Chocolate, Orange & Beetroot Cake

My lovely friend Melissa made me a Chocolate-Beetroot-Rose Cake for my last birthday and the combination of earthy tasting beetroot with sweet chocolate was an absolute hit.  

When I was trying to remake it, I found rose water quite difficult to source. So, I changed the recipe and added some orange instead - it works well too, and gives it a zesty kick!  

Using ground almonds instead of flour makes it gluten free. And I’ve found that by replacing the eggs with ‘flax eggs’ you can make an equally delicious vegan version. 

It doesn’t seem to dry out as quickly as other chocolate cakes, so it is great to make in advance, keep in the fridge and enjoy throughout the week. However, if you like your chocolate cake less gooey, turn down the heat and bake it for longer so it dries out more as per the instructions below. 

Ingredients  

• 300g (1 ½ cups) beetroot, cooked and diced 

• 200g (1 ¼ cups) dark chocolate, vegan if preferred 

• 60ml (¼ cup) olive oil 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

• 3 eggs or 6 ‘flax eggs’ (A flax egg is a vegan replacement for an egg. To make a flax egg take 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds, mix with 1-2 tablespoon of water and let it sit for 15 minutes so it gels up) 

• 1 unwaxed orange - you will need the juice and zest 

• 200g (1 cup) soft light brown sugar 

• 150g (1 ¼ cups) ground almonds 

• 1 teaspoon baking powder 

• Pinch of salt 

• 1 orange, sliced into thin slices 

• Ground almonds

Photo credit: Unsplash

Equipment  

• 26cm springform pan 

• Saucepan and bowl for double boiler 

• Mixing bowl 

• Food processor or hand-held blender (alternatively use a fork) 

Method

1.  Preheat a fan assisted oven to 200°C / 400°F (or 180°C / 356°F for a slightly drier version). 

2. Break dark chocolate into pieces and melt in a double boiler. For the double boiler, nest a heat resistant bowl in a saucepan of gently simmering water. Be careful not to burn yourself when touching the bowl, it will be hot! Alternatively, you can also melt chocolate in the microwave in 10 seconds stints, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted. 

3. In a separate bowl mix the cooked beetroot, olive oil, vanilla extract, 3 eggs (or 6 flax eggs), orange zest, 3 tablespoons orange juice and puree with a handheld blender, food processor or mash with a fork. 

4. Pour the melted chocolate into the beetroot mixture, stirring gently to combine into a smooth mixture. 

5. Add the light brown sugar, ground almonds, baking powder and salt to the batter and mix all the ingredients well. 

6. Pour the batter into a greased or lined baking pan. 

7. Bake for 35-45 minutes, insert a toothpick or skewer and check it comes out relatively clean. A few crumbs on the toothpick are ok, but not sticky batter. (If you like your cake less gooey, turn down the heat to 180°C and leave in the oven for approximately 60 minutes, regularly checking it and covering it if it becomes too dark on top.)

8. Remove the cake from the oven, carefully remove from the form and let it cool (if you can resist it!). 

9. Once the cake is cooled, decorate with orange slices or ground almonds if you like, serve and enjoy!

Photo credit: Zarah Yusuf