Chocolate Cake with a Twist (Secret Ingredient!)

In my eyes (and stomach), there's nothing better than discovering 'secret' key ingredients that can be substituted in for all the bad stuff in classic baking recipes. And, on this occasion, I'm talking about the classic chocolate cake, no less. Guys and girls, take note - I can guarantee you'll be wanting a taste of this good stuff by the end of my chit-chat (not by my skills in the power of written persuasion, either - solely by the mere irresistibility of this cake. Trust me).

The secret power ingredient of this cake is the simple black bean. Well, many simple black beans - 240 grams, to be exact. Now, don't be put-off! The beauty of the black bean is down to their rather bland taste (no offence, black beans. We know you're out to cause no harm) - and yet, they're packed full with fibre and protein, all the while being fairly low-cal and nutrient-dense.



Who'd have thought it, eh? At last, we're appreciating beans in their original, sauceless form (Heinz, begone with you). And, before I get too carried away, the credit for this recipe goes out to Josephine of A Tasty Love Story. This is a brilliant blog with an array of similarly delicious recipes to try out - all masterfully photographed, too - definitely one worth adding to the reading list!

So, without further ado, along with the beans (I repeat: 240 grams, cooked beans - the italics are just there to clarify for those worst at baking than myself, not to seem massively patronising or anything), this recipe calls for:

3 medium/large eggs,
3 heaped tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder,
1 tablespoon instant coffee (optional, but a good one - especially for the coffee-fanatics among us),
the teeny beans of half a vanilla pod,
1 teaspoon baking soda (NOT to be confused with baking powder! A difference partially understood after a lot of confusion and a phone call to Mum being made),
the juice and zest of 1/2 orange (or 1 clementine, in my case),
a pinch of salt,
100g demerara sugar (I guess you could say this is the 'worst' ingredient in the recipe. If you dare, you could sub it for agave nectar, honey, or any other kind of natural sweetener you can think of. However, in my opinion, I think this cake calls for the sugar, plain and simple. It's not an awful lot if you divide it by portion size, either).
PLUS! Not forgetting 30 grams of dark 90% Lindt chocolate (my preference).

Another new discovery as a result of this recipe was the use of the blender in place of the (practically ancient, now I come to think about it) technique of hard-graft and a wooden spoon. It saved me a whole lot of hassle, needless to say. The hardest part of the making of this was in fact, the beans - which required tender loving care and attention in the form of 12+ hours of soaking, bath time (overnight), a good rinse over, then 10 minutes boiling time, followed by a whopping 40 minutes on the simmer! Divas or what?

Whiz (or whaz, in the words of Jamie Oliver. A phrase that, might I add, does tend to grate on me somewhat) up the eggs, cacao powder, beans, baking soda, coffee, vanilla beans, orange zest and juice, salt and sugar - and you're so almost there.

Pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4 (175C? I hate looking up conversion rates. Seriously. You'll have to double-check me if you're really worried) and line a loaf tin with greased parchment paper. I used coconut oil to grease mine as I'm super cool and healthy and the like (I seem to be getting more sarcastic as I go, here. For that I'm really sorry. These are not my true colours. I'm just tired).

Nearly there. Chop up your dark chocolate however you like. I went for a scraping approach that called for a fair few spectators, and a very furrowed brow - the latter mainly down to pure concentration, because I tend to hover on the cautious side of events wherever knives are involved. You wouldn't blame me if you knew how clumsy I can be (my boyfriend can concur with that one).

Pour your lovely chocolatey liquid blend into the lined tin and sprinkle your dark chocolate on top. If you like, you can poke the chocolate into the mixture a bit, but I left it as it was on the top. Delicious. Cook for 35 minutes, and leave to cool. This makes a smashing Saturday night pudding combined with a dollop of greek yoghurt and blueberries - yum. It was still slightly warm when we had it, but as the original recipe goes, it tastes just as good (if not better - time will tell) eaten straight from the fridge.



