This cake is less sweet and more earthy than a traditional chocolate cake with refined ingredients, but you can hardly taste the beetroot and it's easy to fall in love with whole-food ingredients.
Cake Ingredients:
1 cup beet puree * see directions below
2 tablespoons flax meal
6 tablespoons water
2 cups spelt, or whole meal flour
1/3 cup good quality cocoa
1 cup soft brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup quality almond milk (non GMO, no additives)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Dairy free chocolate ganache
6 oz (170g) dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
Method:
Peel and steam about 1 pound or half a kilo of chopped beetroot
allow to cool (enough so safe enough to blend) , then puree.
Preheat oven to 350 F (180C)
Prepare an 8inch (20cm) round cake tin
In a small bowl, add the water to the flax meal, mix and stand for 10 mins to allow to thicken.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar
In a mixing bowl, combine the flax meal, olive oil, almond milk, vanilla, beetroot puree. I used a hand held cake mixer.
Mix the all the ingredients together in the large bowl, stir until just combined, not over-stir.
It should have a consistency like a regular chocolate cake. If it's too dry, add some more almond milk.
Pour the batter into the tin, smooth the top with a spatula and place in the oven for 50 mins.
Check if it's cooked with a skewer or knife. Place on a cooling rack.
Ganache:
Add the chocolate pieces to a heat proof bowl.
Heat the coconut milk over a medium heat, until steaming, not bubbling.
*If the coconut milk has separated, blend first, before heating.
pour the coconut milk over the chocolate. Stir until mixed. Leave to cool for around 45 mins, then spread onto the cooled cake. Serve, enjoy!
TIPS:
Experiment with almond meal, less sugar, stevia or agave.
Use eggs instead of flax.
Health benefits:
Some protein in the flour and almond milk
Beetroot possesses fibre, antioxidants, folate and small amounts of other minerals, as well as boosting the body's nitric oxide levels.
Olive oil possesses antioxidants and vitamin E
Flax contains essential fibre to cleanse toxins and feed the good gut bugs.
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