Beetroot and chocolate cake

An unusual yet interesting combination, sweet beetroot with dark chocolate. I have used the stalks of the beetroot for the sauce, slowly cooked with orange & cloves. Feel free to experiment with any other classical flavours like nutmeg, fennel etc...

Ingredients

For the cake

Caster sugar 320gm

Eggs 2

Canola oil 160gm

Vanilla extract 5ml

Salt 2gm

Plain flour 160gm

Baking soda 4gm

Five spice powder 5gm (Optional)

Roasted/steamed beetroot puree 1 cup

Dark chocolate 56gm

For the sauce

Beetroot stalks 150gm

Sugar 40gm

Water 150ml

Cloves 2

Orange peel 1

Lime 1 slice

To serve :

Beetroot sauce & Heavy cream/sour cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade.

2. Combine the eggs, vanilla, sugar and oil in a mixing bowl and whisk it till light and fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, five spice, salt, baking soda. Once egg mixture has turned light fluffy gradually fold the dry ingredients.

4. Add the beetroot puree and mix well.

5. Fold in the melted dark chocolate, mix well to ensure no lumps are present. I added some of the batter to the chocolate and then mixed it into the rest of the cake mix.