This easy chocolate and beetroot cake has really stood the test of time in our family. It is rich and indulgent but has a dose of vegetables in each slice, what’s not to love?
The recipe is super easy too and that’s important as we just don’t have time to be peeling and steaming our beetroot for a cake. The tinned version does really well in this recipe.
This is a very moist cake, which is one of many reasons that I really adore it. It has never come out at all dry, yet it’s never soggy either. It does rise quite a lot int he middle so, if I remember, I tend to pour the batter into the tin and then smooth it out not quite flat, but rather with a bit of a lower section in the middle.
I do not make this cake in the Thermomix as it’s very simple to make it and I usually make a double batch, which would be far too much to fit in the Thermie.
NB: Find more great Cakes To Make On Rainy Days here.
Simple Chocolate Beetroot Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 450g can of whole baby beetroot
- 50g (0.5 cup) cocoa
- 200g (1.5 cups) self-raising flour
- 200g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 125g unsalted butter
- 100g dark chocolate
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180° C.
- Drain beetroot and then blend with the eggs until very smooth.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together. I use the microwave, starting off with one minute and then zapping for 10 seconds at a time further. You can also gently heat the chocolate and butter in a pan.
- Sift flour then mix in with cocoa and sugar.
- Mix all the ingredients together until combined.
- Use one 23cm diameter baking tin or two 20cm baking tins… or make cupcakes.
- Bake for 20 – 30 minutes depending on pan, less for cupcakes.
Notes
For a really big chocolate cake for birthdays, I often double this quantity and make 2 x 23cm diameter round cakes which I then ice together.
I have been using wholewheat flour when I am making this cake for not-so-special occasions eg using it to make cupcakes for the kids’ lunchboxes. You just need to use 10g less flour and let it stand for 10 minutes before baking. But for birthday cakes, I do use white flour.
I ice this cake with a frosting made by melting dark chocolate very gently with sour cream. I usually use equal quantities of each i.e 50g of dark chocolate and 50g of sour cream. But you can use any icing or frosting.
We have used this recipe to make a dozen birthday cakes or more over our many years of family life. And now the children know how to make and bake this cake all by themselves. They will be making chocolate and beetroot cakes for their own kids some day.
Have you ever tried making a chocolate beetroot cake?
Do you have a never-fail birthday cake recipe??
To find more family-friendly recipes that my family love, just click here.
I love to make cupcakes…my favorite is chocolate cupcake with chambord chocolate frosting …thanks for sharing all dis…i luved it..
Glad to hear you like the recipe, I must ask what is chambord chocolate frosting???
Omg! Chambord choc frosting sounds divine! Thanks for the suggestion… so adult!
This looks delicious. I love tinned beetroot and always have a tin in the cupboard … guess what will be in the lunchboxes this week?
Thanks for the fab recipe. I can see how ‘no fail’ it is!!! x
I googled “best beetroot chocolate cake” and this is where I ended up! It was wonderful. Thank you for sharing the recipe. I noted when I was half way through mixing that you hadn’t included a time for baking. I baked it in a ring tin and it took 45mins
.No-one could believe there was beetroot in it!
Thanks for letting me know, much appreciated. I must add some times to the post.
Happy baking. X
I’ve always wanted to try a chocolate cake with beetroot, so thanks I’ll try this one when the fancy takes me.
Two teenagers, what an achievement for both of you.
Happy Birthday.
Carolyn
PS Hope you are rocking your new job
Thanks for sharing, we made muffins, and they were lovely. Quantity was enough for 12, baked for 20mins at 180deg. And no one could tell there was beetroot in them.
Oh thank you, great to hear this. It’s been my go-to cake for years, I must put up my Thermomix version of the recipe one day. Lovely to hear from you.
How did I miss this before? Two of my favourite foods combined – I love beetroot and of course chocolate. I have about 10 chocolate cake recipes for different occasions (quick, healthy, gluten free, divine, brownies etc) and now one more. Thanks! Can’t wait to eat it 🙂
I love getting veggies into teenagers without them knowing, it’s my hobby.
Wow how many teens in the house now ? Congratulations! this recipe sounds good, once I get my oven up and working I’ll give it a go. I like icing with sour cream – it balances out the sweetness.
I loved this recipe – made it in to cupcakes. The result was very rich and tasty, but possibly a little dry. I made it using my thermomix. I would love to see your thermomix version – I’m always a little unsure how much to mix cake in the thermo.
Ohh looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Hi , just wanted to know if I use whole wheat flour how much baking powder should I use ??
Regards
Hello, I’ve never tried, maybe just try the same amount… but I like to use self-raising whole wheat flour which already has it in.
I made this without adding sugar
Still yummy
Really! Wow… that is good to know. Must try that.