I have bought a lovely book by Tori Haschka. I bought it because I saw photos on her Instagram feed of Raspberry, White Bean and Rose Cake, and Chocolate, Black Bean, and Cherry Cake. I was hooked, there and then.
CAKE. WITH BEANS. CAKE MADE OF BEANS.
Of course I bought the book!
Lowering your carb intake isn’t always easy. If you love cake, then it’s tricky, but you can do it. It just so happens that these bean cakes make it even easier.
The first one I made was this. I am a total sucker for rose in anything. (Except in Dr Who. Let’s not speak of this again.)
Raspberry, White Bean and Rose
1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, well rinsed and drained
3 x medium eggs
100g caster sugar
3 tbs ground almonds
3 tbs desiccated coconut
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbs rose water
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp rose extract (I use Star Kay White, excellent extracts.)
8-10 fresh raspberries.
Blitz everything apart from the fruit together in a food processor until smooth.
Butter a loaf tin. Dust the inside with desiccated coconut and place a row of raspberries on the bottom.
Pour the mixture slowly into the tin (silicon for me, but inside another metal tin as it stops the sides bowing out) pop the rest of the raspberries on top and bake for 35 minutes.
I bake them at 170C in a fan oven.
TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS.
Bean, Pistachio and Rose
Chocolate, Black Bean and Cherry
Gingered Fruit Cake
It is a dense texture, with a mouthfeel reminiscent of the red bean filling in Chinese new year cakes. I added in the coconut because I adore coconut and raspberry, plus it shoves the Brain Says Beans thing to one side. I might add more next time.
This was so nice, that I had to make another. Many more tweaks this time.
1 x 400g tin of flageolet beans, rinsed and drained
3 x medium eggs
100g caster sugar
6 heaped tbs ground toasted pistachios + 1 tsp for dusting the tin
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbs rose water
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp rose extract
½ tsp cinnamon extract
Whole pistachios, dried raspberries and strawberries
Blitz everything (apart from the dried fruit, and the 1 tbs ground pistachios)together in a food processor until smooth.
Butter a loaf tin and dust the whole of the insides with ground pistachios.
Pour the mixture into the tin (silicon again for me) and bake for around an hour, again at 170C in my fan oven.
I tested at 40 minutes, and it needed more time.
The very first one I made was the basic one direct from the book, with minor tweaks because I had things I wanted to use up. This one was because I so wanted to experiment. Tori’s book does that to you.
I took this one to work, and nobody even guessed there was a tin of beans in it. It all disappeared fast.
And again…next up was
I halved the sugar in this version and added Splenda, as a test, mainly, to see if it works. I could, in all probability, use all Splenda.
1 400g tin black/turtle beans, well rinsed and drained
3 tbs cocoa (I used Green & Blacks)
1 shot strong espresso (30 ml)
3 medium eggs
50g golden caster sugar
125g glacé cherries, most chopped, 4 reserved for the top
3 tbs Splenda
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Blitz it all together, stir in the chopped fruit, pour into a greased tin, pop four whole cherries on top, and bake for 40 minutes at 170C fan. (I greased the tin with orange olive oil. Good taste.)
It’s even darker in appearance than the photo shows.
And so to today. A grey, rainy day that needed spice and warmth. Ginger. Yes.
1 400g tin borlotti beans, well rinsed and drained
6 tbs ground almonds
3 medium eggs
50g golden caster sugar
3 tbs Splenda
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp each mixed spice/cinnamon/orange flower water
2 tbs fig molasses (or use black treacle)
10 glacé cherries, chopped in half
Handful of sultanas
Blitz all except the fruit in a food processor.
Stir in the fruit.
Pour into a well greased tin (I use silicone brushed with the orange flavoured olive oil again) and bake at 170C fan for 40 minutes.
Beautiful colour, and an even rise.
(slice view: http://instagram.com/p/sPUKUJTiDx)
I can’t wait to taste these! But they are for Cake Club at work. On Thursday. [sigh]
I shall just have to eat toasted pistachios, and bide my time.
05.03.17 Another variation!
Coconut and Raspberry Cakes
1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, well rinsed and drained
3 x medium eggs
1 tbs light olive oil (coconut flour soaks up moisture and I was loathe to use another egg)
3 good tbs Sukrin Gold
3 heaped tbs ground almonds (Wilton Foods brand)
3 heaped tbs coconut flour (fine ground, I used RealFood but any fine grind brand will do I think.)
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp coconut extract
5 drops caramel extract
(I also added 3 tbs crystallised raspberry pieces, but raspberry fruit roll, chopped up, would work.)
Essentially, you whizz all of the above in a food processor, then bake in silicone muffin moulds for 20-25 minutes until golden. I would add in 1-2 tbs desiccated coconut next time, for texture.
COOKWITCH'S CREATIONS 
You've got the prettiest pistachios! I've been seeing bean-based cakes on gluten-free blogs for a while but this is the first time they've seemed tempting – everything about that ginger cake is calling my name!
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Tori has made them luscious. I just had to have a try. Of course, they do not have the sugar/butter/flour texture, but they really are delicious. I'm having a great time!
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Amazing. These I need to make and I will!
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