Before I started receiving a weekly organic vegetable box the only beetroot I’d ever really tried was the pickled variety from the supermarket. Occasionally I would pick up a pack of boiled, ready to eat, shrink-wrapped beetroot to make the chocolate beetroot cake recipe from the Green & Black’s Chocolate Recipes book (2003). It made a rather nice cake, but it was somewhat dry. I got around that problem by serving it with a great bowlful of vanilla ice cream or lashings of double cream.
I’d never tasted raw beetroot before my veg box. True story!
This has changed now, with winter varieties arriving in our veg box in the early spring (I still have a blog post in the drafts folder from back then I should share with you soon!) and it’s beetroot season just now.
See all these lovely organic beauties? I photographed these while on a Shetland-wide foodie tour a few weeks ago. These were all destined for the lucky folk who receive their vegetable box.
I’ve been roasting a lot of the beetroot in a baking tray with assorted white, yellow and orange carrots, fennel, onion and garlic and was I taken with how sweet and simply gorgeous the flavour of roasted beetroot is.
Recently, my youngest son asked me where chocolate comes from. I love the inquisitive minds of my children, I do. So I brought out the aforementioned Green & Black’s cookbook and showed him images of the cocoa bean, the white fluff of the interior and the cacao nibs from where we get our real chocolate.
Shortly after that, I was doing a small shop in our local whole foods store when I spotted a bag of organic raw cacao nibs on the ‘new in’ shelf. I bought them for the sole purpose of educating my youngest about real chocolate. He was over the moon, especially when I turned the cacao nibs into cupcakes with bright pink frosting!
Using my Froothie Optimum 9400 blender I pulverised the raw cacao nibs into powder in a matter of seconds and incorporated pureed roasted beetroot into the recipe for its remarkably sweet flavour. I loved the colour of the batter – a rich velvety wine colour. This colour was retained for a while after baking, but it faded to a dark chocolate colour after a day.
Unlike chocolate beetroot cakes made with boiled beetroot, the roasted beetroot flavour is noticeable in these cupcakes, especially as I use a tablespoonful of the puree to colour the frosting. Look at how wonderfully vibrant that colour is! The little flecks of beetroot really appeal to me, for some reason. My children had two of their veggie phobic friends visiting when these were being photographed. I let them each try one and the eldest remarked that they were the best cupcakes he’d ever, ever eaten in his entire life.
I should open a cake shop, he suggested, scoffing a large mouthful of chocolate cupcake.
I’ve tried making this recipe both with butter and sunflower oil in an attempt to make a non-dairy recipe for my non-dairy readers. Truth be told I prefer the texture of the cakes made with butter, but the sunflower oil ones do work as well. My vegan cake-making skills are not good enough to attempt to make this 3 egg mixture animal free, but any suggestions would be gratefully received.
I did try a gluten-free sugar-free version too – these ended up in the bin. <shudder>
So, yes, I am now a convert to the wonderful world of combining roasted beetroot and raw chocolate. I loved the texture of the cacao nibs I used to decorate the top too, a wonderful hard contrast to the soft, sweet frosting and rich chocolate cake. One almost feels virtuous tucking into one of these with all the health-giving properties of raw cacao and slowly roasted beetroot. Vegetable cakes are going to be a regular thing in our house now.
Failing access to (or the budget for) cacao nibs and raw chocolate, replace the nibs with cocoa powder, omit the bicarbonate of soda and use a good quality dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids).
Top tip: Do you use the same reusable piping bag over and over? Has it been sitting in your drawer for years? Go and give it a sniff. It’s pretty rank, isn’t it! I’d never before had the notion to go sniff my piping bag until I was advised to by the lovely cake-baking ladies in a local village shop. I now use plastic disposable piping bags!
