I don’t know about you, but a few years ago I would never have thought of combining chocolate and beetroot in a cake. It sounds strange, and the look on my fiances face when I told him I had made a Chocolate Beetroot Cake proved my point. He looked at me dubiously and said “sounds interesting”, which is his polite way of saying I’m not sure I like the sound of this. When I handed him a piece to try he looked at me worryingly and I could tell he wasn’t too sure if he wanted to try it. But my ever faithful and supportive taste tester plucked up the courage to try this strange sounding cake. To his surprise, and I must admit mine too, he really enjoyed it. The word delicious was even uttered! Score one for the Chocolate Beetroot Cake!
Googling Chocolate Beetroot Cake you will actually find the concept not all that strange, with numerous recipes coming up in search results. I’d bookmarked a chocolate beetroot cake recipe some time ago, thinking, sounds different but I’m willing to give it a try, but had never actually gotten around to it. So, when I had some leftover beetroot marmalade from making the Beetroot and Goats Cheese Jalousie I posted last week and was stuck for ideas on how to use it I recalled that long neglected chocolate beetroot cake recipe I had bookmarked and I thought I’d see how the marmalade would go in a chocolate beetroot cake. And you know what? It works amazingly well! The beetroot adds a subtle earthy depth and the spices from the marmalade add another delicious dimension.
So, this rather strange sounding Chocolate Beetroot Marmalade Cake is my submission to the latest Sweet Adventures Blog Hop. This months theme, hosted by the lovely Nic from Dining With A Stud, is Love At First Bite. While it might seem obvious to go down the romance path given the theme, and the fact it was Valentines day only a few days ago, I wanted to do something a little different. And chocolate is one of my great food loves, especially dark chocolate – as you can probably tell from the numerous chocolate recipes here on Delicieux – so I really couldn’t go past sharing this delicious, yet different chocolate cake with you. Also apparently beetroot juice has long been considered an aphrodisiac since the Roman times, and well, we all know the seductive powers of chocolate, so in this cake you get of a double dose of lovey goodness!
So tell me, what is the strangest sounding cake you have eaten, and did you like it? Have you ever made or tried a chocolate beetroot cake?
- 400g dark chocolate, chopped
- 6 eggs, separated
- 150g caster sugar
- 1½ cups of Beetroot Marmalade
- 100ml pouring cream, whisked to soft peaks
- 75g almond meal
- Preheat oven to 175 celsius (350 Fahrenheit) and grease and line a 20cm spring form tin with baking paper. Note the tin needs to be water tight as it will be placed in a water bath to cook.
- Place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl and melt over a saucepan of simmering water until almost melted. Stir until melted and set aside.
- Whisk the egg yolks and 100g of sugar in an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until pale and creamy. Add the melted chocolate and beetroot marmalade and stir to combine. Set aside while you whisk the egg whites. If you only have 1 bow for your mixer place the mixture into a large bowl and wash and thoroughly dry the mixing bowl before continuing.
- Place the egg whites in the mixing bowl along with a pinch of salt and whisk until soft peaks are formed. Add the remaining 50g of sugar and whisk until smooth and glossy.
- Fold the whipped cream and egg white mixture through chocolate and egg yolk mixture until combined. Finally, fold through almond meal.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place the springform pan into a roasting pan, and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of tin. Bake for 45 minutes, before reducing the oven to 150 celsius (300 fahrenheit) and bake for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed.
- Turn off oven, and cool the cake in oven for 20 minutes before finally removing. Loosen the springform tin and allow to cool in the pan for another 15 minutes before removing. Dust with cocoa powder and serve with cream or ice-cream.
Sweet Adventures is a monthly, dessert-themed blog hop organised by JJ from 84th & 3rd, KC from The Capers of the Kitchen Crusader, Jennifer from Delicieux, Nic from Dining with a Stud, and Christina from The Hungry Australian.
This month’s Blog Hop event, Love At First Bite, is being hosted by Nic from Dining With A Stud. We hope you enjoy this fun desserts event. Check out all of the other delicious Love At First Bite submissions below.
For detailed instructions on how to join this fun event, check out Nic’s blog.
