Coconut and Lemon Magic Bean Cake (includes Thermomix method)

So, travelling beyond the original dark and decadent chocolate 'Magic Bean Cake', here is a more summery version...

Moist and zingy, with little crunches from the coconut and a slightly crumbly texture - if you love lemon cakes, you will love this and you'll have fun getting people trying to guess what the 'secret ingredient is'! (They won't).

Another great bonus of this cake, is that it's gluten free, grain free and nut free (coconuts are seeds, see here for more information regarding allergies and make sure you check with anyone with a nut allergy), and you can also make it dairy free if you want, by using coconut oil (the solid white variety, preferably extra virgin) instead of butter!

I find that because the cake is so rich and moist, you don't need much - between four of us, we only managed to demolish a quarter at the first sitting, having a couple of modest slices each. It's gorgeous served with fresh raspberries, blackberries or strawberries and a dollop of Greek yoghurt, whipped cream or creme fraiche - maybe with a little lemon curd swirled in if you're being naughty!

I'd say this serves 16, if you cook in a ring tin and cut into slices about 1.5 to 2cm (as in photo) and have a couple or so per serving. 188 calories for a 16th of the cake serving on this basis. Or if you just want a little treat, have the one small slice instead of two, for 94 calories! Alternatively, bake as individual little cupcakes / muffins and reduce the cooking time to around 20 minutes - you could even push a few raspberries into each muffin before baking, and sprinkle with a little extra dessicated coconut. [Calories in square brackets below]

Ingredients

• 235g cooked canellini beans (or pretty much any cooked white beans/chickpeas of your choice, e.g. butterbeans - chickpeas are a little stronger though), rinsed and drained if from a can (you will need a 410g can) [259 calories]
• 125g softened butter, salted (or use extra virgin coconut oil, the solid white variety if you want to make it dairy free and increase the calories and add a pinch of salt) [921]
• 175g golden caster sugar (aka 'raw' sugar, if in Australia) [700]
• 5 eggs (UK medium, 58g each) [438]
• 1 tablespoon good vanilla extract [43]
• 2 lemons - finely grated zest and juice of (around 80ml - or you could use lime juice and zest if you fancy something different) [27]
• 1 tsp lemon extract (optional) [40]
• 70g coconut flour (you can skip this if you can't get hold of it, and only use the juice of 1 lemon - although your cake will be less lemon-y and less coconut-y and more moist - I use Tiana, fair trade, organic - you can get from health food shops, e.g. Holland and Barrett. There are lots more recipes for coconut flour here to use it up!) [258]
• 1 teaspoon (gluten free) baking powder [3]
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 50g dessicated coconut [317]

Optional

• Icing sugar to dust

You will need
Something to whizz the beans up in, e.g. a food processor or blender. A cake or muffin tin (see method).

Method
See below for Thermomix method (in italics)
Pre-heat oven to gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven, and use a teaspoon of the butter (or coconut oil) to grease a suitable cake tin (or put paper cases into a muffin tin). I use a 9inch/22.5cm springform tin identical to this one, which has a choice of two bases - ring or flat. This cake is best cooked in a ring tin for even cooking, to avoid the centre being undercooked / the edges drying out or burning.

Cream the butter and sugar together - easiest done with a hand mixer, or in an electric mixer or food processor - until pale and fluffy. Lightly beat the eggs and add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, zest and extract to them; then gradually pour into the butter / sugar mixture whilst beating. Don't worry if the mixture begins to look slightly curdled.

Next, you need to add the beans. If you're not using a food processor or similar to mix your ingredients, then you need to use it to blitz up your beans in one as fine as possible, then add to the mixture and combine thoroughly. If you *are* using a food processor, then add your (rinsed and drained) beans into the mix, and blitz it all together until as smooth as possible.

Sift in the coconut flour (if using), baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and add the dessicated coconut and mix together until well combined, making sure any mixture from the sides is scraped in.

Pour batter into greased ring tin pan and level it, or paper cases in a muffin tin. Bake in the centre of the oven at gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven for 35 to 45 minutes (around 20, if making cupcakes) or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  (I find it's still wobbly at 30 minutes, but fully cooked by 40 minutes - don't over-cook as you want a nice moist cake). Allow to cool for 10 minutes (it will sink while cooling, don't worry, this is fine), before taking out of the tin, and allow to cool fully if you're going to ice/frost the cake/cupcakes. Enjoy, and marvel at just how good cake made out of beans tastes!

Tips
If you liked this, why not have a go at the chocolate 'Magic Bean Cake', the recipe is here. Or if you want something else to make with coconut flour, you could have a go at my Dark Chocolate Jaffa Cakes, which are gluten, dairy, nut and grain free, recipe here.

Thermomix method 
Pre-heat oven to gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven, and use a teaspoon of the butter (or coconut oil) to grease a suitable cake tin (or put paper cases into a muffin tin). I use a 9inch/22.5cm springform tin identical to this one, which has a choice of two bases - ring or flat. This cake is best cooked in a ring tin for even cooking, to avoid the centre being undercooked / the edges drying out or burning.

Blitz butter and sugar, Speed 5 / 30 seconds, then scrape down. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, zest and extract, and blitz Speed 4 / 15 seconds, then scrape down.

Add beans, Speed 7 / 20 seconds, then scrape down.

Add coconut flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and dessicated coconut and mix Speed 4 / 25 seconds, scrape down and then Speed 5 and a half / 15 seconds. You will find the batter is a lot thicker than a plain magic bean cake due to the coconut flour and dessicated coconut.
Pour batter into greased ring tin pan and level it with a spatula, or paper cases in a muffin tin. Bake in the centre of the oven at gas mark 4 / 160C fan oven for 35 to 45 minutes (around 20, if making cupcakes) or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.  (I find it's still wobbly at 30 minutes, but fully cooked by 40 minutes - don't over-cook as you want a nice moist cake). Allow to cool for 10 minutes (it will sink while cooling, don't worry, this is fine), before taking out of the tin, and allow to cool fully if you're going to ice/frost the cake/cupcakes. Enjoy, and marvel at just how good cake made out of beans tastes!

Tips
If you liked this, why not have a go at the chocolate 'Magic Bean Cake', the recipe is here. Or if you want something else to make with coconut flour, you could have a go at my Dark Chocolate Jaffa Cakes, which are gluten, dairy, nut and grain free, recipe here.