Recipe Collection: White Bean Vanilla Cake |
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Recipe Collection: White Bean Vanilla Cake

admin February 10, 2011

Written by Kate Tietjeloved it.  We got many compliments, and the kids asked for second pieces.  We didn’t hesitate to give them, either — this is one of the healthiest cakes out there!  Not to mention that it could not be simpler to prepare.

Top it with some fresh or frozen sliced berries, and it’s just delicious.  I like using strawberries with a custard recipe (but if you want that, you’ll have to wait for my second cookbook!).  At first, I couldn’t perfect a frosting recipe, but it didn’t matter.  The cake was still great.  But now, I have some frosting recipes I can share, like my salted chocolate buttercream or cream cheese frosting.

Here it is.  And this is really epic in its healthiness and simplicity!!

White Bean Vanilla Cake

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups white beans, cooked and plain (if using canned beans, drain and rinse well)
  • 9 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 cups + 2 tbsp. raw honey
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tbsp. vanilla
  • 3/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda

Directions:

Step 1: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on medium, then high until smooth. 

Step 2: Pour into two well-greased  9″ pans or a muffin sheet.

Step 3: Bake at 350 for 35 – 40 min. 

Step 4: Once cooled, remove from the pans carefully and serve plain, with fresh jam (fruit blended with honey), fresh fruit, or however you like!

See how simple this recipe is to make in this video!

White Bean Vanilla Cake

Ingredients

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups white beans cooked and plain (if using canned beans, drain and rinse well)
  • 9 tbsp. coconut oil
  • 1 cups + 2 tbsp. raw honey
  • 6 eggs
  • 2 tbsp. vanilla
  • 3/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda

Instructions

Directions

  • Step 1: Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on medium, then high until smooth.
  • Step 2: Pour into two well-greased  9" pans or a muffin sheet.
  • Step 3: Bake at 350 for 35 - 40 min.
  • Step 4: Once cooled, remove from the pans carefully and serve plain, with fresh jam (fruit blended with honey), fresh fruit, or however you like!

What’s your favorite cake topping?

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89 Comments

  1. I am irritated because i am 20 wks and i stil lcant feel kicking -although i always have had weird pains/feelings in my stomach my whole life so i am beginning to wonderif i am just chalking up baby kicks to 'gas' or something else lol.. but it is very frustrating!

    I am going to try that cake recipe. .does it actually taste like cake? i actually don't like cake but it sounds interesting so i wil ltry it.. what is the difference between honey and raw honey.. where do i get coconut oil? sounds expensive…

    Reply

  2. Rachael,

    LOL…I didn't feel my first baby until 23 weeks and second until around 20. And then not until I relaxed and waited for it! I still don't feel this one much at almost 15 weeks and I know what it's like now!

    This tastes like a rather dense cake, not as light or fluffy as a boxed mix would. Raw honey isn't heated or pasteurized, any health food store or farmer's market would have it (It's about $3.50/lb. not that bad). Coconut oil IS expensive in a health food store ($15 for a 20 oz. jar) but I buy mine on Amazon…got a 54-oz. jar for about $18 lol. It's good for a lot of things, too. Any type of cooking, as a lotion, etc. (It does taste a bit like coconut so just be warned!)

    Reply

  3. Is it 3 c. of cooked beans, or 3 c. of dried beans, cooked? Just making sure… Sounds yummy!

    Reply

  4. Dawn,

    3 cups of cooked beans. 🙂 I'm not sure how that translates to dried, I usually just dump in more than I think I need and use the extra in soups or something!

    Reply

  5. Wow, sounds really interesting, but yummy! What kind of white beans do you use? Would great northern beans work? Can't wait to try it!

    Reply

  6. Serving this to SAD eaters, you could just call it Vanilla Bean Cake. 🙂 I'm going to try this – I have canned beans (thankfully BPA-free) that I didn't have a plan for…

    Reply

  7. This sounds wonderful! What a great idea to add some variety instead of using coconut flour for most of my baked goods. I can't wait to try it out!

