Chocolate Beet Root Cake

I would never have thought to add beet root to a cake, especially a chocolate one, but it works! This cake is sugar free and contains unsweetened 70% dark chocolate, so it's a healthier option compared to other chocolate cakes! Plus, the colour is lovely, and is achieved naturally.The recipe was found while browsing Green Kitchen Stories, and it's definitely something everyone should try at least once!

Ingredients:

- 100ml (2/3 cup) sunflower, olive or coconut oil

- 125ml (1/2 cup) maple syrup OR honey

- 50g dark chocolate (70%), broken into pieces

- 250g (around 2 cups) raw beet roots, grated

- 3 eggs

- 375g (1 1/2 cup) spelt flour (I used regular flour)

- 2 teaspoons baking powder

- 5 tablespoons cacao powder

- A pinch of salt

- Breadcrumbs (or dried shredded coconut) for the pan

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Warm the oil in a small sauce pan on very low heat. 

2. Once heated, add in the honey (or maple syrup) and chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. 

3. In a medium sized bowl, grate the beets, and then add in the chocolate mixture and combine.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and then add them to the beet/chocolate mixture. 

5. Measure out the flour, baking powder, cacao powder and salt, and then sift into the beet mixture.

6. If you want, add in some dark chocolate chips as well, and combine well. 

7. Grease a bundt pan or a cake tin with butter and then add a layer of bread crumbs to prevent the batter from sticking to the sides of the pan. 

8. Bake for 25 minutes, or until slightly dark and crackled on top and still a little bit sticky inside. (I actually baked mine for 30 minutes, and then let it sit in the switched off oven for another 5 minutes, with the door slightly open). 

Slice and enjoy!

I suggest serving the cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries on the side. (My mum picked these blueberries in the woods herself, so they were extra tasty!)

This cake was definitely interesting! The natural bright red colour, together with the lingering taste of chocolate, makes an unforgettable combination. The fact that it has no sugar in it, and all the chocolate is 70% unsweetened dark chocolate, makes me feel less guilty about having a second slice. I'd love to serve this cake to guests- it would definitely be a conversation starter! Try it out, it's something new and fun :)