Black Bean Brownie Cake With Strawberry Mascarpone Cream

If you’ve never made (or tasted) black bean brownies – you’re in for a real treat (literally!). This moist and chocolatey brownie cake is absolutely delicious, uses pantry staple items and is gluten free too!

 I love garnishing the final dish with a drizzle of Crosby’s Maple + Molasses (click here for product info).

Note: my recipe calls to make this cake in a 9-inch round springform pan = cake is not overly thick. If you want a thicker cake – you can use an 8-inch (or 6-inch) cake pan but you willl have to increase the baking time by about 5 to 10 minutes. I like a thinner cake so the mascarpone cream and local-in-season strawberries (yay!) have the spotlight. 

Black Bean Brownie Cake

Ingredients

• 1 (540 mL/19oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup (60 mL) softened butter
• 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract
• ½ cup (125 mL) quality cocoa powder
• ½ cup (125 mL) dark chocolate chips
• ½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar
• ¼ cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
• ½ tsp (2 mL) baking powder
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).
2. Place beans in a bowl of food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until roughly chopped.
3. Add eggs, butter, and vanilla and pulse until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down sides of the bowl when needed.
4. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until batter is very well combined.
5. Pour batter into a 9-inch round cake pan (or springform pan) lined with parchment paper and greased on sides.
6. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly.
7. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Strawberry Mascarpone Cream

Ingredients

• ¾ cup (175 mL) 35% whipping cream
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) icing sugar
• ½ cup (125 mL) mascarpone cheese
• Seeds of half a vanilla bean (or 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract)
• ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
• 3 cups (750 mL) chopped fresh strawberries, divided

Directions

1. Whip cream and icing sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form.
2. Add remaining ingredients (except for strawberries) and beat until just combined.
3. Fold in 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) of strawberries.
4. Dollop mixture over cake in a rustic mound – leaving about 1-inch of cake showing. Garnish with remaining ½ cup (125 mL) chopped strawberries.
5. Makes 8 servings.

Delicious & Doable Tips:

~ come mid-August use diced ripe peaches instead of strawberries.
~ love coconut? Add 1 tsp (5 mL) of coconut extract to brownie batter and garnish strawberry cream topping with ⅓ cup (75 mL) toasted coconut.

Where to Find ‘Delicious & Doable’ Across Ontario

Find ‘Delicious & Doable ~ Recipes For Real and Everyday Life’ on Amazon (click here) or at one of the below retailers across Ontario:

Type Books ~ 883 Queen Street West, Toronto
Lemonberry ~ 2 Orchard Heights Blvd #10, Aurora
Fanfare Books ~ 92 Ontario St, Stratford
Casual Gourmet ~ 1027 King Street West, Hamilton
The Post Office – 18 Front St. N, Thorold
Chef’s Paradise ~ 1314 Bank Street, Ottawa
Gift It Grey ~ 19492 Opeongo Line, Barry’s Bay
Creative Cook ~ 35 Manitoba St, Bracebridge
Muskoka Brewery ~ 1964 Muskoka Beach Rd, Bracebridge
Stephen’s Butcher Shop ~ 8 Harris St, Port Carling
Hilltop Interiors ~ 1150 ON-141, Rosseau
Cedar Canoe Books ~ 72 Main St E, Huntsville
Clark’s On Main ~ 1090 Main Street, Dorset
Bigley’s Cottage Kitchen ~ 39 Bolton St, Bobcaygeon
Farmer’s Daughter – 72 Main St E, Huntsville
Kitchen Bits ~ 1390 Kingsway, Greater Sudbury