A sinful cake! What a great texture and flavor combo. Really original.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thanks Rosa :D
wow. RT @ledelicieux: {NEW POST} Chocolate Beetroot Marmalade Cake http://t.co/Bj8FqXMz Yes a choc cake with beetroot marmalade! #recipe...
I've seen plenty of beetroot/choc cake recipes, but never been tempted to try them as I just love beetroot on their own. However, your beetroot marmalade recipe looks gorgeous and I might have to give it a whirl - cutting a few corners by using my Thermomix, 'cos I'm lazy. ;-)
Awww you lucky people with a Thermomix....my Mum has one and I get so jealous hearing about all the amazing things it can do. It's certainly on my wish list. Anyway, let me know how your themomix version turns out.
Looks delicious! I made a chocolate beetroot cake once years ago - I didn't have a recipe but I just treated it just like carrot cake and used grated raw beetroot instead of carrot. It made for a dense and delicious cake but the strange thing was the beetroot didn't keep it's colour. The colour sort of came out of the bits of grated beetroot and they went an orangey colour in the cake - so it didn't have the visual effect that I wanted! Still delicious though!
Chocolate Beetroot Marmalade Cake http://t.co/PMZiCRnx
RT @ledelicieux: {NEW POST} Chocolate Beetroot Marmalade Cake http://t.co/RVPgEWB4 Yes a choc cake with beetroot marmalade! #recipe #foodphotography #SABH
We both seem to have beetroot on the brain! I've definitely bookmarked beetroot chocolate cakes in the past, great to see how this one turned out! It looks amazing and rich per usual ;D
It's rich, but not overly so, and not overly sweet either, which is good. :)
Making a chocolate beetroot cake is on my to do list also. I haven't got there yet as I used all my home grown beetroot in relish this time around. Next time. The flavors sound lovely.
The avocado cake I made last year is probably the strangest sounding cake I've ever made. It was to odd not to try.
This cake looks so deliciously rich. I'm rather intrigued by the beetroot too.
Great flavors my dear!! It looks fantastic! I don't like overly sweet cakes, so this would be right up my alley! I've never worked with beetroot but I just may give it a try now :)
Oh my, what a treat! Looks so moist and indulgent :)
This sounds great, Jen. I have not tried a beetroot cake... but do love my pumpkin strudel and also a chocolate zucchini cake that I am posting very soon. Love your snippet. Very inviting.
I've not tried pumpkin strudel before. Sounds interesting, but I can see it being fabulous because I just adore pumpkin.
Ah I remember when I snuck some beetroot into a chocolate cake - I'm not sure if I made a mistake by not telling hubby it was in there, because he took one bite and spat it out haha.
Maybe this recipe would fare better!
I think you're right, it's better not to say what's in it until they taste it and can give an unbiased opinion :)
RT @ledelicieux: {NEW POST} Chocolate Beetroot Marmalade Cake http://t.co/RVPgEWB4 Yes a choc cake with beetroot marmalade! #recipe #foodphotography #SABH
Beautiful! The texture reminds me of a rich fudgy brownie. Love the idea!
Thanks Laura :)
RT @ledelicieux: {NEW POST} Chocolate Beetroot Marmalade Cake http://t.co/RVPgEWB4 Yes a choc cake with beetroot marmalade! #recipe #foodphotography #SABH
Wow - this cake looks very rich, very decadent and very moreish, Jennifer.
I've been seeing lots of beetroot in cake recipes lately and I have to say I'm intrigued. I can totally see this working actually - I imagine the beetroot makes it very moist and very dense.
A lovely, must-try cake!
Thanks Christina :)
I too have bookmarked quite a few unusual cake recipes just like this one. I have tried a few and they are absolutely divine. Love the look of this one - so moist!
Thank you so much Erin :)
Yum! Summed up my thoughts in one word:) Wow, I never knew there was such a thing as beetroot marmelade. Where can one buy this?
Hi Miss Kimbers, you can find Beetroot Marmalade at gourmet food stores, or try making your own as it's surprisingly easy. You will find the recipe I used here http://www.ledelicieux.com/2012/02/13/beetroot-goats-cheese-jalousie/
I love vegetable cakes! The vegetables impart such a lovely texture and moistness to a cake so I can see how he was so easily won over :D
Looks delicious! Two of my favourite ingredients and I have been meaning to try a chocolate beetroot cake for a while. Lovely to meet you Jennifer and I look forward to watching your blog!
