Dark Chocolate Beet Cake (Gluten-free with Thermomix)
Inspiration: I adore beets and will find any excuse to impart their bloody roots and tops into a recipe. So I was readily inspired by a whimsical photo of Ming’s pink-tinted flourless Cupcake #31. Instead of cupcakes, I decided to expand on Ming’s recipe while adapting its notion to the Thermomix. Much testing resulted in a dense torte that has become a party favourite, and which has the mouth-feel of a solid cheesecake (but with less guilt attached).
The easy flourless beetroot chocolate cake is a dense, rich, melt-in-your mouth treat for grown-up palates. It’s perfect for those of us who enjoy things less sweet. Its flavour is deep and dark, with a texture that becomes more intense on the second day. I slice it thinly, so it serves upwards of 20 party guests, with a little sweetened whipped cream on the side. Any leftovers are good for late at night or early in the morning, secretly with coffee, before the day awakens. It’s heavenly smooth and very sustaining. Without being sweet, its surprising decadence rides the edge between naughty and nice, and lingers on your tongue just long enough for you to contemplate the question and decide for yourself.
150 g. beets, cooked and quartered
210 g. unsweetened chocolate
100 g. butter (make your own!)
3 eggs, separated
150 g. sugar
100 g. orange sections (no seeds)
- Add chocolate and butter to Thermomix bowl. Melt for 6 minutes at 80°C, speed 1.
- Add beets and puree for 10 seconds on speed 6.
- Scrape puree down the sides of Thermomix bowl with spatula. Add sugar and orange pieces. Blend 15 seconds on speed 6.
- Add egg yolks and blend 10 seconds on speed 6.
- Insert butterfly whisk and add egg whites. Whip for 1 minute, gradually increasing to speed 3.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake at 160°C/325°F for about 55-65 minutes or until an inserted tester comes out clean. (I use a springform pan, with greased sides and a parchment liner on the bottom. A smaller deeper pan will need the longer cooking time and if using a larger pan for a thinner tart-like effect, time needed will be less.)
- Allow to cool in the oven. This cake is quite soft when still warm, so I recommend refrigerating for a few hours before serving. Consider serving with whipped cream and adding a little sugar (and/or beet juice) to the cream. This way, your guests and control and increase the sweetness of this desert by adding more whipped cream as desired. Or serve with yogurt as a healthier alternative.
Notes
about chocolate: make sure your chocolate is unsweetened if you want to truly experience the powerful punch of this unabashed cake.
about whipping cream: To whip cream in Thermomix use fresh cream at about 33% and whisk with butterfly on speed 4 for about one minute. I add about one tablespoon of sugar to each 150 g. cream, just at the end of the whipping process. You might also want to reserve some red juice from the beets to dye the whipped cream as it nears completion. Whipped cream keeps very well and also travels well to parties when stored in the Thermo Server.
Oh you are wicked. How did you know that I had just roasted 6 fresh beets and that I have a secret stash of 70% chocolate in the freezer? All out of Oranges but plenty of mandarins. Wickedf.
Ha ha… Wish I could be there to sample your more exotic version with roasted beets. Good for you Gretchen, take it to the next level!
What a beautiful looking recipe from someone who doesn’t even really like sweet foods… but I am all over this. YUMMMMM. It looks gorgeous. I cannot wait to see what hint the beets give to the chocolate!
:)
Valerie
Hmmm. Will be interested to know what you think. Its not a sweet cake, and very dark… I suppose any guests should be forewarned not to expect the traditional sweet taste. I would say good for serious chocoholics perhaps?
Sounds absolutely perfect and I would just tweak it so it’s dairy free: replace the butter with organic virgin coconut oil (not margarine wich is usually full of hydrogenated fats and nobody deserves that!) and if you need to be sugar free a healthy alternative would be either honey or xylitol ( a sugar extracted from the bark of the birch tree).
Thanks for these very helpful tips Karin. I didn’t think about using coconut oil, and it’s a super idea, for a super kitchen machine ;) I always have organic virgin coconut oil in my cupboard too — it’s a lovely product and so very useful. Thanks for your suggested sugar options too.
Thanks for the sugar free suggestion! i love flourless cakes but prefer flourless and sugar free. I always worry with using Xylitol or Stevia in large amounts, I might try mixing the two with a dash of SPlenda.
Hi Meggy, Xylitol and Stevia are very safe, unfortunately Splenda is neurotoxic so I would not even consider it as an option! Xylitol is derived from the bark of the birch tree and it’s that kind that you should be looking at. Stevia is plant based but I find harder to dose. Xylitol tastes like sugar. Enjoy!
Thanks Karin, for responding to Meggy. Your knowledge about sugar alternatives is helpful for all recipes, not just this one!