Black bean mocha mousse cake

By: David Frenkiel, Luise Vindahl Andersen
From: Green Kitchen At Home
Serves: 12
Prep: 25 mins
Cooking time: 120 mins
Photographer: David Frenkiel

May we suggest that you don’t reveal the ingredients in this cake before serving it? People have a tendency of putting their prejudices first, and it would be a shame if that hindered them from tasting this lusciously smooth, creamy and delicious cake with plenty of nuts, coffee and chocolate. Yes, there is a whole tin of black beans in the filling, but it doesn’t affect the flavour. Instead, it adds body to the cake (as well as making it more nutritious than a standard mousse cake).

Serve it frozen, like an ice-cream cake, or thawed, as a mousse cake, with fresh cherries, toasted hazelnuts and a dark chocolate drizzle on top.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient

Base

Quantity	Ingredient
150g	hazelnuts, toasted
10	large soft dates, pitted
3 tablespoons	raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon	virgin coconut oil
A pinch	sea salt

Filling

Quantity	Ingredient
80ml	plant-based milk of choice
100g	good-quality dark chocolate, (70 per cent cocoa solids)
1 x 400g	tin black beans, drained and rinsed, see recipe note
5	large soft dates, pitted
1 tablespoon	virgin coconut oil
4 tablespoons	espresso, (2 shots)

Topping

Quantity	Ingredient
50g	good-quality dark chocolate, melted, (70 per cent cocoa solids)
75g	hazelnuts, toasted
4 tablespoons	roasted coffee beans

To serve

Quantity	Ingredient
	fresh cherries or berries of choice

Method

Grease a 20 cm springform cake tin and line it with parchment paper.
Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the rest of the base ingredients to the food processor and blend until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs and holds together when pinched. Transfer to the tin and, using the palm of your hand or the back of a spoon, press the mixture down firmly to create an even and compact base. Transfer to the freezer.
To prepare the filling, heat the milk in a small stainless-steel mixing bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water. Break the chocolate up and add it to the milk. Stir until the chocolate has nearly melted, then remove from the heat and stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Set aside.
Place the beans, dates, oil and coffee in the food processor and blend on a high speed until completely smooth. Add the melted chocolate and blend again on a high speed until silky smooth.
Remove the tin from the freezer and pour the filling over the base. Tap the tin lightly on the bench to smooth out the surface. Return to the freezer to set for at least 4 hours (or overnight) until completely firm.
Once set, remove from the freezer and from the cake tin and drizzle with the chocolate. Roughly chop the hazelnuts and scatter on top along with the coffee beans. Leave to thaw for about 30 minutes then cut the cake with a sharp knife dipped in hot water.
Serve with fresh cherries or berries.
Store the cake slices in the freezer in an airtight container and they will keep for a few months (even though you know they won’t!). Just remember to thaw them before serving.