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I adapted this recipe from the one in the story, "Thunder Cake," so it's best made on a high-humidity (or rainy) day. I wanted to cut some of the fat and sodium from the original recipe, and add a little citrus flavor, as well, to remind me of the sunshine that would come after the rain was over. :-)
Note: Watch the servings! I usually make a two-layer cake and cut it into sixteen slices, but you could easily make two single-layer cakes, each cut into 1/8ths instead if you prefer.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8.5-inch round cake pans.
2
In a large mixing bowl, mash or puree canned beans, then stir in sugar. Add vanilla extract, orange or lemon zest, and egg yolks; mix well. Blend in water and pureed tomatoes. Set wet mix aside.
3
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; then mix dry ingredients into wet just until blended.
4
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter gently, just until all streaks of white disappear.
5
Divide batter between the two pans; bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes.
6
Allow to cool completely. Frost and/or decorate, slice, and serve.
Note: I like to use Hot Fudge ice cream topping, or a simple chocolate cream, mousse, or ganache for filling and frosting the cake.
