I was first introduced to the idea of a beetroot and chocolate cake in first grade. One of my peers, a patriotic mama’s boy, spoke fondly of his mother’s killer beetroot and chocolate cake. Her cake was delicious, and although I don’t seem to remember it’s texture clearly, I am still mesmerised at the addition of beetroot to the cake. This recipe is my version of a choc beet cake. Believe it or not, it is a recipe that mimics the original red velvet. Enjoy.

You’ll need

1½ cup flour

½ cup good quality cocoa

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs, separated

1 cup canola oil

1/3 cup Greek yoghurt

2 cups castor sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups raw beetroot, grated

Chocolate buttercream

3 cups Icing sugar

2/3 cup good quality cocoa

½ cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C, fan setting. Line and grease a 22cm diameter springform pan with baking paper.
2. Sift dry ingredients twice over.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks, oil & sugar with an electric beater. Add yoghurt and vanilla, and continue beating until a thick and creamy consistency is achieved. Add beetroot.
4. Whisk egg whites until soft peak stage.
5. Fold sifted dry ingredients into beetroot mixture. Gently add in egg whites and fold until incorporated.
6. Pour cake mixture into tin and bake for 50 min. Check the centre with a skewer and if it comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven. Should the skewer come out gooey, return to the oven and bake for a further 10 min. Repeat the skewer test until the cake is baked through.
7. Let the cake settle in the tin for 5 min, before removing and cooling on a rack.
8. To make the icing, sift the cocoa and icing sugar. Cream butter with sifted dry cocoa icing sugar. Add milk and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
9. Spread icing liberally over the cool cake and serve.

Serves 8.

Keeps for 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.