Chocolate beany cake
The recipe calls for apple sauce, which I make by peeling and chopping any kind of eating apple into small chunks and popping them in the microwave for 2 minutes until soft and squishy.
Chocolate cake needn't be sinful when you make it with healthier ingredients. Here Sally Bee makes hers with cannellini beans and apple sauce to cut out the fat but still keep the great taste... just make sure you only stick to one slice!
(Makes 12 slices)
Ingredients:
400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed5 large free-range eggs3 tbsp vegetable oil3 tbsp applesauce400g caster sugar1 tbsp vanilla extract6 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted1 tsp baking powderLow fat creme fraiche and summer berries, to serve (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 4 and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment
Place the drained cannellini beans in the bowl of a food-processor with two of the eggs and pulse until the mixture resembles a smooth cream. This may take a while – you want to ensure that no lumps remain.
Add the oil, applesauce, sugar and vanilla to the food-processor and beat for a few minutes
Add the remaining eggs, cocoa and baking powder to the mixture and beat again for a further couple of minutes to ensure there are no lumps
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40–45 minutes lightly covered with foil, checking if the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer in the middle and checking it comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack before serving
Serve with a spoonful of low fat creme fraiche and summer berries