Beetroot Cake

Beetroot Cake

With yoghurt and basil icing

There are many ways to enjoy beetroot, both sweet and savoury. My personal favourite is a beetroot brownie or roast beetroot with a roast dinner. But beetroot has much more to offer.

The nature of a traditional carrot cake is moist and almost like a pudding or dessert. Beetroot is a perfect substitute and in fact a little sweeter. This cake is as delicious with a cup of tea or enjoyed as a dessert with a drizzle of cream or ball of ice cream.

Makes 22cm round cake
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
350g raw beetroot
220g caster sugar
220g oil (something light)
3 eggs
260g plain flour
60g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
A couple of pinches of cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
60g chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 170°C or 160°C fan assisted.


1. Line a 22cm cake tin with parchment on the base and butter on the sides.

2. Peel and grate 200g of the beetroot coarsely and 150g with a fine grater. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible and save this for the icing.

3. Beat the sugar, eggs and oil for a few minutes until the mix begins to thicken, then add the beetroot followed by the dry ingredients.

4. Add to the prepared cake tin and make a slight indent in the centre. Bake for around 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the middle of the cake.

5. Cool in the tin for a few minutes to allow the shape to set before taking out of the tin. Leave to cool fully before icing.

Icing Ingredients:
200g Greek or thick set yoghurt
150g icing sugar
Beetroot juice

6. Beat the yoghurt and sugar together until the mixture is smooth and thick. Add enough of the saved beetroot juice to give a lovely colour but not to slacken the icing too much. Spread over the top of the cake and allow it to drizzle down the side.


Chef Notes:
1. Toasting the walnuts first adds a lovely flavour to the cake.
2. Cinnamon is there as a seasoning to enhance the sweet flavours, not as a flavour itself so be sparing.