Moral of the story? One: don't judge beans unfairly. And two: this cake will make your life approximately 23% more complete. Which is a fairly worthy percentage increase, wouldn't you agree? PS. When divided into ten slices, each slice is 100 calories - and seriously low-fat.

Seriously, though - please let me know your opinions if (or should I say when?) you try this. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Alternatively, has anyone any other 'secret' baking ingredients worthy of hollering about?

Simple as Pie (without the pie)

A lot of people seem to think that there's a massive secret in achieving weight loss and a well-sculpted bod. If a person has lost a significant amount of weight, a lot of people will naturally speculate into the why's and how's of such magnificent results.

This is, of course, an inevitable result of modern day culture. We are constantly exposed to magazines - like More and Heat - highlighting every celebrity under the sun in their bikinis, tagged on the front covers with the all-important caption: 'Diet secrets of [insert name]', or something along those ubiquitous lines. There must be a secret! Afterall, why can't we all have a body like Rosie Huntington Whiteley? It's a complete mystery... [Ahem]

Enough of the dumb talk! Celebrities don't hone their bod's by sitting on the sofa eating McDonalds; they work hard and achieve the results they want to see, because they are presented on a judgemental pedestal to the general public. Okay, so they're likely to have personal trainers and nutritionists so as to not stray from their regimented diet and exercise plans, and we don't necessarily have access to such VIP attention. That's a given.

But let's be honest here: it's not hard to eat right and exercise regularly. However, it is hard to change your habits if your body is already used to an inactive lifestyle combined with the added demons of the edible variety (processed food, sugar, fat etc).

Life is hectic; we deal with it by feeding ourselves with the convenience of fast-food or a little sugary perk-me-up. And there's nothing wrong with the odd little consolence that may come in the form of chips, chocolate, cookies, or whatever other treat wets your bespoke palette.

But the fact of the matter at hand can be explained and broken down to the following: this kind of food may well be fast, but it's not exactly food. Why? Because it is devoid of nutrients, fibre and vitamins - which is basically what food is supposed to provide us with. It's stuffed full with fat, simple carbohydrates and calories, meaning that it will fill you up for an hour or so - but not for much longer.

Lack of nutrients basically equates to hunger, which is why it is a lot harder for us to overeat/binge on 'real' or 'clean' food because it is packed full of nutrients and all the good stuff that your body needs to survive, and which send those all-important 'I AM FULL! [horrah]' signals to the brain.

Portion size is another biggie in the dieting game. Perhaps in compensation for eating healthy food, some of us may allow ourselves to eat more of it - it's healthy, afterall! So why not, I here you cry?! Give me a break!

Our bodies need fuel, and food is our fuel of choice. Our bodies run better when fed little and often. This not only speeds up the metabolism (faster metabolism = faster calorie/fat burning), but it means that we don't feel sluggish as a result of eating (and then regretting) a large portion. Overall, it is absolutely the best method of achieving stable energy levels - all day, every day.

Equally as important as choosing the right diet is to remember to drink water. I say remember because I know how easy it is to simply forget to drink water. If my day is particularly non-stop, it's only when my body sends thirst signals to my brain that I realise that I haven't had a drink all day. It is my number 1 downfall.

We apparently spend most of our lives chronically dehydrated, which firstly makes you hungry when you’re actually thirsty. Not good. Secondly, it causes your body to retain water, thus making you heavier and often bloated (more so after eating, sans-l'eau). Not good at all. So, paradoxically, you must drink water to stop retaining water.

The concluding message? Stop believing that weight loss is a big secret that only celebrities are filled in on. Start eating clean. Train yourself into really enjoying the taste of nutrient-filled food, and naturally you'll steer away from all of the junk you used to crave (give it a fortnight and you won't even want to touch the stuff - trust me!).

Start exercising well. Learn to love the burning sensation and feel your muscles really working like never before; don't be afraid to challenge your body. Don't stop when you're tired, stop when you're done! (a la Cassey Ho!)

Embrace an amazing lifestyle change. Enjoy the energy, strength and vibrancy it will bring. See changes, keep pushing forward; see even more changes.