Plant Based, Beetroot Chocolate Cake

With 100% Cacao Paste and cacao powder. Gluten free and refined sugar free!

Always my favourite chocolate cake, and this lock down I set off on a mission to create a vegan version, using 100% Cacao Paste. The verdict: Imagine a decadent brownie, soft and moist on the inside, with a slight crunch on the outside, a hint of beetroot, but mainly deep dark wonderful chocolate at its best. Matched with vanilla coconut yogurt and its cacao heaven Orbit and its healthy. It has it vegetables, protein, fats and well it simply is good for the soul so what else matters!

INGREDIENTS:

RECIPE:

Coconut oil 185gs

Cacao Butter 75gs

Coconut Sugar 150gs

Maple Syrup 100mls

Cacao Paste 100g’s or the darkest chocolate possible

Cacao Powder 50gs

Grated beetroot 2 medium, grated

Almond meal 350g

Coconut Flour 100gs

Baking Powder 15gs

Baking Soda 5gs

5mls White vinegar

Vanilla pod

1 tsp salt

Method:

-Heat the over to 180 degrees

-Line round 9 inch spring form baking tin, or two loaf tins

-Melt coconut oil, cacao butter, cacao paste and when melted stir in the maple syrup and coconut sugar.

-Cut open vanilla pod and scoop out vanilla seeds, and add to the above mixture. Allow actual vanilla pod to soak with liquid while actioning the below steps

-Mix all dry ingredients together (Almond meal, cacao powder, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and sieve twice.

-Mix grated beetroot into dry mixture

-Add vinegar and mix thoroughly.

-Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and mix thoroughly.

Place mixture in lined tin and place in oven

Bake for 30 minutes at 180 and drop the temperature down to 120 and bake for another 20 minutes. Check occasionally to see if firm to the touch in the centre of the cake as may be quicker.

Allow to cool.

To make a ganache:

Use 300mls coconut milk to dark chocolate. I used chocolate sweetened with coconut sugar that I make at home. 70% or darker is great also.

Chop chocolate, bring milk to the boil(just under), and pour over the chopped chocolate. allow to sit for a minute and then gently stir together.

Place the cake on a wire rack and pour the ganache into the middle and tilt by holding up one side of the rack so the ganaches flows over the sides and keep repeating until cake and all sides is covered.

NOTE: This means lots of finger licking and chocolate on the bench, but it is heaps of fun and so good to allow ourselves to be kids again and lick the left overs!

Get creative with the decoration on top of the cake from edible flowers to freeze dried fruit, to fresh fruit!

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