This dense and decadent dessert is not only packed with sweet honey, zesty orange and creamy coconut flavours – it's also armed with a secret ingredient: using cannellini beans in the mixture helps to add goodness as well as a richness of texture!
Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Line and grease an 18cm (7in) cake tin. Put a mixing bowl in the fridge to chill. Empty the beans into a sieve and rinse thoroughly under warm water. Leave to drain before transferring to a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse to combine.
Add the eggs, one at a time, pulsing until combined. Continue to pulse, adding the flour and honey. Add the orange zest, desiccated coconut and baking powder and continue pulsing until combined.
Pour the wet cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake is risen and golden.
Meanwhile, make the orange syrup. In a small pan, simmer the orange juice and zest with the icing sugar until syrupy. Remove the cake from the oven and pierce all over with a skewer. Pour the hot syrup over the cake and set aside to seep in and cool.
For the coconut cream, open the tin of coconut milk and spoon the ‘solid’ coconut cream at the top of the tin into the pre-chilled mixing bowl, leaving all the coconut water behind. Using an electric whisk, beat the cream for 2-3 minutes until thickened. Sift over the icing sugar and gently mix together. Scatter a little extra orange zest over the cake and serve in slices with a dollop of the coconut cream on the side.
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