    Reply

  8. Just wondering if this would work as cupcakes? I am scheduled to make cupcakes this weekend and it looks like a nice treat.

    Reply

  9. Emily,

    I used white navy beans because they're GAPS-friendly. If you try another kind (it will probably work but I can't say for sure), let us know!

    Aimee,

    I don't see why not. I was going to try it out for a party this week but we all got sick and didn't get to go! Let us know if you do it!

    Reply

  10. Thanks for the recipe! I can't wait to try this! After trying and loving Black Bean Brownies, I toyed around with some white bean recipes. Most of them were palatable, but I was never able to create something my family loved. If it satisfies, I'll definitely be using this for my little guy's first birthday that 's coming up soon (Where does time go?). 🙂

    Reply

  11. Made the cupcakes this morning to test them out. Great! Three thumbs up (one from us all). Next time I will use baking cups, because even though it was well-greased they were difficult to get out. I baked the mini ones for about 15 minutes and the full-size ones needed a little more time, maybe closer to 20 minutes? I am at altitude in Denver though. I made a cream cheese frosting with vanilla and honey, it tasted good, but didn't didn't look great (couldn't get it beaten smooth!) Next I will try a maple syrup cream cheese frosting with some maple extract. We shall see. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  12. Just made this this afternoon and oh my goodness, is it good! My husband had major doubts about a cake made with beans, but went back for seconds! I did a blueberry sauce (blueberries, honey, a little lemon juice, and a bit of water) on the stove and spooned it over the pieces and it tasted amazing. Thanks so much for this recipe! I'm going to make it again this next weekend for my in-laws!

    Reply

  13. Yep, made this last night topped with some homemade ice cream and cherries. It was delicious. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. The whole family loved it.

    Reply

  14. Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it today with my toddler and we cut in small heart shaped pieces and then frosted with a naturally sweetened strawberry cream cheese frosting (that ended up a little runny but it was still pretty and pink 🙂 I prefer all of our grains to be sourdough so this was a nice option!

    Reply

  15. I am so excited to try this – thanks for the recipe! Your GAPS diet saga is really interesting. I found you at Monday Mania, by the way.

    Reply

  16. Will have to try this cake! I love the creativity of it. Never would have thought to use white beans for a cake recipe, but I have no doubt this is delish. Thanks so much for sharing at Monday Mania this week – Valentine's edition! 🙂

    Reply

  17. I don't suppose this could be made egg free? I have tried a couple of bean brownie recipes (not yours though) and they never cook in the middle. I usually use chia seeds but I have a feeling this one won't work out the same.

    Reply

  18. THANK YOU! (that was me yelling)

    I cooked dried white northern beans.

    I made these into cupcakes. Got 2 dozen. Took about 22 minutes to bake.

    So moist and delicious!!!

    Reply

  19. I just made it for the kids and I and we really enjoyed it. Thanks for the great recipe! Is cooking with baking soda GAPS legal? Oh, and for the frosting I just put a cup of frozen raspberries and a tablespoon of honey in my processor and blended them. Yum!!!!!!

    Reply

  20. Sarah,

    Glad you liked it!

    Baking soda is "discouraged" on GAPS, but many people do use it once they're well established and are healing. At least from time to time. I haven't tried without, though I suspect it would work anyway.

    Reply

  21. Thank you so much for sharing this – it's fantastic! Mine came out pretty dense and moist, more like a sponge cake than a regular cake, but we loved it. I spooned some strawberry-balsamic jam on top and served with a dollop of whipped cream. Will definitely be making this again! :0)

    Reply

  22. Hey Kate!
    I see how many people on here have had success with this recipe, but I can't seem to get it right! I've tried it twice now and both times were complete failures (and I promise I am an accomplished cook and baker!). I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong : ( They won't cook in the middle very much and are very very moist and spongy and not at all appetizing…. Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong? It is 9 tablespoons of coconut oil, right? I even tested my baking soda to make sure it still had fizz in it! Could using canned organic navy beans be the culprit? I drain off all of the extra bean juice before putting them in the blender… I'm stumped!

