Black Bean Chocolate Cake

• The yogurt cake is apparently a French staple so simple to make it is usually the first cake French children learn to make. I think I read about it the first time in the book Bringing Up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting. Pamela Druckerman, the book's author, had a yogurt cake recipe in it, but my favorite comes from Clotilde Dusoulier's blog Chocolate & Zucchini. The following recipe is substantially Dusoulier's, but the instruction is the way I do it. 
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• 250 milliliters (1 cup) whole milk plain yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 160 grams (3/4 cup plus 1 scant tablespoon) sugar 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 80 milliliters or 1/3 cup vegetable oil 
• 1 tbs rum or amaretto. 
• 250 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pinch salt
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• Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9" cake pan with a round of parchment paper. Butter or oil the sides.
• Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-small or small bowl. Set aside. 
• Combine the yogurt, eggs, sugar, vanilla, oil and the rum (or amaretto) in a medium-large (or large bowl). Mix well. 
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredient and stir well until just mixed. You can use a whisk or a rubber spatula. It is all good. 
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until done. Test with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean. 
• NOTE: 
• 1. I like to make an almond flavored variation from time to time. Instead of using vanilla, I use almond extract and use amaretto (or another almond liquor) instead of the rum. 
• 2. The rum/amaretto is optional, but it imparts a lovely flavor.
• 3. I often mix up my flour mixture. Instead of using 250 g of all-purpose flour, I use say 80g of almond flour, some 50g of spelt flour, and 120g of all purpose flour. You can play around with the flour, but keep in mind that some flour are denser and will not give a good crumb. 
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