Fudgy, dense, and begging for a dollop of whipped cream—or Greek yogurt, for the virtuous—this is a devilishly dreamy cake, especially when accompanied by a cup of coffee or mint tea. The life-giving slice walks the line between letting go of healthy ideals and keeping real-food eating values in check.
Tip
Skip the cocoa and prunes, replacing them with 2 tsp (10 mL) grated grapefruit zest and 1/2 tsp (1 mL) orange flower water, for a juicier take on the wintry dessert.
Flourless Hazelnut Cacao Cake with Whisky and Prunes
Ingredients
- 2 - 14 oz (398 mL) cans white beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2/3 cup (160 mL) creamed raw honey
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) pitted prunes
- 4 large organic eggs
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) whisky or 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (250 mL) hazelnut meal or almond meal
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted, plus more for pan
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
- 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) ground black pepper
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories315
- protein10g
- fat15g
- saturated fat7g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates40g
- sugars19g
- fibre6g
- sodium90mg
Directions
01
Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line 6 in (15 cm) or 8 in (20 cm) springform pan with parchment paper and lightly grease all sides and bottom.
02
In food processor, blend beans, honey, prunes, eggs, and whisky or vanilla until smooth. Scrape down sides and blend again, until uniform. Add hazelnut or almond meal, cacao or cocoa, butter or coconut oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Blend again until mixture is uniformly chocolatey.
03
Smooth mixture into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 50 minutes (more or less time, depending on the depth of pan) or until dry to the touch and a toothpick inserted in centre comes out mostly clean with a few damp crumbs still clinging. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
04
Unhinge pan and transfer cake to wire cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing and serving (itu2019s even better the next day). Store leftovers airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days, or tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Allison Day, RHN
Allison Day, RHN, is a nutritionist, blogger, and cookbook author. Her cookbooks, Whole Bowls and Purely Pumpkin (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016), are out now. She is currently working on her third cookbook, Modern Lunch (Appetite by Random House).
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