This chocolate beetroot loaf cake is the simplest one ever. It looks a little humble but it is soft and moist and so chocolatey. It’s a cake you will put on the table but never have to put away.
A can of beetroot makes the best cake!!
When you want a cake that isn’t creamy and heavy but is so delicious you just want another slice, then make this! You can also joke that you have had an extra serve of vegies.
Without fail this cake is a winner with everyone. It’s almost an impossible cake because it is made with a humble can of beetroot. I do love chocolate beetroot cakes made with freshly grated beetroot but this one is THE best.
How to make this cake
- Beetroot– (Or pickled beets)The cake uses beetroot. The beetroot adds both colour and body to the cake. Using beetroot from a can adds some vinegar to the batter which reacts with the bicarbonate of soda giving rise and a light airy crumb. It also adds a good spike of flavour to the chocolate and a counterbalance to any sweetness
- Caster Sugar– caster sugar or superfine sugar works best with the beetroot and is lighter in the batter than brown sugar. This cake has not been tested with sugar substitutes
- Plain Flour– Use all purpose or cake flour. Either of these will work just fine. This cake has not been tested with gluten free flour
- Cocoa, Dutch blend – This cake has only a small amount of cocoa in it and no melted chocolate. This means you need to use a high quality “Dutched” cocoa. This cocoa has a dark reddy dark brown colour. It gives the cake its flavour and character. You can find this at specialist stores or in Australia Plaistow is the best in the supermarket
- Eggs– Use 7ogm (extra large eggs) at room temperature
- Bicarbonate of Soda – Helps the cake rise as it reacts with the vinegar and cocoa powder
- Vanilla – For flavour
- Salt – Just a little brings out the flavours of everything else in the cake
- Oil – Keeps the cake moist and fresh for days. Any neutral flavoured oil works fine here – vegetable, canola.
- Milk– This adds some extra moisture making the cake light
Chocolate Ganache frosting
Woo hoo . You are going to love this simple chocolate ganache. I am told is one of the reasons to eat this cake! Melt and stir together.
If you love a loaf cake try these recipes too!
Quick Cheese Loaf
Banana Bread Loaf
Chocolate Beetroot Loaf Cake
No one will know this delicious cake is made from beetroot unless you tell them. It is fluffy and very chocolatey with to die for icing
Ingredients
- 200 gm beetroot 7 oz, sliced, cubed or whole in vinegar (pickled beets)
- 200 gm caster sugar 1 cup sugar, 7 oz
- 2 eggs extra large
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 125 ml oil 1/2 cup, 4.2 fl oz or just over 1/2 US cup
- 125 ml milk 1/2 cup, as above
- 190 gm flour, plain 1 1/4 cups, 6.7 oz
- 25 gm Cocoa, Dutch 1/4 cup, just under 1 oz
- 1 Tablsp reserved beetroot liquid 20 ml
- 1 teaspoon bicarb
Chocolate icing
- 100 gm dark chocolate 3.5 oz or 1/2 a 200 gm block
- 50 gm butter 1.8 oz
- 50 gm icing sugar 1.8 oz,
- ** grated chocolate, roasted nuts or seeds to garnish
Instructions
- Set the oven to 170C/ 340 F You will need an 8 cup loaf tin or a 20 cm cake tin, lined with baking paper. You will need a food processor or stick blender
- Drain the beetroot and put it in the food processor with the sugar. (The sugar will help the beetroot to puree). Process until the beetroot is a smoothish puree.
- Add the eggs, oil, beetroot liquid and vanilla and process to combine
- Sift the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and pour over the beetroot mixture stirring until JUST combined. Don't overmix this cake
- Pour into a lined sprayed loaf tin. Bake for 30 minutes. A tester skewer should come out clean. If the cake is not cooked, add 10 minutes to the cooking time.
- Leave for 10 minutes in the tin then turn out onto a cake rack to cool
Chocolate Icing
- Sift the icing sugar into a bowl
- Put the chopped chocolate and butter into a microwave safe bowl and blast at 30 second increments until melted. This should take about 1 to 1/2 minutes. Stir well. You can also melt this mixture in a bowl over warm steaming water.
- Mix the icing sugar and chocolate mixture until well combined. Spread over the cooled loaf
- You can finish this loaf with some grated chocolate, or roasted nuts or seeds
Notes
This cake can be made into a round cake approx 23 cm or 10 in
Don’t over mix this batter or it will rise a lot in the middle.
make sure the beetroot is pureed very well. It can be done with a stick blender
The vinegar with the baking soda gives this cake its rise. It’s best baked when mixed for maximum rise.
Lovely recepi. Love chocolate cake. Thanks for sharing
I have never tried a beetroot chocolate cake before but it is definitely on my radar now. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. When workinh with fresh beetroot, what should I adjust in the recipe? Do I need to boil them first and should I add a dash of vinegar? Thank you kindly for your advice?
Hi Daphne, nice to hear from you. This cake was made especially to use a can of beetroot. if you would like a recipe for a chocolate beetroot cake please use beetroot in this cake chocolate zucchini cake
Chocolate zucchini cake. Or I can write you another one recipe for one using grated fresh beetroot. Just let me know
I tried this and it is so tasty, Thank you for sharing this quick and healthy cake recipe.
Glad you liked it!!
This seems interesting I will try this for sure.
I will try this for sure.
Believe it or not, I haven’t tried the beetroot chocolate combo yet! I’ve seen brownies, muffins and now cake! The beetroot sure does make it have a rich, dark colour. And that ganache is really TDF!
I would love to make this but I am not familiar with beet root. Is it the same as pickled beets?
Yes Bernadette, they are the same thing. Beets in vinegar in a can
I haven’t had a beet chocolate cake in a long while. Yours with chocolate icing looks incredibly delicious and tempting.
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