Black Bean Cake with Strawberry Compote

Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with extra virgin olive oil cooking spray. Dust cocoa all over the inside of the pan, tapping to evenly distribute. Cut a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of the pan, then spray the parchment lightly.

Drain and rinse beans in a strainer or colander. Shake off excess water. Place beans, 3 of the eggs, vanilla, and salt into a blender. Blend on high until beans are completely liquefied. No lumps!

In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.

In the bowl of an electric mixer or with a whisk, beat butter (or coconut oil) with sweetener (sugar or honey) until light and fluffy. Add remaining 2 eggs and water (omit if using honey), beating for a minute after each addition. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix. Finally, stir in cocoa powder mix, and beat batter on high for 1 minute, until smooth. Scrape batter into pan and smooth the top. Grip pan firmly by the edges and rap it on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles.

Bake for 40–45 minutes. Cake is done with the top is rounded and firm to the touch.

After 10 minutes, turn out cake from pan, and flip over onto a cooling rack. Let cool until cake reaches room temperature, then cover in plastic wrap.

For the strawberry compote:
In a pan over medium to low heat, put chopped strawberries, sugar and juice. Stir until strawberries start to melt and form a chunky jam.

Serve cake with the strawberry compote on top.

Note: The batter is runny, not firm. That’s why the cake comes out so light and moist. For best flavor, let cake sit overnight or for few hours.