    Thanks in advance for your help!
    -Lauren

    Reply

    • I tried it the first time a few days ago.

      I used canned organic BPA-free organic navy beans, drained.

      FIrst, there is no way my blender could handle this amount. I ended up mixing back and forth with a pitcher and blending in between. Messy.

      Secondly, I believe it was my fault, but also the recipe was a bit nebulous. I mis-read for one. I THOUGHT It said 9″ pan and since there was no frosting or ‘stacking’ evident, I assumed 9″ square pan. And I figured “Ok, I ‘ll squeeze it into an 8″ square pan.” I had to bake it for about an hour, and thus it over-browned around the edges and on the bottom. It would be clearer to state that you need two 9″ round cake pans.

      So, other than ugly and over-browned, it tasted good.

      I am not up to date on the GAPS eating issues, but I am gluten free and try to stay as vegan as possible. I keep pure organic coconut oil and use it for everything anyway – after a bath, cooking – you name it. However, the sugar content on this, even though it is a yummy raw honey, is pretty alarming. After all, it is STILL sugar. The calories are around 600 for the entire cake in honey alone, not to mention the eggs.

      I’m going to try it soon substituting chia seed / water mixture for eggs, and then, will try using stevia but have to work on my equivalent measures for that.

      Reply

  23. This cake recipe looks really yummy. I love vanilla and I’m excited to try this recipe of yours very soon. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  24. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!! I made these this morning for a picnic, and they were a hit!! We're gluten-free and almost completely grain-free at our house, but the other guests at the picnic aren't; they were shocked at how delicious grain-free can be! Thank you for your site and for making a difference! 🙂

    Reply

  25. I made this last week for my son's first birthday, mostly because I was looking for something dairy-free, and I had bookmarked this months ago while looking for gluten-free recipes for a friend. Let me tell you something:
    Best Cake Ever! I loved this, and I've been singing your praises to anyone who will listen! And even to those who ignore me 😉 The moist texture is perfect, and the taste was perfection, although I *may* have added a bit more vanilla than the recipe called for ;D I made an icing out of:
    * Coconut oil
    * Coconut cream (the thick stuff in the container; I used the runny liquid in my tea)
    * honey
    * vanilla
    * dried coconut (re-hydrated in water and vanilla)
    * arrowroot powder (added at the last minute to thicken a bit, but I don't think it helped)

    After spreading on the cake, I put the whole thing in the freezer to firm up, and then I just stored the leftovers in the fridge so it wouldn't melt.

    Reply

  26. Let me just say that I really appreciate the concept of a bean cake, but I'm not sure this works out as is. I halved this recipe to try it out and baked about 35 min. The end product reminded me a bit of a jelly roll cake (heavy on the eggs) but was more like a custard than a cake. It's a delicious custard, nonetheless, and would be great with fresh berries (and whip cream, if you can take it).
    So, overall a nice dessert, but not cake-like enough to satisfy that urge.

    Reply

  27. I saw this when you originally posted it and I'm going to try it today/tomorrow as a test before my son's 1st birthday party. Most, 99% of our families are SAD eaters but there are a few who are REAL eaters so I'm hoping this works for both.

    Reply

  28. My newly minted five y.o. really wanted a strawberry cake with chocolate frosting. I used this recipe, subbing half a bag of thawed out strawberries for 3 of the eggs and swapping 1/2 T. of the vanilla for lemon juice. (All of the reading I had been doing recommended adding lemon juice to help the strawberry flavor pop.

    I had some of the problems mentioned by others: cakes not releasing from the bottom of the pan and cakes not seeming to get all of the way done in the center, but the flavor was OH-LA-LA amazing! Instead of having a layer cake as planned, we used this (http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2011/10/simple-chocolate-buttercream-using-unrefined-sweeteners.html) to top one of the cakes and then just had a smooshed (but oh-so-tasty!) mess in a bowl. There were no complaints about appearance and oh so many compliments. Thanks for providing the base to a healthy birthday cake!!! 😀

    Reply

  29. My family LOVES this cake!!!! I’ve made it for 2 birthdays so far, once just vanilla, the second chocolate. It’s so moist & my dad’s comment was that the vanilla version tastes like bread pudding (one of his favorite deserts). So that’s a big plus! Thanks so much for coming up with this recipe, it’s fantastic!!!

