Beetroot chocolate fudge cake
Beetroot
chocolate fudge cake
Serves 8
·
250g dark chocolate, chopped
·
3 eggs
·
250g light muscovado or brown sugar
·
2 tbs each golden syrup and honey
·
1/3 cup (50g) self-raising flour
·
1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
·
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
·
1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder
·
1/2 cup (50g) almond meal
·
250g beetroot, peeled, grated
·
100ml strong espresso, cooled
·
11/2 tbs sunflower oil
·
Whipped cream, to serve
·
Candied beetroot
·
11/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
·
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
·
3 small beetroots, peeled, thinly sliced
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 20cm square
cake pan.
Place the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently
simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water), stirring
occasionally, until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
Beat eggs, sugar, golden syrup and honey together using
electric beaters for 5 minutes or until thick. Sift in the flours, bicarb and
cocoa, then fold in the almond meal. Place the grated beetroot in a sieve and
press down to extract as much liquid as possible, then stir drained beetroot
into the cake batter with the melted chocolate, espresso and oil.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or
until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile, for the candied beetroot, combine sugar, vanilla
pod and seeds, and 1 cup (250ml) water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring
until sugar dissolves. Add beetroot and cook for 20 minutes or until tender.
Remove beetroot using a slotted spoon and transfer to a wire rack set over a
baking tray. Return liquid to medium heat and simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup
(125ml). Discard pod and set aside to cool.
Spread the cake with cream, scatter with candied beetroot
and drizzle with the beetroot syrup to serve.
