Serves: 12 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cooking time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Dairy free
Lactose free
Gluten free/wheat free*
Ingredients
200g raw beetroot
250g good quality dark chocolate
100g shredded coconut
220mL olive oil (or half olive half coconut oil)
3 tablespoons water
3 eggs
80g ground almonds
40 g ground hazelnuts
½ cup caster sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
200g self raising wholemeal flour or 200g almond meal* (with 1 tsp baking powder)
3 tablespoon coco powder
Directions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 180°C.
Step 2: Wrap beetroots in foil and heat in oven for approx 90 minutes to soften.
Step 3: Separate the egg whites, placing the whites into a large clean mixing bowl and yolks in another bowl.
Step 4: In a food processor (or vitamix) add nuts, 2 tablespoons coco powder and shredded coconut and mix on high speed until well blended.
Step 5: Transfer to bowl and add egg yolks, preferred oil, sugar, salt and vanilla extract, plus a tablespoon or two of warm water and mix together with an electric beater.
Step 6: Allow beetroot to cool, then peel and roughly chop the beetroot. Add to food processor and puree.
Step 7: Melt chocolate on stove using a heatproof bowl over pot of boiling water
Step 8: Using an electric beater, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form
Step 9: Add pureed beetroot and melted chocolate to nut mixture and stir with electric beater, shift in flour (or almond meal).
Step 10: Using a spatula, fold a quarter of the egg whites into mixture to loosen it and then fold in rest (try not to over mix).
Step 11: Pour mixture in spring form pan lined with baking paper and butter the sides
Step 12: Pop in oven and bake for approx.. 55 minutes.
Step 13: Allow cake to cool and then drizzle melted chocolate over and top with strawberries and blueberries!
Nutritional information:
This beetroot cake is slightly healthier than your average chocolate cake, with fewer calories. The beetroots boost the fibre content of the recipe, increase the vitamins and minerals and also provide a natural sweetness. Dark chocolate provides antioxidants and the nuts contribute healthy fats and protein.