    Reply

  30. We LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. I make cupcakes using baking liners.

    Reply

  31. Someone who has lots of experience with this recipe help me out — I’ve made it three times and have come out each time needing to bake this far longer (at least I thought I did) than the recipe calls for because the center didn’t look done at all. I’m not sure what I’m looking for to determine “doneness” if it is more like custard or cheesecake. How can I be sure it will set up? HELP!!! I feel like a total failure at this recipe =(

    Reply

    • Hi Amber — When I’ve made this, it’s been basically like a “real” cake. Are you using pans that are too small? Is your oven cooler than mine (temps vary even if you set it correctly)? Try baking it longer, until it looks really golden brown, almost like you’re afraid it’s too long. Then it should set up nicely.

      Reply

      • *sigh* — I am just realizing JUST now that I should have been using TWO 9″ pans — TWO!!! Cripes! I’ll give that try next time — One more question — anyone tried this sprouting the beans first? I heard that sprouting them tends to take some of the beany flavor out.

        Reply

        • Amber, as I wrote previously, it’s not very clear in the recipe. Also it helps if it had said 9″ cake ROUNDS.

          I never tasted the beans at all in the cake.

          Reply

  32. I’d love to try this, but we’re allergic to eggs. Any ideas for an egg free version?

    Reply

    • Hi Kara, so far we haven’t found a way to successfully make it egg-free. One blogger (Humbled Homemaker) tried it with a flax seed replacement, but it came out more custard-like than cake-like. She said it still tasted good. She might have other ideas for you, though, I’m not sure if she’s tried it again.

      Reply

  33. Wow, looks soooo good. Wondering if I can use another type of bean or are the white beans neccessary? We’re not doing any special GAP diet or anything, but I like to experiment with different grain-free recipes. Thanks so much. I love your blog. And for what you stand for; admirable. May the Lord bless you with the strength to stand by your convictions and minister to those of us who share them. 😉

    Reply

  34. Has anyone tried making these into cupcakes? My baby turns one in a few months and this looks like a great cake to make, especially considering that everyone but us eats the SAD.

    Reply

  35. This turned out great! I did sub half of the coconut oil with Spectrum Palm Shortening. Next time I will try subbing all of it and see how that turns out. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  36. I’m going to make this for my daughter’s 6th bday as cupcakes. How do you think it would taste with homemade “Nutella” Buttercream frosting? Any other frosting suggestions? I can’t wait to see how everyone likes it – most of the crowd around us eats SAD. (hee hee)

    Reply

  37. Hi.i would like to know if you could substitute the coconut oil with applesauce or other fruit puree

    Reply

  38. We LOVED this! Finally a healthy alternative to typical desserts that my husband loved! I made a chocolate frosting with strained yogurt, coconut sugar and raw cacoa. Wonderful!

    Reply

  39. Great cake but I have to tell you about my “mistake” that ended up turning out fabulous! I used canned beans (which I had my doubts about since I know they can’t be used for falafel), and I forgot to put the eggs in the first time. At 20 minutes checked on it and I had a caramel-like bubbling substance. I immediately knew I’d forgotten the eggs and took it out of the oven. I got to stirring it because it smelled heavenly and I tasted a small amount on a spoon. It had the exact consistency of thick apple butter so I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to it and put it in a bowl. We dip apples in it and have discovered it makes a great spread on top of this cake as well.

    Reply

  40. This is fabulous!!! Made these as cupcakes twice. First batch was a test run and second batch was for my daughter’s fourth birthday party. They are light and sweet. A real crowd pleaser. Everyone was amazed they were made with beans.

