Make your Valentine’s day dessert with this rich and moist chocolate beetroot cake, with little nuggets of chocolate melting and oozing out of each slice. Topping it with a drizzle of cream, and you have a perfect dessert for date night.
This post was originally published in September 2016, but has been updated with instructions, tips and recipe tweaks.
Valentine’s desserts are a prerequisite in my books.
When you are a parent you discover quickly that date nights can be like gold dust. Valentine’s day can be no exception. This year, we don’t have childcare on Valentine’s day, we’re having a date night in, so you have to make it special. Making a delicious dessert from scratch can be easy, and show your other half how much you care. Now, my other half (the long-suffering D) likes his chocolate (see here, here and here), whereas I prefer a tarter dessert.
So, we’re making a rich and moist chocolate beetroot cake, with little nuggets of chocolate melting and oozing out of each slice. Topping it with a drizzle of cream, and you have a perfect dessert for date night. For me, I’m adding some fresh strawberries
Ingredients
- Cooked beetroot
- Plain flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- Dark chocolate
- Double cream
What equipment do you need?
Making this chocolate beetroot cake is so easy, and all it really requires is a greater, a food mixer (or if you’re in a rush a food processor), a loaf tin and an oven.
We’re making chocolate beetroot cake!
- Heat the oven to 190C, and grease a large loaf pan with the butter or spray. Stick the pan in the fridge to cool.
- Grate the cooked beetroot and place in the mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients except for the cream and oil. Start the mixer up.
- With the mixer running, slowly add the oil. Ensure everything is incorporated. Then, pour the mixture into the chilled pan. Place in the oven and bake for about 1-1.5hr min, or until a skewer comes out clean. Be warned, it could take a bit longer than normal due to the beetroot being quite dense and wet.
- When cooled, slice, plate and pour on the cream. Enjoy.
Build your Valentine’s Day menu
- Starter: This Burrata with figs and crispy bread looks easy and delicious – Cooking and Beer
- Main: Irish Whiskey Salmon (I saw this, and immediately wanted to make/eat it!) – Craft Beering
- Dessert: Chocolate Beetroot Cake!
Pairings
Drinks
While some might argue for coffee, personally there is only one drink that compliments any chocolate cake. Milk.
Music
The idea of an ‘allotment’ garden is very British. The Great British Bake Off is very British. Afternoon tea is, we’ll probably inspired from China, but the British made it big. So, let’s go for some delightful British classical music. May I present to you Elgar’s Nimrod.
Rich and moist chocolate beetroot cake
Ingredients
- 200 g Cooked beetroot (about 2-3 cooked beetroots)
- 1 2/3 cups Cake flour
- 1/2 cup Cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 1/3 cups Vegetable oil
- Butter for greasing or non-stick baking spray
- 1/2 cup Dark chopped chocolate
- 1/2 cup Double Cream (also known as heavy cream)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375F, and grease a large loaf pan with the butter or spray. Stick the pan in the fridge to cool.
- Grate the cooked beetroot and place in the mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients except for the cream and oil. Start the mixer up.
- With the mixer running, slowly add the oil. Ensure everything is incorporated. Then, pour the mixture into the chilled pan. Place in the oven and bake for about 1-1 1/2hr min, or until a skewer comes out clean. Be warned, it could take a bit longer than normal due to the beetroot being quite dense and wet.
- When cooled, slice, plate and pour on the cream. Enjoy.
What a fun recipe! The addition of heavy cream right there at the end is really unique. But back to the cake. I hear ya in the chocolate side. I’m a huge fan of vanilla ice cream, so chocolate cake + vanilla ice cream is kinda my jam! Love that you’ve been nominated to do double the baking in your house. (Hey, life could be worse, right??) Great photos, Matt!
Thanks David. Yeah chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream is a brilliant combo!
Thank you for bringing your delicious chocolate beet cake to Fiesta Friday. I can definitely attest to its moistness and deliciousness :). I too had a ton of beets from the garden this summer and since I had never tried a beet cake before, I thought I’d give it a go. My sister’s office in the UK has also jumped on board with the Great British Bake-Off. I like that you served it with heavy cream too, it looks just lovely. Have a great weekend.
Thanks Loretta, yeah GBBO takes over this country big time!
Chocolate and beetroot is an amazing combination! Your cake looks perfect and I think it goes perfectly well with a cup of tea! 🙂 Although I wouldn’t say no if you offered me a glass of milk!
Agreed! Thanks Julia.
Please do not present to me Elgar’s Nimrod! We barely know one another! I’ve always wanted to try a cake like this. I’m surprised that it has no hint of red.
Haha! Yeah the cooked beetroot goes quite dark, and because it is blitzed with the chocolate the darker colour takes over. Really the beetroot adds a some earthy sweetness to the cake!
I just love a good chocolate cake and love that you used beetroot! That pour shot is stellar!
Thanks Julie, it wasn’t the easiest shot as the cake loved soaking up the cream!
Such an intriguing addition to cake!! I agree with you – sometimes I just need to cut through all that chocolate-y taste for something more subtle.
Thanks Jasmine
Oh, this baking competition sounds like a fun thing to be involved in. Today we’re having a baking sale in our office, but this hapens only few times a year. Talking about beets – I do like them a lot. However, having tried carrot, zucchini, sweet potato, and other cakes, I haven’t incorporated beets yet. I need to fix this. This cake sounds and looks great, Matt!
Rootbeer cake? Where have you been been all of my life??? I wish I could watch the Great British Bake Off, I’m going to see if I can get it in the States.
Hate to burst the bubble, but it’s actually beetroot cake! Of course I’m now thinking about making a rootbeer cake!
This looks like a great recipe!! Book marking it for baking later!!
This looks delicious!! Have always wanted to bake with beetroots..Thanks for sharing a great recipe!!
Chocolate and beetroot is such a fantastic combination in baking; this can sounds divine! Also such great tips for a Valentine’s Day menu!
Beetroot, eh? I applaud that! I’ve been tempted to use beets in a cake ever since I learned that Red Velvet Cakes used to be made with beets. However, I have yet to do it. But after seeing this cake, I need a slice for tomorrow night! Also, I second your opinion that chocolate cake requires milk. It’s a must! But what about something like Bailey’s? Is that close enough to milk? 🙂 Enjoy Valentine’s Day with the whole family this year, my friend!
Chocolate cake is always a good idea, if you ask me! And since this would has veggies in it, I could definitely have more than one piece, right 😉 ?? It’s looks super rich and totally wishing I had a huge piece right now! Pinned 🙂
Yaay another beets in baked goods lover! This looks so rich and moist, hooray! I’ve got to try it! Wonderful dessert for Valentine’s Day 🙂
Believe it or not I think that I know just the Belgian ale to pair this beauty with. Will be absolutely delicious, I can already tell…
I love the combination of chocolate and beetroot Matt. I’ve make chocolate and beetroot muffins myself and they’re so rich tasting and moist. I’ve no doubt this will similarly be absolutely delicious!!