Chocolate Beetroot Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce
(Serves 12)
Ingredients
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups firmly packed soft brown sugar
1 1/4 cups sunflower oil
400g (2 medium) peeled beetroot, finely grated
1/2 cup Alison’s Pantry cranberries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Alison’s Pantry walnuts, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
Chocolate ganache (recipe follows), to assemble and coat
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry Turkish apricots, diced
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry cranberries
1/3 cup Alison’s Pantry pistachio nuts, chopped
Salted caramel sauce (recipe follows), to serve
Whipped cream, to serve
Method
- Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and lightly dust with flour 3 x 20cm springform cake tins. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar together until mixture is pale and doubled in volume.
- Add oil and whisk to combine. Stir in beetroot, cranberries, walnuts, and sifted dry ingredients.
- Divide mixture between prepared tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of one cake comes out clean. Cool in tins for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To assemble, sandwich layers together with chocolate ganache. Spread top of cake with ganache. Scatter with dried fruits and nuts. Serve with salted caramel sauce and whipped cream on the side.
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
350g dark chocolate drops
2/3 cup cream
50g unsalted butter
Method
- Place all ingredients in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water, or microwave in short bursts, to melt.
- Stir until smooth and leave to cool and firm to a spreadable consistency.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
75g butter
125g soft brown sugar
175ml cream
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes, or to taste
Method
- Place butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add salt, to taste, then leave to cool.
Recipe from Julie Le Clerc for Alison’s Pantry Christmas booklet 2014
Download the PDF version here: Chocolate-Beetroot-Cake-with-Salted-Caramel-Sauce