Beetroot is a very versatile vegetable. It can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes. The roots are usually eaten grilled, boiled, roasted, even raw and shredded, as a salad. When boiled and pureed, it is a great addition to cakes, because it makes them moist and tender. It does turn the whole batter pink, but you cannot taste the beetroot in cakes. With a simple cream cheese frosting, this is a great fall dessert.
Ingredients
For the cake
250 grams cooked beetroots, pureed
250 grams plain flour
200 grams sugar
200 ml oil
20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
3 medium eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
For the icing
100 grams cream cheese
100 grams softened butter
100 ml double cream
Preparation
Cook the beetroots, drain them well and puree them completely. Mix 250 grams of the pureed beetroots with vanilla and oil. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and thick (about 5 minutes on high), then mix in the beetroots. Sift the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda, and gently fold it in the beetroot batter. Pour the batter in a well greased and floured pan (23x30 cm; 9x11") and bake in a preheated oven, at 180˚C (350˚F) for 20-25 minutes. While the cake is baking, make the icing by creaming the softened butter with the cream cheese, then folding in firmly whipped double cream (I added a few drops of red food colouring, but that is optional). Let the cake cool completely, spread on the icing and serve. Yields 12 servings.
