Beetroot Chocolate Cake with Cardamom & Orange Icing

Ingredients

2 beetroots (200g)
150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tsp ginger, minced/grated
1 C plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of sea salt, ground
1/3 C sugar (or equiv.)
180g unsalted butter
3 eggs, separated

ICING
1 C icing sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 Tbsp softened butter
1 orange, juice & rind

Summary

Ah yes, a classic combo.  And you may notice there’s technically two produce items from the box going in to the icing – win! Cook up a couple of earthy beetroots for this cake, and perhaps a few more for a weekend salad while you’re at it.

(This recipe is of unknown origin).

Beetroot Chocolate Cake with Cardamom & Orange Icing

Wash, peel & dice beetroots. Steam until cooked and then puree. Alternatively bake or boil the beetroots whole, then simply rub off the skin with your fingers. Add chopped chocolate pieces to the warm beetroot so they melt. Add ginger & juice of half an orange and stir gently to combine. Set the other orange half aside for the icing.

Preheat oven to 180˚C and line an 18cm cake tin. Sift flour, salt & baking powder into a bowl. Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks, butter & sugar until creamy. Whisk the whites until they form soft peaks.

Add beetroot mix to flour & combine. Fold in creamy sugar mixture, then fold in the beaten egg whites.  Gently pour the mixture in to the cake tin. Bake for 50 mins. Once cooked, let stand to cool.

Grate the rind of half an orange, then juice. Combine the icing sugar & cardamom in a bowl. Add the butter, beating the mixture with a fork. Add orange juice as needed. Add orange rind at the end. To make a naturally pink icing, briefly mix a piece of left over beetroot into the icing and gently stir.

Once the cake is cooked & cooled, apply icing with a spatula or butter knife and serve.