hemsley Hemsley; a black bean base with a few added extras ~ 1 banana, a spoonful of sourdough starter and a kefir ‘creme fraiche’ for the whipped white topping.

The cake is high in protein and antioxidants from the black beans and rich in magnesium due to the cacao. It is refined sugar free with sweetness coming from the banana, dates and vanilla extract.

It is rich, filling and very, very moreish.

We ate half straight out the oven and the rest went into the fridge. The cake was snacked on for breakfast two days in a row and I think it tastes even better when served cold.

If you have any left over I highly recommend keeping it the fridge - or maybe even making it the night before a birthday and leaving it in overnight for a celebratory breakfast feast the next morning.

Let me know if you make it, I would love to know… Who’s special birthday did you celebrate? Did you keep it in the fridge? And was it even better the next day?

I hope you enjoy,

Fleur x

BLACK BEAN AND BANANA BIRTHDAY CAKE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tin of cooked black beans

• 115ml coconut oil

• 4 eggs

• 1 banana

• 85g cacao or carob powder

• 150ml maple syrup or 8 pitted dates

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 50ml coffee

• pinch of salt

OPTIONAL

• 1 tbsp sourdough starter

• 1/4 tsp molasses

  + 20cm lined cake tin

FOR THE TOPPING

• 200g creme fraiche (kefir labneh whisked with honey makes a great creme fraiche alternative)

• 100g coconut flour

• 50g dark chocolate (optional)

RECIPE

• Preheat the oven to 170c.

• Grease and line the inside of a cake tin with coconut oil or butter.

• Rinse the black beans and leave to drain in the colander.

• Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.

• With a blender, mix all the ingredients togethers except the coconut oil (the mixture might need pulsing a few times at first, then blend until smooth).

• With the blender running, slowly mix in the coconut oil, a little at a time so as not to cook the eggs.

• Taste test the batter ~ add a little extra vanilla / maple syrup or a couple more dates if it needs to be slightly sweeter.

• Pour the mixture into the cake pan and tap on the counter to remove any bubbles.

• Bake for 40 – 45 mins, it will be ready when a knife comes out clean.

• Leave the cake to cool in the tin while you mix the creme fraiche in a bowl.

• Add a spoonful of coconut flour at a time to to thicken up the creme frainche until it feels thick and a good texture for spreading.

• When the cake is completely cool, lift out the tin and spread the creme fraiche mixture over the top with a spatula.

• Grate the dark chocolate over the top of the cake to serve.

• Keep the cake in the fridge when it is not being eaten.

• Enjoy :~)