Beetroot, Chocolate and Hazelnut CakeDo you know that beautiful earthy smell after rain? The sweet, musky scent of a damp forest floor? There is an aromatic molecule responsible for this rich, deep aroma – it is called ‘geosmin’, and you can also find it in beetroot. What better way to celebrate this deep earthiness than in a flourless chocolate cake.
This is one nutrient-dense cake chock full of antioxidants, protein and light on sugar!
In my take on it, I substitute coconut sugar which is lower on the glycemic index than cane sugar. It has a lovely caramel flavour that really complements the earthiness of the beetroot and the chocolate. I have tried to keep a slightly savoury edge to the cake. You might want to substitute with brown sugar if you have a sweet tooth.
Beetroot is by far my favourite root vegetable. It sings in the company of cocoa or cacao. When selecting your beetroot, look for firm, deeply coloured bulbs. Healthy green tops are a great indicator of freshness – you can also use the fresh leaves in salads, stir fries and green smoothies.
Choose your finest grater for this recipe. I grate the beetroot very finely on my Microplane grater. A fine grate ensures that there are no surprise chunks of beetroot. It also improves the texture.
The kids have not quite worked out that my chocolate cake is indeed a beetroot chocolate cake. I am selling it to them as my “magenta velvet chocolate cake”!! I also put the mix into a slice tin to make squares for the kid’s lunch boxes. Just decrease the baking time, testing it with a skewer at intervals to make sure it is cooked through.
You can serve this cake with natural yoghurt (animal or plant-based). It is also lovely with an orange blossom cashew cream (recipe here) or labneh.
You can make labneh by placing plain yoghurt of your choice (dairy or plant-based) in a strainer lined with muslin, cheesecloth or a nut bag. Then place the strainer over a bowl and leave it in the fridge overnight until the whey collects in the bowl and the thick, creamy labneh remains in the strainer. You can keep the whey to use later in smoothies or as a starter for lacto-fermenting vegetables.
Beetroot, Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake
Ingredients
- 250g raw beetroot, grated finely
- 125g ground hazelnuts (meal)
- 200g dark chocolate (at least 70%), broken into pieces
- 1/4 cup raw cacao or quality organic cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 eggs, separated
- 50g unsalted, cultured butter or coconut oil
- 100g coconut sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Line a 20cm springform tin with baking paper or grease and “flour” the tin with a little extra nut meal.
- Melt chocolate pieces and butter in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan containing gently simmering water, ensuring that the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl.
- When the chocolate has melted, set aside the bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes while you organise the other ingredients.
- Combine the beetroot and egg yolks, and then add the melted chocolate. When these are combined then, stir in the hazelnut meal, cocoa/cacao, baking powder and coconut sugar.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Add around one-quarter of the egg whites to the cake batter and stir until the mixture is lightened and combined. Gently fold through the remaining egg whites until a uniform consistency is achieved.
- Using the spatula, spread the cake batter evenly in the cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 - 55 minutes. The cake will be ready when risen and cooked through when tested with a skewer.
- Transfer from the oven to a baking rack and allow the cake to cool for 5 - 10 minutes before releasing the tin.
- When cool, use a small sieve to dust the cake with a little cocoa or cacao powder.
Notes
- You can shake it up a bit - substitute almonds for the hazelnuts and play around with other sugars. In the past, I have also added a touch of spice, such as vanilla and cinnamon.
Cutting the first slice! Enjoy your Beetroot, Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake!
Hi Sarah, Can you update the recipe to include beetroot quantity? It’s missing, Thanks, Vicki
Sorry Vicki *blushing*, midnight writing made me slip up!! 260g raw beetroot, finely grated. So sorry!!!
Great! Thank you!
Suava! Silly auto correct
Hi Sarah
I love your blog and that cake sounds amazing!
The beetroot seems to be missing as ingredients/ quantities.
Feeling the need to make this beauty!
Thanks so much!!
Hi Suava, cannot believe I made such a silly mistake!! 250g raw beetroot, finely sliced
Lovely way to enrich an old favourite thanks Sarah, very special! Kaye x
Oh yum. My kids love a chocolate beetroot cake and this one sounds superb.
Super easy Robyna, I also make it as a slice or mini muffins for lunch boxes (or I used to until the school went nut free). You just need to significantly decrease the cooking time and test with a skewer!