Beetroot Chocolate Cake
December 8, 2006 at 4:44 PM
by Ashleigh
Last week the vegetable bag contained beetroot. Gasps of dismay all round because none of us like beetroot. Our bag is even worse this week, it's full of witlof, black salsify, red cabbage and lettuce, and the only thing we like is the lettuce!
However, back to the beetroot.
I did some research and ended up finding out that beetroot is a wonderful ingredient to add to a chocolate cake. It seems to be an Aussie thing judging by what Google spews out when you seach for 'chocolate beetroot cake'. I admit to more than a little disbelief. After all, I don't like beetroot.
Anyway ... I wrapped two of the beetroot in foil with a little olive oil and salt and roasted them for an hour. Then I put them in the fridge and forgot about them for three days. Today I took them out and experimented with the cake. I used a variety of recipes as my basis, but combined them to form a new recipe.
Sebastian says this cake tastes like a giant brownie and he's right! The pink mixture before you add the cocoa is pretty too. I think if you mixed in coconut and omitted the chocolate and it didn't oxidise it could make a pretty pink coconut cake for a girl's birthday party.
I promise there is not a single hint of beetroot about this cake, and I would know. Because, after all, I don't like beetroot!
Vanilla Iced Beetroot Chocolate Cake
2 medium beetroots baked in foil at 180C for one and a half hours and allowed to cool (best to do this some other time when you have the oven on for something else) (Dutch readers can use the nice vacuum packed cooked beetroot we get in the supermarket)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup granulated white sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup fluid margarine or sunflower/peanut oil
- Preheat oven to 180C and grease and line a 23 cm sandwich tin.
- Using the steel chopping blade in your processor and the largest bowl, puree the beetroot. Keep the feed tube covered or it will squirt and your home will look like you loaned it out to be the set for CSI.
- With the machine running, add the eggs one by one through the feed tube.
- Add the sugar with the machine still running and admire at the pretty pink colour of the mixture.
- Add the fluid margarine/oil and the vanilla essence.
- Stop the processor, remove the lid and sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder directly into the bowl.
- Run the processor for about a minute, then wipe down the sides with a spatula and run again for another minute. You should have a thick, glossy, deep brown batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared tin and bake for around 40 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.
- Remove from pan after about five minutes and allow to cool.
- Ice with vanilla icing made with 2 cups of icing sugar, 2 tsps of soft butter, vanilla and water to the correct consistency.
Comments
I've heard that beetroot chocolate cake is beautifully moist. I think I have a recipe from my mum's collection that she had in the UK. We Aussies are obsessed by food and I'm not surprised you got a lot of Aussie receipes.
This recipe sounds very good. I like beetroot and it is even the favorite vegetable of my daughter, so that's even more reason to have a go at it. And it looks very delicious on your photo!
I used to have those 'vegetable-bags' as well and know the feeling when you open it up and there's almost nothing you or the kids (that's even more of a problem) like. I eventually stopped buying them. But you're very creative with them!!!
Well, I do like beetroot. A lot. But I think I'm the only one in the family who does. But they all LOVE chocolate. So guess what? Time to pull out the baking pans!
How's your dental work feeling now??
I was preparing a post today about "vegetables my family dislikes" starring: Beetroot and red cabbage! Never ever dreamed of beetroot chocolate cake. I need to try this, if only to see their faces when I reveal the secret...
Like Barbara I am the only one that does like beetroot and red cabbage
My friend makes the yummiest salad with finely shredded read cabbage, raisins, roasted flaked almonds and 2 min noodles, and a balsamic and honey dressing, it's delicious!
I have no idea what beetroot is, but that cake has me drooling. YUM! Beautiful shot.
And as for the cabbage, I love it shredded inside my fish tacos. Ever had a fish taco? They are divine!
Beetroot is vile, but your cake sure does look good! Lof and lettuce don't sound that good to me, but I'll have a bit of that red cabbage, please!
This looks absolutely beautiful! I love sweet things that you can sneak veggies in on kids.
Beautiful site.
Yummmmmmmmy, I love beetroot, and they are so versatile. The Beetroot Chocolate Cake is a huge hit in my home. It is gone as quickly as I bake it. It is probably the most baked cake in my home..lol
I inherrited my Grandmothers recipe book and until that time I didn't know that beetroot was an ingredient in her beautifully moist dark chocolate cake.
My daughter told me about a receipe for chocolate & beetroot cake, looked for it and came across your receipe.Looks absolutely scrumptious, can't wait to try it.
How resourceful of you! I probably would have just thrown it in the compost.
December 8, 2006 10:18 PM