PALEO/GLUTEN FREE/DAIRY FREE/REFINED SUGAR FREE
There’s nothing like sneaking a cheeky vegetable into a dessert, and I’m not the first to bring chocolate and beetroot to the table. I’m not sure why I was so intent on making this recipe – and it wasn’t without its ups and downs.
It definitely took me a couple of tries to get the result I was after, but it was so worth the extra time and effort. The result? A moist (heh sorry), dense but soft and dreamy cake with a creamy dairy free cashew frosting in the most perfect dusty rose colour.
I put these cakes through their paces with various people both health conscious and gluten-dairy-and-sugar eating alike – and their feedback was synonymous. These cakes are goooood.
So without anymore babbling, here’s the recipe. It’s a goody!
Don’t forget to tag me in your creations – @elorahh and #theshrinkingviolet
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Servings | Mini Cakes |
- 1 large beetroot peeled and grated
- 1.5 cups ground almonds
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup Coconut flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 cup Coconut oil or butter if not dairy free, softened
- 1/3 cup Coconut sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 5 large eggs
- 150 ml almond milk
- 1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup
- 3/4 cup raw cashews covered and soaked in water for 2-3 hours
- 2 tbsp Coconut oil melted
- 2 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 2-4 tbsp Water as needed for consistency
- 1-2 tsp beetroot powder optional - for colour
Ingredients Cakes
Cashew Frosting
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- Preheat your oven to 180c and grease a non stick muffin tray (or if you want to make a large cake, then line a springform cake tin)
- Mix together almond meal, tapioca flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa and cinnamon and set aside
- In another bowl, mix together your coconut oil, coconut sugar and vanilla until combined then add each egg, beating well after each addition and stir in beetroot. Set aside
- Mix your almond milk with your maple syrup in a small jug
- Alternating between the two, starting and finishing with the flour mixture, add your flour mix and milk mix gradually to your coconut oil mixture. I personally do 1/3 of the flour mix, half the milk and repeat until finishing with the flour
- Scoop even amounts of the batter into your muffin tray. You should have further mix left over that you will need to put into another muffin tray, or a mini cake tin, should you choose to do individual cakes
- Cook for around 20-30 minutes, checking at the 20 minute mark to see how they are going. The cakes will spring back to the touch once cooked and a skewer will come out clean. A full sized cake will need to be covered after 25 minutes for the remainder of cooking duration
- Remove from the oven once cooked and leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack
- Meanwhile, place your drained cashews into a blender along with the rest of the ingredients except the water and blend until smooth. Add the water in small amounts, until you get the consistency right. Place in the fridge until desired thickness
- Frost the cakes as soon as they are cool enough, and serve immediately
When the cakes are not being eaten, refrigerate to preserve the frosting. If you aren't planning on serving them immediately, I would wait to frost them until closer to the time. The frosting does last in the fridge, but it may discolour very slightly as it sits. It does not affect flavour at all. I personally wrapped the cakes in cling film and left them in the cupboard overnight, then the following day I frosted before serving. This kept the cakes nice and moist. They tend to go a little harder in the fridge as the coconut oil solidifies, however this is remedied by bringing them out of the fridge an hour or so before serving. They're still delicious both ways!
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