Roasted Beetroot & Raw Cacao Nib Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 3 medium raw beetroot
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 50 grams raw cacao nibs
- 225 grams self-raising flour
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 180 grams light brown soft sugar
- 125 grams butter (or 130 ml sunflower oil)
- 100 grams dark chocolate > 70% cocoa solids
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 300 grams icing sugar
- 4 tbsp butter (or solid coconut oil)
- 2 tbsp full fat milk (or non dairy milk)
- 1 tbsp roasted beetroot puree
- raw cacao nibs for decoration
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 C/ 425 F
- Wash the beetroots thoroughly under cold water to remove any traces of dirt. Leave at 2-3 cm of stalk at the top and the root tail intact.
- Place the beetroot on a baking tray and drizzle with the sunflower oil.
- Roast for 90 minutes, turning every 20-30 minutes, until the beetroot is tender. A knife will slide in and out of the beetroot easily when it is ready.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- When cooled, the skin will slip off. Discard the skin, top and bottom, and place the whole beetroot in a blender. Puree. You will likely need to use the blender tamper to keep things moving.
- Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 F. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with large paper cupcake cases.
- Blend the cacao nibs in your high powered blender until they form a powder.
- Sift the flour, ground cacao nibs and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. You may have some cacao which won't fit through the sieve, just chuck it in the bowl along with the rest and stir in the sugar.
- Break the dark chocolate into small pieces in a heat proof bowl and suspend over a pan of barely simmering water. Usually I boil the kettle, pour it into a pan, place the bowl on top and leave it off the heat, stirring once or twice, until it has melted.
- If using the butter, add the butter along with the chocolate to melt. If using oil, add the oil along with the eggs after the chocolate has melted.
- Stir 250 grams of room temperature roasted beetroot into the dry ingredients along with the chocolate mixture. Stir until just combined.
- Spoon into the paper cupcake cases. They will be full, but rest assured it will be ok.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes in the centre of the oven until a skewer, inserted into the centre of a cake comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and beat with the softened butter, milk and beetroot puree until it reaches the desired consistency. I use a food processor for this.
- Using a plastic disposable piping bag, pipe swirls of frosting on the top of the cupcakes. Decorate with cocoa nibs.
- Store in an airtight container. Cupcakes will keep lovely for a few days.
Notes
OTHER CHOCOLATE BEETROOT RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
Chocolate Beetroot Fudge/Truffles are used in Sarah’s Chocolate Aubergine Cake
Beet Nut Butter Cups by Kate
Red Velvet Raw Vegan Beetroot Bounty Bars by Shaheen
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Have you made this recipe?
Take a photo and tag @tangoraindrop or use the hashtag #elizabethskitchendiary and share on Instagram and Twitter. It would make my day to see your creations!
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Natally
Love the colour combination of these
Ursula Hunt
These look amazing, I haven’t cooked sweet things with beetroot but must give it a try
ashleigh allan
These look delicious – i have tried chocolate and beetroot before and it went really well!
Kirsty Fox
Like you I have only ever tried the pickled variety from the supermarket, but I think these cakes look delicious so will definitely give them a try
kayleigh white
Looks so good but sounds so wrong!
Stacey Guilliatt (Nobody Said It Was Easy)
I’ve only ever had cake with the boiled beetroot too – these look gorgeous, that pink colour is amazing! #tastytuesdays
Pam Francis Gregory
Wow what an interesting recipe – Must try!
Beckie
I wash my piping bag in the dishwasher or washing machine, and find that gets rid of odours without shelling out for disposable bags, with their attendant waste.
Di Wareing
Im not a fan of beetroot but these look so good i will have to try them.
