TL;DR
The Kitchn’s Celia Funderburk tested a flourless chocolate cake recipe that blends a can of black beans into the batter. She reported a moist, fudgy cake with no noticeable bean taste, though it rose less than expected.
The Kitchn’s Celia Funderburk tested a flourless chocolate cake made with a can of black beans blended into the batter, reporting that it came out moist and fudgy without a noticeable bean flavor. The recipe offers a pantry-based option for people seeking a gluten-free dessert, but Funderburk said her cake rose only modestly and sank further as it baked.
The recipe, attributed in The Kitchn report to food blogger The Pancake Princess, starts by blending black beans with sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda are then added and pulsed into the mixture. The batter is poured into greased cake pans and baked for about 30 minutes at 350°F. The report says to let the cake cool for at least five minutes before icing.
Funderburk said she was surprised that the cake worked and tasted good. In her test, she could not taste the beans; she attributed that to the cocoa and sugar masking their flavor. She described the result as especially moist, dense and fudgy, and said the cake’s chocolate flavor was rich without being overpowering. She also wrote that it tasted good enough that, in her view, icing was not necessary.
The reviewer noted one drawback: the cake did not rise much despite the baking powder and baking soda, and it sank further during baking. That left it harder to slice horizontally for a layered cake. The report contrasts this recipe’s four eggs with a six-egg flourless cake recipe from The Kitchn, suggesting the blended beans contribute to the dense texture. Those comments reflect the author’s experience with this bake, not a controlled comparison.
A Flourless Cake From Pantry Staples
The recipe may appeal to home bakers who want a gluten-free chocolate dessert without buying a long list of specialty ingredients. It uses canned black beans as a central batter ingredient, rather than wheat flour, and the reviewer reported that the beans did not make the finished cake taste savory or strongly bean-like. That is a useful practical observation for readers unsure about trying an unconventional ingredient.
Texture is the main selling point in the review, while the low rise is a trade-off for anyone planning a tall, stacked cake. The source also says beans contribute protein, fiber and antioxidants, but it provides no nutrition label, serving size or detailed nutritional analysis. Those general points should not be read as evidence that the cake is nutritionally equivalent to a meal or that it is low in sugar or calories.
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How Beans Replace Cake Flour
Flourless chocolate cakes are often known for a rich, compact texture, but this particular recipe takes a different approach from one built primarily around eggs and chocolate: it uses blended black beans as part of the batter. The source frames the beans as helping create a dense, spongy texture. It does not provide a technical explanation or baking-science test showing exactly how each ingredient affects the cake.
The Kitchn article is a first-person recipe review, not a laboratory test or a report of a newly announced food product. Funderburk describes making the cake, tasting it and noting how it behaved in the oven. The original article also includes a standard disclosure that The Kitchn may earn a commission if readers buy products linked from its pages; that disclosure does not establish any connection between the recipe and a particular product sale.
“No, you cannot taste the beans.”
— Celia Funderburk, The Kitchn editorial assistant
gluten-free chocolate cake ingredients
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Rise and Results May Vary
The source offers one reviewer’s bake, not results from repeated trials, so it does not establish how consistently the cake will turn out across ovens, pan sizes or ingredient brands. It also does not specify the exact can size or bean preparation details in the supplied material, such as whether the beans should be drained and rinsed. Readers should check the original recipe for those instructions before baking.
It remains unclear whether the cake’s limited rise was caused by the recipe itself, the reviewer’s technique, the pans used or another factor. The report does not provide a tested adjustment for preventing the cake from sinking, nor does it include a full nutrition breakdown. The ingredient list also contains eggs and butter, so the described recipe is not vegan; the source does not address substitutions for those ingredients.
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Check the Recipe Before Baking
The immediate next step for readers interested in trying the cake is to consult The Pancake Princess recipe linked from The Kitchn report and follow its complete ingredient and pan instructions. The source’s summary gives a 350°F oven temperature and an approximate baking time of 30 minutes, but a cake’s doneness can depend on the pan and oven. Follow the original recipe’s doneness guidance rather than relying on time alone, and let the cake cool as directed before handling or icing it.
No further testing or recipe update is announced in the supplied report. Until additional results are available, the reported moisture and lack of bean flavor should be treated as one person’s experience, while the modest rise is a limitation she observed in her own cake.
baking soda and baking powder for cakes
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Key Questions
Can you taste the black beans in the cake?
Funderburk said she could not taste the beans in her test and credited the cocoa powder and sugar with covering their flavor. Results may vary, and the report does not describe a broader taste test.
Does the cake contain flour?
The recipe is described as flourless and uses blended black beans in the batter. The source presents it as an option for gluten-free eaters, but readers with celiac disease or serious gluten sensitivity should check every ingredient and avoid cross-contamination.
How is the black bean chocolate cake made?
The reported method blends black beans with sugar, melted butter, eggs and vanilla, then mixes in cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. The batter is baked in greased pans at 350°F for about 30 minutes; consult the original recipe for full quantities and preparation details.
Will the cake make a tall layer cake?
Not necessarily. Funderburk said her cake did not rise much and sank further while baking, which made it harder to slice into layers. The report does not give a tested fix.
Does the recipe suit people avoiding eggs or dairy?
The described version includes eggs and butter, so it is not vegan or dairy-free. The source does not test replacements, and it does not provide guidance on whether substitutions would preserve the cake’s texture.
Source: rss