Thank you Prue, and lovely to meet you too :)
Yes I love a chocolate beetroot cake sand this looks like an added twist ion the theme nice
Great marriage of flavours! I am really loving the use of beetroot in a cake.
Thanks Anna :)
I can't say that I've been too keen on the choc/beetroot combo but it sure does seem common and makes for a moist cake. Your cake looks lovely and I think I'll bite the bullet and give it a go myself some time :)
Well if you do try a chocolate beetroot cake I hope you like it. :)
I've always wanted to try beetroot with chocolate. I'll have to give this one a go :)
I have been planning to try beetroot with chocolate forever and honestly it is a rare vegetable + chocolate combination I think would work really well.
Beetroot and chocolate is such a strange idea but it totally works - I've made beetroot brownies before which were great. This cake looks like another level of awesomeness though - and love the idea of using beetroot marmalade rather than grated raw beet.
I'm glad you like my beetroot marmalade addition :) I remember when eating the jalousie how I thought it would work well in a dessert....and it did :)
Hi!
I v never thought of combining beetroot with chocolate either, but then I though the same about chilli and choco and its one of my favourite food combinations by now!
one has to try out right? ;)
Looks wonderful by the way!
Thank you Helene :) And yes, it is one to try out.
This sounds really interesting and good! I like that you made a marmalade instead of just incorporating the beetroot - I think it would be too heavy that way. I think I might have to try this!
Thanks Stephanie :) I think the spices from the marmalade worked particularly well in this cake. I'm not sure how it would have gone with just beetroot, but I have to admit it was probably the spices that made this for me.
Have not tried this combination before and the beetroot marmalade sound very interesting! Not a preserve that you see on the supermarket shelves where I live! I have tried chocolate and zucchini and that was quite nice! :)
Just realized that you made your own beet marmalade... now I have no excuse! :)
Hehe no you don't Moya :D If you do try it I'd love to hear what you think.
Such an interesting flavour combination, resulted in an amazingly moist looking cake. Is one I would like to have a go at making.
Beetroot marmalade? Oh, that's something I would really like. This one needs to be saved.
Your recipe looks awesome - simple with not too many ingredients and I love that you use almond meal and beet marmalade. I think it's starting to catch on that really tasty desserts can be made with added nutrition by substituting out the wheat flour and sugar. Love the idea...been tinkering around with the thought of doing a chocolate beet cake but haven't mustered up the logistics behind it quite yet, so it was nice to see this post. Nice work and hope you enjoyed your weekend!
Thank you for your kind words Julia and stopping by :) I really enjoy desserts with almond meal, it always gives them a lovely moistness and texture.
oh yeah my husband still gives that weird look at me whenever i mention beetroot cake! I think someday I will just use it in a cake and not tell him he he he (evil grin) ;)
The best thing about beetroot chocolate cakes is seeing the reaction of people you feed it to! This one looks especially moist and yummy!
another one added to the bake list:)
LOL, totally awesome that we both cook from, eat and post the same recipe :-) Your cake looks amazing!!
Hi Jennifer! Lovely to find your blog, and how wonderful to know that you are now living in Brissy :-)
I've never tried a chocolate and beetroot cake, though I am really curious about it. The combination sounds odd, but I'm sure it's a bit like carrot cake where you don't really taste the vegetable at all.
Beautiful photos!! Off to have a look at your other posts ...
Hi Thanh, thank you so much for your comments and for taking the time to stop by. The combination of chocolate and beetroot does indeed sound odd, but it does work. Especially with the sweetly spiced beetroot marmalade. :D
I've heard of putting beetroot in cake, but have never tried it myself. That might change soon after seeing this post and your gorgeous pictures!
Thank you so much Denise :D
This looks rich and chocolate-y and decadent! This would probably be the most awesome chocolate birthday cake anyone could bake.
Besides giving a lovely red undertone, I think adding veggies makes such a moist cake. Yours looks absolutely perfect and delectable. As long I didn't mention the word beet, my family would love this!
This is a little strange Chocolate and Beetroot but I'm still intrigued to try :D Thanks for sharing!
Chocolate and beet is a combination I'm yet to try. Your cake looks great Jen!
Thank you so much :) It sounds strange but was really delicious.