Beetroot Chocolate Cake
Move over red velvet cake, beetroot chocolate cake has your number. No need for artificial colourings here. Puréed beetroot provides a deep red undertone to this moist yet velvety textured bake. It has a delightful and unique flavour as it combines rich chocolate with the earthy sweetness of beetroot.
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I’ve been given a most fantastic present by a lovely and newly wedded friend. The fact that it was her wedding and I was given the present was a little odd, but I wasn’t going to say no. A glass cake stand with dome which I have long been wanting – fantastic! Of course I had to make something right away to show it off, but what?
The answer came via an e-mail from a friend wanting the recipe to a chocolate beetroot cake I’d made a couple of years ago. What a good idea. Why didn’t I think of that? One of the crops we’ve managed to grow really well this year is beetroot with the resulting “what else can I make with beetroot?” kind of mutterings.
Beetroot Chocolate Cake
I used the recipe from Green and Black’s Unwrapped* that I used last time, but with less sugar and a few other adjustments. Not only did I use my normal wholemeal spelt flour, but I also added some quinoa flour to the mix too. But don’t worry, you don’t have to.
Moist with a smooth texture, this cake is definitely a good use for surplus beetroot. It’s substantial but paradoxically light at the same time.
My chief taster is not at all partial to this vegetable. Luckily this cake is very chocolatey and apart from the rather deep red earthy colour, the beetroot is quite hard to detect. It got the thumbs up – phew!
How To Make Beetroot Chocolate Cake
Beetroot chocolate cake is one of those easy cakes to make that everyone thinks you’ve put a lot more effort into it than you actually have. Cooking up the beetroot first is the only faff.
Step 1. Purée Beetroot
Once you’ve cooked your beetroot, you need to purée it. You can mash it with a potato masher, but you’ll get a better result if you use a stick blender*.
Step 2. Melt Chocolate
Melt the butter in a large pan over a gently heat. When it’s nearly melted, add the chocolate followed by the sugar.
Turn the heat off and let the pan stand for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to melt. Stir until everything’s well mixed together. Allow to cool slightly.
Step 3. Add Eggs
Crack the eggs into the pan and beat them into the mixture until everything is well incorporated and the mixture is glossy.
Step 4. Sieve Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Make a well in the centre then pour in the chocolate mixture.
Stir gently from the inside out until everything is just mixed.
Add the beetroot purée and stir again until it’s all mixed in.
Top Tip
For a slightly less rich cake, use drinking chocolate rather than cocoa powder.
Step 5. Bake
Scrape the mixture into a lined tin. A round loose bottomed one is best, but I mostly use a silicone one so that I don’t have to line it.
Bake for thirty five minutes then test to see if the cake is done. If you stick in a skewer and it comes out wet, you’ll need to give the bake another five minutes or so.
Once cooked, leave the cake in the tin for ten minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack so that it can cool completely.
Step 6. Serve
Once the cake is cool, place it on a serving plate or cake stand then dust with icing sugar. It’s best to use the icing sugar just before serving as with time it melts into the cake.
The cake keeps well in an air tight container for three to four days.
Other Chocolate Cakes You Might Like
- Blood orange chocolate cake
- Chilli chocolate cake
- Chocolate birthday cake (vegan)
- Sour cream chocolate cake
- Spicy dark chocolate cake (vegan)
- Willie’s cloud forest chocolate cake
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this beetroot chocolate cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for using beetroot?
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If you’d like more beetroot recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Beetroot Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 250 g cooked beetroot
- 125 g unsalted butter (4 ½oz)
- 100 g dark chocolate (1.8oz) (I used 90% cacao solids))
- 170 g dark brown sugar (6oz) I used muscovado))
- 3 large eggs
- 250 g wholemeal spelt flour (9oz) I used 200g spelt and 50g quinoa flour))
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 60 g cocoa powder (2oz)
- 1 tsp icing sugar
Instructions
- If cooking your own beetroot, you’ll want around 275g to allow for topping and tailing. Once cooked, whiz to a puree with a stick blender. There’s no need to remove the peel.
- In a large pan, melt the butter with the chocolate and sugar over a gentle heat.125 g unsalted butter, 100 g dark chocolate, 170 g dark brown sugar
- Allow to cool a little then beat in the eggs until everything is thoroughly combined.3 large eggs
- Sieve the flour cocoa powder and baking powder into a large bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and pour in the chocolate mixture. Stir from the inside out until everything is just combined.250 g wholemeal spelt flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 60 g cocoa powder
- Mix in the pureed beetroot then scrape into a lined 23cm (9 inch) round cake tin or silicone mould.250 g cooked beetroot
- Bake at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out more or less clean.
- Leave in the tin for ten minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cool place on a cake stand then sift the icing sugar over the top just before serving.1 tsp icing sugar
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
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Loved it. Merci!
So glad you enjoyed the cake and thank you for letting us know.