To my mind, there’s nothing quite like using fruit and vegetable in cakes, slices, and other delectable morsels to enjoy with a cup (or pot) of tea. After all, we’re supposed to eat lots of fruits and vegetables each day, aren’t we? Why shouldn’t some of those be encased in chocolate and sweet syrup! Surely the beetroot in this gluten free chocolate beetroot cake must count as a serve of vegetables!
I have been making this particular cake for a couple of years now, and of course, have modified the recipe to suit myself. It is always very moist, very rich, heavy and full bodied and very, very chocolatey.
I’ve dubbed it my Rubelvety Cake. I’d like to call it a velvet cake, but that may offend someone who makes velvet cakes in the traditional way! I’d like to call it a ruby cake, but it does not contain rubies, even though it is rather ruby in color before cooked. And even a little ruby colors after. I know it as ‘gluten free chocolate beetroot cake’ from the original source, but how uninspiring it that for a name!? Besides, since I’ve adapted it so that it no longer resembles the original source, it needs a new name!
So Rubelvety Cake it is. (Unless you’d like to suggest another name? I’m not going to spend any longer on it!)
This is a gluten free cake. It is almost vegan, but fails that test due to the eggs. It uses lots of lovely, healthy whole food ingredients, so is rather more nutritious than other cakes. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t calorie laden!
In the photo I have included, I enjoyed it with a cup of Jasmine Tea on one of my favorite Queen Anne Trios (Manor Roses) in the sunshine. As with most sweeties I create, they also go in my children’s lunchboxes as a treat, but a fairly wholesome and nutritious treat at that.
Here’s the Recipe:
Rubelvety Cake
INGREDIENTS (opt for organic if possible)
For the Cake:
¾ Cup Coconut Oil
½ Cup Maple Syrup
¾ Cup Raw Cacao
1 medium sized raw fresh beetroot
2 Cups Almond Meal
3 Eggs (from happy hens, if you can J ) (beat lightly in a small bowl)
¼ Cup Coconut Palm Sugar (or similar natural sugar)
2 Teaspoons Gluten Free Baking Powder (You may find you need a little more Baking Powder, say 3 Teaspoons. I find the taste can start to come through in the finished product, so tend to reduce the amount for my version.)
For the Icing (Optional):
100g (3.5oz) Dark Chocolate (I use Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa – see below SERVING SUGGESTIONS for a link to purchase)
¼ Cup Coconut Cream
METHOD
For the Gluten Free Chocolate Beetroot Cake:
- As always, preheat the oven. Preheat to 180 degC/356 degF and line a cake tin with greaseproof paper. I use a square tin, as it makes the cake easy to cut into even portions, but a round tin is fine too.
- Peel and quarter the fresh beetroot and finely chop in a Thermomix or food processor until ‘sloppy’If you have a Thermomix, steps 3, 4 and 5 can be done in it.
- Place coconut oil, maple syrup, cacao & beetroot in a saucepan on very low heat and stir for a couple of minutes until well combined and it resembles a smooth chocolate sauce.
- Combine the almond meal, coconut palm sugar and baking soda in a bowl.
- Add the beaten eggs and chocolatey beetroot mix to the bowl and stir well until completely combined.
- Pour the mixture into the lined cake tin and place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Leave to cool before removing from the tin. This cake is on the heavy, crumbly side and is very soft when still hot and even warm.
For the Chocolate Icing:
- Melt the chocolate in a ‘double boiler’ arrangement. To avoid burning the chocolate, a thick ceramic or glass bowl, sitting with its base just touching simmering water in a saucepan on the stove top does the trick. Be careful not to burn yourself!
- Once melted remove from the heat and add the coconut cream and beat until well combined.
- Leave to cool for a few minutes, then continue to beat until it’s smooth and glossy.
- Pour and spread over the cooled cake, and allow to cool.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
> Served Warm from the oven, with a tangy ginger syrup drizzled over, Rubelvety Cake makes a delicious dessert. I was amazed and delighted to find the exact brand of ginger syrup I found in my supermarket, online at Amazon! I have provided a link to it, below under SERVING SUGGESTIONS, so you know what you’re looking for!
> Cold, with a cup of Jasmine Tea, my Rubelvety makes a perfect morning tea pick-me-up.
> In a small airtight container, with a splade* to avoid too many crumbs being lost, or gooey fingers, Rubelvety cake is a yummy and nutritous lunch treat for school children – or big kids at work!
*When I was growing up in Australia, this was a splade. Now I see they are called Sporks, Splayd, even a Foon. Never mind what it’s called! One of these thingamos is absolutely ideal for foods that are slightly crumbly or slightly gooey and not easily eaten with the fingers! Perfect for tea parties and the lunchbox and dinner table alike, every household needs a set of ‘these’!
