Chocolate Layer Cake w/Buttercream Frosting
 

Recipe and more photos here, at my blog!


The best part about this cake is that it's totally budget-friendly. It's basically beans, eggs, and cocoa! You can use a cup of Splenda instead of the sweeteners listed, if you'd like.

Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake
Adapted from a recipe at LowCarbFriends

Makes a single 9" layer cake, which can be halved and stacked for the taller cake you see here!

Ingredients:
1-15 ounce can of unseasoned black beans
OR 1 1/4 cup cooked beans, any color
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted organic butter OR extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup erythritol plus 1/2 teaspoon pure stevia extract OR 1/4-1/3 cup honey plus 1 teaspoon stevia
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon water (omit if using honey)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9" cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray, or just grease it with a thin layer of butter. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, stevia (if using) and salt into blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps! Whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat butter with sweetener (erythritol or honey) until light and fluffy. Add remaining two eggs, beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder and water (if using), and beat the batter on high for one minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 325 degrees for 45 minutes. You may need a little longer, as my oven runs hot. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch. After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over again on to a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap or with cake dome (I use an overturned plastic chip bowl). For BEST flavor, let cake sit over night. I promise this cake will not have a hint of beaniness after letting it sit for eight hours! If you are stacking this cake, level the top with a long serrated knife, shaving off layers until it is flat and even. Frost immediately before serving.

~57.6g net carbs for the whole cake using erythritol/stevia.
~5.7g net carbs per 1/10th
~125.6g net carbs for the whole cake using honey/stevia.
~12.56g net carbs per 1/10th
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Healthy Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Makes enough to thickly cover one layer, or fill and frost a halved stacked layer

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened, OR 7 tablespoons nonhydrogenated shortening
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon erythritol, OR 1/4 cup xylitol, powdered
5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons half and half OR coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Good-tasting pure stevia extract, to taste

Optional addition for a glossy finish:
1 fresh organic egg yolk

Preparation:
Cream the butter in a small bowl until fluffy. Powder erythritol or xylitol in a coffee grinder or Magic Bullet for a minute or two, until extremely fine. Let sweetener settle in grinder before opening the top. Stir powdered sweetener it into butter with a spatula, then beat until smooth. Slowly blend in the cocoa powder (unless you want to redecorate your kitchen), vanilla, and sea salt. Beat in the half and half and egg yolk, if using. Add stevia, starting with 1/16 teaspoon. You'll probably use less than 1/4 teaspoon. Just keep tasting and adjust sweetness to your liking.

~7g net carbs for the frosting, using erythritol

OMG! You are so naughty! :) That looks absolutely amazing.

I'm going to faint!

I finally made this and I really, really enjoyed it!

My only comments are, mine came out a bit dry at the minimum cooking time, so I might check it earlier. Also, it didn't raise all that well, it was about an inch high. I wanted a double cake but splitting one cake in half wasn't going to work to make the high, stacked cake like it was pictured. I only had one cake pan, so stacking two cakes wasn't feasible this time. So I cut the circle in half and made a stacked half-circle cake. Looked like I ate half of it. :lol: Anyway, It was very good. No one could believe it had no flour and contained black beans.

The frosting needed (and I added) quite a bit more sweetener. Even then it wasn't overly sweet (I hate cake frosting usually because it is too sweet).

I really know nothing about cakes or frosting, because I've never been a big fan of cake. But this could get me to change my mind. :cheer:

It looks sinfully delicious! Hard to believe it's made from beans.

I am making this again for xmas. I used soy beans this time and added some prunes (not LC, I know) for extra moisture. I am making 2 9" cakes because otherwise it's too short! It looks like it'll be super moist this time.

I also ended up adding more cocoa, just seemed like the batter needed it. Less sweetener though because the prunes are sweet.

I also made an espresso custard for the middle. I hope the cakes don't slide off!

OOOOOOOOO....

It's the farting cupcake recipe made into a big cake. YUUUUUUMMM!!

and I'm not being sarcastic either. I made these into cupcakes and they were to die for. I used black soy beans. I may need to make another batch now that I've seen the picture:yum:

Lisa

PS--these did NOT make me fart. Thought I'd just clear that up;)

The cakes smell absolutely delicious! Frosted it just now. I really need to learn how to frost a cake, it looks like crap.

Oh who cares what it looks like--it's the taste that counts!

Just made this with black soy beans tonight and it is freakin' delicious. It hasn't gotten any icing yet but it is still really delicious.

This thing is awesome, by the way. It became my go-to chocolate cake recipe. And you can make some ridiculously good buttercream frosting with erythritol.

Even my dad(not low carb) said that it was delicious.

My parents both regularly ask me to make these. I made one for my father as a birthday cake.

I do a Nigella Lawson-esque technique, though, and dump all the ingredients into a food processor. Does not appear to adversely affect temperature.

got to do this one

I made this yesterday as we have a visitor for dinner tonight. Man, is this cake ever good! As was stated earlier in the thread, it didn't rise up enough to slice and ice into two layers, so I just iced as a single layer cake. Going to make two next time and ice between the layers for visual impact. Mmmm. Thanks for posting this recipe. And BTW, the frosting is to die for! Hubby liked both the cake and frosting, too!!!!!!!! BTW I used drained cannellini beans in mine as that's all I had in the house.