Gluten Free Chocolate Heart Cake

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch heart pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat black beans, applesauce, egg yolks, vanilla and salt with a handheld mixer on high speed until batter is smooth, about 5–8 minutes. For a quicker route, put those ingredients in a blender.

In a smaller bowl, beat egg whites until fluffy; set aside.

In another large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add black bean mixture to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly. With a wooden spoon, stir in cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, mix well. Gently fold in egg whites until mixture is fully combined.

Pour batter into the cake pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry. Let cool completely. Frost with your choice of frosting!