Katie Bryson
I adore the idea of using roasted beetroot in baking instead of the usual boiled. I’ve made both chocolate beetroot cake and brownies which went down a storm, but your pretty little cupcakes are next on the list to try…
Honest mum
Oh wow these look incredible, love that they are so good for you too! Thanks for linking up to #tastytuesdays
Heather Haigh
Oh, they look so pretty and another recipe that ticks my virtously naughty box. 🙂
Johanna GGG
that frosting looks amazing – I bought beetroot powder because I love the colour beetroot gives but have run out and need some more. though I never got such a pink from the powder. one of my friends once told me of the sensuous feeling of boiling beetroots, and then rubbing the skin off them – but I love to roast beetroot – though I can’t remember how I used it when I made beetroot brownies which is probably my favourite us of beetroot and chocolate but I really want to try these cupcakes – they look so dark and luscious
Jacqueline Meldrum
They look amazing and such an intense colour. I love beetroot in cakes, it makes them so moist and rich.
Jeanne Horak-Druiff
You are not alone – I also grew up knowing only vinegary pickled beetroot from a bottle – which I loathed. The first time I tasted a sweet, earthy slow-roasted beetroot was a total revelation! I am in love with these gorgeous cupcakes. Never tried baking with cocoa nibs but you might have inspired me with this recipe!
Kavey
What need food colourings when nature provides such a vivid palette!
Alison
What beautiful looking cakes. I love beetroot but have never baked with it. Your piping is great, its an art I have to master
Emma Birley
What a beautiful colour! I love beetroot, and I love cupcakes, so should be a good match up 😉
Ness (@jibberjabberuk)
So ptretty and yet so hard to believe all the colour and taste comes from such an earthy vegetable! Thanks for linking up.
Kate - gluten free alchemist
I have to keep re-visiting this page Elizabeth. These cupcakes are just so gorgeous. I am not sure whether I am most drawn to the colour (which is totally stunning), or the delicate feathery layers of piping sprinkled with nibs (which looks like a work of art) or the sumptuous beetrooty sponge (which sounds mouth-wateringly decadent)……. Either way, I will have to risk making a gluten free version (Let’s hope it was the sugar-free element that resulted in the need for the bin!).
Laura@howtocookgoodfood
I have that cookbook too, but think your adapted beetroot cupcakes sound much better than the original recipe. I love the colour of the icing too and I have beetroot in my fridge ready to bake with. I never ever have used a re-usable piping bag as I am fully aware of how much they stink, it is quite disgusting!
Laura
Oh my goodness Elizabeth, I can’t believe how utterly gorgeous these cupcakes are. They are the sort my friends and I would sit there looking at for ages before one of us was brave enough to destroy their prettiness and dig in. If I had more time (you may have noticed I go for verrry quick recipes just lately, thanks uni) I would be making these this weekend. I’m coming back to this recipe though when time permits. I think the idea would translate perfectly into a layer cake too =)
Sam Williams
These look incredible! I’ve never tried beetroot cakes – will have to now
Elizabeth
Do give it a go – they are rather lovely! 🙂
DANIELLE VEDMORE
How gorgeous! I love the colour! The only time I have ever had a beetroot cake was in a cafe once and it was delicious! I have never baked with them myself though!
Elizabeth
You should give it a go! Super easy 🙂
Choclette
Wow, what a fabulous colour that beetroot has made of your icing. Love your idea of roasting beetroot for the cakes. I’ve only used boiled or grated raw up until now, but next time ….
Elizabeth
I thought so too (and so did the kids!). I’ve never tried grating beetroot into bakes before, I ought to give that a go too!
Galina V
I think the Brits kill this beautiful vegetable by pickling it to death when it tastes of nothing but vinegar. I love it, such an understated veg. Your cupcakes look fantastic! I bet they were demolished quickly
Elizabeth
Thanks Galina, and I am inclined to agree with regards to pickling! Suppose it does make the vegetable last the winter months though…
sharon martin
Oh my word, how could I not try these, they sound delicious. I love beetroot too !!
Elizabeth
Heehee, thank you!
Lucy Parissi
Simply gorgeous Elisabeth! So, so, so pretty. I needed a dose of pretty (having a baaaad day) just wish I could also taste it! Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare it’s fantastic having your recipes in the mix
Elizabeth
Oh dear – I hope your day improved! Pretty cupcakes certainly do help 🙂 Thank you for your lovely comment!