Flourless Chocolate Bean Cake

Flourless chocolate cakes are a favorite, so trying out this recipe with white beans and walnuts was a must. It turned out to be delicious! The texture is creamy and it lasts for several days. 

This flourless chocolate bean cake was not my first choice of recipe, and while making it still had my doubts. Then I tried it and knew it was perfect for posting.

It was a surprise, and a good one. 

Using beans in sweet recipes. 

Chocolate recipes with beans have been around for a while, but they usually involve red beans, like the ones we like with a chili bowl. 

This one uses cannellini beans, the medium white ones. They are popular and can be bought canned or dried. They add a lot of texture and balance the sweetness. And add all the nutrients of course. 

About flourless chocolate cakes. 

I love them, they’re one of my favorite chocolate cakes. 

Why? Because they are light but have a lot of chocolate flavor, keep well, look sophisticated and you can share with gluten-intolerant friends. 

The tricky part is whipping the egg whites well as they give the cake its structure. 

This is no ordinary flourless cake.

The white cannellini beans are added to a mousse-like batter together with a considerable amount of ground walnuts.

The result is the tallest flourless chocolate cake I ever made. And it stays that way. It doesn’t sink much in the middle, as most do. 

Now, I swear by Nigella’s flourless chocolate mousse cake, which I already posted served with my favorite caramel ice cream. It’s beyond good, not only in flavor but also in texture. I’ve made it dozens of times and will probably never tire of it.

Other recipes you might like:

Chocolate Potato Cake
Coffee Chocolate Mini Bundt Cakes
Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Bourbon Chocolate Bundt Cake
Vegan Chocolate Mousse Cake 

Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
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Flourless Chocolate Bean Cake

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 55
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Cakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: International

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Description

Flourless chocolate cakes are a favorite, so trying out this recipe with white beans and walnuts was a must. It turned out to be delicious! The texture is creamy and it lasts for several days. 

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 8 oz. (225g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 cups (200g) walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1 cup (200g) sugar
• 1 ½ cups (scant two 300g cans) drained white beans, I used canellini
• 2 Tbs dark rum
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 6 large eggs, separated
• Pinch of salt
• Confectioners’ sugar (for dusting)

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
2. Lightly butter or spray a 10-inch silicone or springform pan.
3. Melt the chocolate in a steel or glass bowl over a pan of boiling water, being careful the bottom of the bowl is not touching water. Or microwave, in 30 seconds intervals, mixing well between each one and being careful not to overcook the chocolate and scorch it. Let cool to room tº.
4. Meanwhile, in a food processor, grind walnuts with ¼ cup of the sugar. Transfer to another bowl.
5. Using the same processor, puree the white beans with the rum and the vanilla extract.
6. One by one, add the egg yolks and process until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and process until smooth.
7. With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until soft peaks start to form. While beating at high speed, gradually add the remaining ¾ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and the meringue is glossy.
8. Add ¼ of the chocolate batter into the meringue, and mix lightly with a spatula.
9. Add the rest of the chocolate in two more additions, mixing lightly between each one. It will not be even colored.
10. Add the ground walnuts and mix with a spatula until it’s all one even batter, but careful not to over mix.
11. Put into the prepared pan, place an aluminum foil in the bottom of the oven if using a springform pan in case the cake drips, and bake for about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
12. The top will be firm and a tester inserted in center of the cake will come out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack until the cake is at room tº.
13. Unmold on a serving plate, dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve. Can be kept for a few days. If you refrigerate it, serve it at room temperature.

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Notes

Use a different bean, like red kidney beans. If using dried beans: soak them in water for 8 hours before draining and cooking them.

Use a different nut, like ground almonds.

Keywords: chocolate white bean cake, chocolate bean cake

 

Paula Montenegro

A baker for more than 30 years, I love testing recipes and sharing the best of what I find. I'm mostly self-taught with some time spent in baking school. I believe we can all be bakers and cooks with the right instructions and simple ingredients. If you're craving easy recipes with amazing results, you're in the right place. Let's get into the kitchen!