Chocolate and beans? You wouldn’t think to mix these two ingredients together but they truly work. Pinto beans are a commonly used to make refried beans and you can pick them up, tinned, in most supermarkets. Adding beans to your cake gives it extra protein and a dense finish. This recipe is perfect if you want to give a classic chocolate cake a new twist.
Ingredients
- 1 can of pinto beans (175g drained)
- 150g butter
- 100g milk chocolate
- 100g dark chocolate
- 100g soft brown sugar
- 50g caster sugar
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2 eggs
- 100g self-raising flour
- ½tsp baking powder
Method
Preheat oven 160C/325F/Gas Mark 6. Grease and line an 8 inch cake tin.
Melt both the milk and dark chocolates in a large bowl resting on a smaller saucepan containing 1 inch of water. The water should be simmering very gently on a low heat. When most of the chocolate squares are melted give it a stir and take off the heat and set aside. It will continue to melt without any more heat.
Drain and thoroughly wash the pinto beans and blend until completely smooth. Place into a large mixing bowl.
Measure 2 tbsp of cocoa and sift into the bowl with the beans. Mix together to make a chocolaty paste.
Put the sugar, flour , baking powder, and salt into the mixing bowl with the pinto bean paste. Melt the butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Moving swiftly add the melted butter, chocolate and the eggs to the rest of ingredients in the bowl and whisk until completely combined.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes in the preheated oven. Check the cake after 25-30 minutes as some ovens are quicker. Remove from the tin and dust with cocoa powder or vanilla infused icing sugar.
Top tip for making Chocolate and pinto bean cake
Have a packet of vanilla-infused icing sugar in your store cupboard at all times, it’s so easy to make. Just take 2 vanilla pods and open out and drop them into a 1kg box of icing sugar and stir every day until fully infused. By one week its ready to use.
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