DARK CHOCOLATE BEET CAKE

DARK CHOCOLATE BEET CAKE

This may become your new favorite Chocolate Cake as it has become mine.

• 7oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

• 2 medium cooked beets to make 1 cup beet puree

• 7oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa )

• 4 tbsp hot espresso (optional)

• 1/4 cup almond flour

• 3/4 cup spelt flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 3 TB cocoa powder

• 5 eggs, separated

• 3/4 cups plus 2 TB coconut palm sugar or sucanat (cane sugar)

• freshly whipped cream, to serve

Preheat the oven 350F.

Grease a 9in cake pan with a little butter and line the bottom of the pan parchment. *you will have to cut out the parchment paper the size to fit your pan. Also if you have a removable bottom that is preferable but other will do fine.

Blend the beets in a high speed blender or a food processor to a rough purée. You will only need 1 cup beet puree.

Melt the chocolate in a double broiler with a heat resistant bowl over a pot of hot water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water). Once melted, pour in the hot coffee to the chocolate, if using. If not, just stir in the butter in small pieces and leave to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, sift or whisk the flours together, baking powder and cocoa together in a bowl and set aside.

Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks in a bowl until frothy. Stir the eggs into the chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in the beet puree.

Whisk the egg whites until still peaks form when the whisk is removed. Fold in the sugar.

Fold the sugar and egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and cocoa mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan then carefully remove the cake,  dust powdered sugar over top (optional but looks so pretty) and serve alongside freshly whipped cream.