Baking Dessert

DARK CHOCOLATE AND BEETROOT MUDCAKE

July 1, 2015

Recipe & words: Gretchen Lowe
Styling: Amber Armitage
Photography: Manja Wachsmuth
Featured: Homestyle Magazine

Pairing chocolate and beetroot my seem a bit strange, but trust me, the two were meant to go together. This cake is rich, but not too sweet. For best results use chocolate that is at least 62-70% cocoa. Candied beets and figs are optional; you can use any fruit you wish.

Serves 8

200g butter, cubed
250g cooked and peeled beetroot, roughly pureed
200g dark chocolate (at least 62% cocoa)
4 tbsp hot espresso
135g flour
1 ¼ tsp baking powder
3 tbsp cocoa
5 eggs separated
190g caster sugar

Ganache
400g dark chocolate, chopped
400ml cream

 Candied Beetroot (optional)
2 cooked beets, sliced thinly
150ml water
150g sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line and grease the base and sides of a 20cm cake tin with baking paper. Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot water, then pour in the hot coffee.

Stir in the butter and leave to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, 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 beetroot.

Whisk the egg whites until soft 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 tin and bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out just clean. Do not over bake.

Allow cake to cool in the tin, then slice in to 2 layers.

For the ganache, place the chocolate into a bowl. Heat the cream until nearly boiling then pour over the chocolate stirring gently until combined. Leave at room temperature until the ganache has reached a spreadable consistency. Smooth generously in between each layer and over the top of the cake.

Meanwhile for the candied beetroot preheat the oven to 100°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Bring water and sugar to the boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add beetroot. Let them soak for 30 minutes then lay on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake until firm, about an hour. Transfer to a rack and cool completely before topping the cake.

 A wonderful recipe from my days at Homestyle. Thanks to the talented Manja Wachsmuth for her photography and Amber Armitage for help with food styling. x

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