    Reply

  41. Thank you SO SO SO much, Kate! This cake is fantastic!!

    I tasted the batter before I baked the cake, and it reminded me a bit of manjuu (a Japanese dessert) because of the beans. My husband and I spent three years in Japan, so that was really nice. 🙂

    However! Once I actually baked the cake, I couldn’t taste the beans at all! It was really moist, dense, and delicious! I paired it with your buttercream frosting, and I sprinkled some broken bits of almond roca without the chocolate (http://www.ournourishingroots.com/old-fashioned-almond-roca-honey-sweetened/) over the frosting on the bottom layer. It gave it a nice crunch in the middle. 🙂

    In a word, fantastic!! I am VERY grateful for your blog. Thank you again!

    Reply

  42. I tried this recipe a few days ago and it was delicious and also very easy to make. I was a little hesitant because I’ve made black bean brownies in the past and I can taste the beans and find the texture odd. But this was perfect, with a moist texture and no bean taste at all. I halved the recipe and made just one layer, then frosted it with cream cheese frosting. It was divine. Something about the flavor made me think that it would be good as a spice cake…next time I’ll add some cinnamon and other spices to it. I’ll also use less honey as I don’t often eat sweets and have lost my taste for very sweet things. Thank you so much for this creative recipe.

    Reply

  43. Out of Coconut oil…Do you think you can safely substitute BUTTER?

    Reply

  44. I made this cake back in July and it is so delicious that I’m in serious need of making it again.

    What do you think of making a pumpkin version? Do you think the beans could be replaced with pumpkin, or half of them or something? I’m dying for a GAPS pumpkin cake…

    Reply

    • I ended up making this again with 1 1/2 c. white beans and 1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree. I also added some pumpkin pie spices. Yumm!!! It’s really good!! I love the white bean cake, but I also love it as pumpkin cake. 🙂

      Reply

      • Oooh! Great idea! This has been my favorite cake for over a year now. I’ve made it a few times w/ black beans and added cocoa powder for a chocolate cake (but vanilla is still my favorite). I just took a small container of black beans out of my freezer, but it’s only 2 cups, not 3, so I’m going to use some of my already-cooked Hubbard squash and make it pumpkin-y!

        Reply

  45. Do you need to soak the white beans first?

    Reply

  46. Can I sub maple syrup for the honey? My son is sensitive to honey and I am trying to avoid it for now.

    Reply

    • Yes, that should work. I haven’t tried it but since it’s a liquid sweetener it should go okay.

      Reply

    • Thanks for asking, I was just about to ask that but was searching the comments to see if anyone had beat me to it! I am thinking of making this for my daughter’s first birthday cake and don’t think I want to give her honey just yet.

      Reply

  47. How did you cook the soaked beans? Just boil them in plain water till they’re soft?

    Reply

  48. Any chance this would work as a layer cake or is it too dense? Or maybe if I used half this batter and half something lighter like a coconut flour cake? Thoughts? I want to use this for my daughter’s first birthday cake and I kind of had my heart set on a pretty layer cake, but I don’t want to ruin her pristine little baby diet all at once with a white flour/sugar cake. I’ll admit we don’t have a super great diet, but I try not to completely bombard my children with white flour and sugar!

    Reply

    • I have done it as a layer cake, yes. I filled the middle with strawberries and although at the time I hadn’t developed it yet, I would do the buttercream frosting now.

      Reply

  49. I just made this. It’s really good! Very dense and moist. I can see a lot of experimenting with spices in my future (we’re a recently gluten-free household and I really, really missed having gingerbread over Christmas!)

    Reply

  50. Could you substitute coconut oil with lite coconut cream.?

    Reply

  51. Hi—How many cupcakes does this yield, how long did you bake it? and does it matter what type of beans you use?

    Reply

    • It should make 8 – 10 cupcakes if a single batch (3 c. beans) and closer to 18 if a double batch (6 c. beans). I use white navy beans for it, I believe others have used other types.

      Reply

    • I got 12 cupcakes out of half of the recipe (1 and 1/2 cups of beans), but as another commenter said, they did seem to sink after a little bit. I cooked the cupcakes for 15 minutes, and they still seemed pretty wet/oily, so I put them back in for 3 more minutes, which didn’t seem to change them still.

