Sometimes I find it really hard to find the words to write to go with any given recipe. For example, for this beetroot cake, I was tossing up between telling you about the three sad soggy beetroots I found in the bottom of the crisper and about our electrician, his wife and their new baby.
You see, I hate wasting vegetables, so I wondered about a beetroot chocolate cake. I’ve baked cupcakes before with grated beetroot, but I wanted to bake a deliciously moist red velvety-esque cake with pureed beetroot. It worked wonderfully.
Then I thought I could tell you about how I cut some for our electrician the other day. He was roughing in (putting all the initial electrical cords through our walls), and I took him out a coffee and some cake. We started chatting about his new baby, their hospital experience and how they are handling having a baby in their life. Then I cut a couple more slices of cake and sent them home with him for him and his wife.
Both stories completely relevant to me, and this beetroot cake, but neither felt right.
Tell me a beetrooty story.
- 140 gm butter
- 340 gm cooked pureed beetroot
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1 1/2 cups plain flour
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- Preheat oven to 180*C
- Grease and line an 8 inch spring form tin.
- Melt butter in large sauce pan.
- Stir in all other ingredients until well combined.
- Pour mix into tin.
- Bake for 30-40 mins until cake is firm around the outside but still soft in the middle.
A six ingredient cake! I’m in. I love the colour and that it is all natural.
The colour is all natural, but there is A LOT of sugar in it!
This is an excellent way to use up vegetables that otherwise would be thrown out. I do love the colour of this cake and how lovely that you shared it with your electrician for him and his family xx
The colour was so vibrant.
Great outcome all the way around, no wasted beetroot, a lovely cake and sharing it with someone, as well as sharing your thoughts with us! Win, win, win!
Thanks Ardys!
Haha I know the feeling Clare. I have so many random things floating around in my head. Wait until you read tomorrow’s post opening! Beetroot story for you… that time I’d just put a spoon of beetroot puree in Ollie’s mouth and he sneezed.
I can’t wait to read it Claire!
Wow, just pinned it!
Thanks Danielle, it was delicious you won’t regret it.
this looks and sounds delicious I’m sure it is sooo moist! … lovely!
going to try this maybe with a little less sugar for me! cheers m:)
A little less sugar might be a good idea.
I love beetroot cake. I have a great beetroot story. I baked up a batch of beets for a salad for dinner when I lived in a share house. I lived with four boys. We ate dinner and all was well. Beetroot salad a hit. The next morning two of the boys were talking about how their poos were red and it looked like blood. I giggled. They thought that they had some disease and I finally let them know that it was the beetroot. hee hee
haha! I’ve been in the exact same situation!
Yum! That looks so good Clare! Love the colour! Thanks for joining the linkup!
Thanks Liz.
I like how you inadvertently told us both stories 🙂 I find the same happens to me sometimes with posts. I would love it if I could just put the recipe up and say nothing. Love this cake and its gorgeous colour!
Thanks Amanda. Some days the words just don’t come do they.
A beetrooty story… hmmm.. coming up blank here. I love it (beetroot, that is) in all its guises, but can’t think of a story. Like you, I sometimes just wanna blog a recipe but feel obliged to give it some colour/backstory. In any case this cake looks magnificent.
You’re so right!
I think this cake is the bomb. A wise person once told me it didn’t matter what the story was, just tell it. Then as if to thank readers for getting all the way to the bottom, give them a helluva good recipe. I think you’ll do fine.
Good tip Maureen. I’ll keep that in mind in the future!
I don’t think I have a beetrootey story in my life!! 🙂
No Beetrooty stories!!!
I agree Clare – deciding what story to tell is the hardest part about a recipe post for me! The cake looks delicious! x
It really was Amanda!
This looks amazing!! I’m not much of a baker myself and have been trying to reduce my sugar and white flour intake. I am just wondering, with your knowledge of baking, could a similar result be achieved with honey and maybe a combination of almond and coconut flour??
I’m not too sure Ella. Coconut flour behaves very differently to regular white flour.
How do I cook the beetroot?
Sorry Danielle, I should have mentioned. I boil them whole and then allow them to cool, top and tail and peel them.