      Kate, do you have any suggestions for the wetness/oiliness? My thoughts were to use less oil; bake at a lower temp for longer; use liners instead of oiling the pan. My SIL suggested that if I make a cake instead of cupcakes, people won’t notice the wetness as much b/c they will be eating with a fork and not their hands.

      ALLLL that being said, I was pleased with the consistency. I want to make these for my son’s first birthday party in a week. I gave some of the test-batch cupcakes to my SIL and nephews (3.5 years and 2 years) to scrutinize and got great reviews!

      Reply

  52. Where do you get the beans? Are they vanilla beans? A little confused! 🙂

    Reply

  53. Hi, Nice recipe. I want to try these today, are these 3 cups cooked beans or 3 cups dry beans?
    Thanks, Sujata

    Reply

  54. Is there any reason I can’t use a 13×9 pan for one big cake?

    Reply

  55. Great idea except it seems really expensive. 2 dollars for that amount of honey, plus about 5 for that much coconut oil. I tried it with lard instead of coco oil, but I think it needs that coco flavor. I also substituted bananas for honey. I’m curious to try it the right way because I bet it’s really good. I need some affordable paleo recipes!! Thanks!

    Reply

    • Well, we usually make it for a special treat. 🙂 I’m working on more frugal recipes, though, some of which will be paleo.

      Reply

  56. Is there a way to substitute rapadura/coconut oil for the honey? It seems like it would make it a little more frugal.

    Reply

  57. I’m sure you could, but it wouldn’t be GAPS-legal anymore.

    Reply

  58. Made this today with my kids, and they loved it! I halved the recipe, used butter in place of the coconut oil, and it turned out lovely.

    Reply

  59. Did you salt the beans when cooking them at all?

    Reply

  60. I made these, following the recipe exactly, and they sank like souffles. What did I do wrong?? I was really excited about these, and when they came out of the oven I was utterly crushed because I was baking them with my niece.

    Reply

    • Hi Lauren,

      They do sink a little after they’re baked, that’s normal, but they still taste really yummy! Give them some time to cool and try one. 🙂

      Reply

    • I’ve made this cake a few times now, mine sinks a bit and tends to separate some too, unfortunately. I wouldn’t call it as bad as what a soufflé does though. And it is very, very delicious!
      You could try baking powder instead of soda if that’s something you eat. Make sure the cake is cooked at a high enough temperature and that you don’t peek or take it out too early and definitely definitely definitely don’t thud it when taking it out or cut it or remove it from the pan when it’s still warm. Also could try not blending but mashing by hand if you’ve got a good masher.

      Reply

  61. I just made this recipe into cupcakes for my daughters birthday. One batch yielded 15 cupcakes, which took 20 minutes to bake at 350 and were a nice golden brown. I made 48 and had absolutely no problem, none of them sunk and the consistency was great. I always make sure the coconut oil is melted when I add the 9 tablespoons, I feel like some people dealing with wetness could be adding that in when it’s solid.

    Reply

  62. I made this cake for my son’s birthday. The original seemed that it would be too sweet, though, so I used exactly half the amount of honey, and it turned out fantastic! Nobody suspected that it wasn’t a SAD cake (even family members who saw white beans cooking on the stove.)

    I used Paleo Orange Frosting (modified recipe from the Paleo Baking Company – online).

    Thanks, Kate!

    Reply

  63. […] used Modern Alternative Mama’s white bean cake recipe for my middle child’s 1st birthday. My 1st and 3rd children didn’t even get cakes. […]

    Reply

  64. Hello! Would you suggest the same baking time if I made these into cupcakes or mini cupcakes?

    Thanks!

    Reply

  65. I know this recipe was posted years ago but I just discovered it a few weeks ago and have made it TWICE. It’s so delicious!!

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Kate.  I love medical freedom, sharing natural remedies, developing real food recipes, and gentle parenting. My goal is to teach you how to live your life free from Big Pharma, Big Food, and Big Government by learning about herbs, cooking, and sustainable practices.

I’m the author of Natural Remedies for Kids and the owner and lead herbalist at EarthleyI hope you’ll join me on the journey to a free and healthy life!

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