Beetroot is packed full of goodies and makes this one insanely moist and fresh red velvet cake, and I guess you could kinda pretend this cake is healthy? The fresh coconut is wonderfully light and delicate, you can use packet shredded coconut but it tends to be a tad chewy (great for many things like macaroons and chewy cakes though). You also get a strange sense of satisfaction from cracking open a coconut all by yourself. An easy way to get into a coconut is to get an old-fashioned cork screw (the ones with the “arms” that you push down to pull the cork out) and find the lil’ dark indents on the top of the coconut, then screw the cork screw into one of them, until you reach the centre and then pull it out. Drain the coconut water into a bowl, now wrap the coconut in a tea towel and take it out side, smash it with a hammer until its broken up. Bring it back inside and peel of the outer layers before grating in a food processor or by hand.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1/3 cup soy flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
500g of cooked beetroot (packed in natural juices NOT vinegar)
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp red food colouring (optional, also make sure vegan)
100g quality dark chocolate, melted and allowed to cool slightly
Frosting:
1/2 cup vegan margarine
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (i.e. trex)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp coconut milk /soy milk
2 cups icing sugar
the grated flesh of one fresh coconut (lazy people use packet shredded coconut)
Method:
Pre heat the oven to 180c/350f, grease and line two 8″ round cake tins.
First off puree your beetroot in a food processor or blender and add into a big mixing bowl. Whisk together with the flax, oil, sugar, soy milk, vanilla and red food coloring. Sift in the flour, soy flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, whisk together. Now fold in the melted chocolate. Pour into the prepared cake tins and bake for 30-40 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes before carefully removing from the tins and cooling fully on a wire rack, you can use this time to peel and grate your fresh coconut. To make the frosting, beat together the margarine and vegetable shortening until light and fluffy, beat in the coconut milk/soy milk and the vanilla extract and slowly whisk in the icing sugar 1/4 cup at a time until all the icing sugar has been combined. Place on of the cake halves on a nice big flat plate and spread the top with the frosting, then sprinkle on a few tablespoons of the coconut (don’t use too much, you need a lot for the outside of the cake). Turn the other half of the cake upside down and pop it on top of the frosted half, now cover the whole cake in frosting using a pallet knife, spreading it as evenly as you can, now gently press the fresh grated coconut over the cake. Leave the cake to set for a good amount of time before slicing and serving.
Spectacular!
I would love a slice now.
I’d give you a slice in a heartbeat if I could 🙂
Oh you are very sweet. 🙂
I see we both had cake-making Sundays! 🙂 Looks superb
Gotta bake at least once a week for my sanity, and well no one brought me an easter egg so I had to make myself a treat (thats my excuse and im sticking to it!)
my oh my: THAT LOOKS FANTASTIC!!
Thanks!
Better than an Easter Egg any day! Thanks for the coconut advice! I’ve always been too much of a pansy to whack one apart. The tea towel and hammer trick sounds perfect! Did you use the red food coloring or is the color in your cake all from the beetroot? So gorgeous!
yeah I used red food colouring ((the shame!) also did I forget to put i in the recipe) the beetroot only gave it a lil’ tint of red, it was like a redish chocolate cake colour. Ialway had trouble until I got desperate one day and jabbed it with a cork screw and it worked!
It’s all right, I know my girlfriend Kristy has a trick for getting a red velvet cake without coloring. I’ll figure out how to use her trick with your coconut frosting 🙂
Reblogged this on naturistfreedomuk.
I’ve got a coconut sitting in my pantry…like Somer – it scares me to death to whack it open! So why did I buy it? Just had to! Anyway – gorgeous cake, Alexander!!
My mums like that with coconuts, just buys them cause she thinks they are funky (I pinched one of hers)
Wow, just wow. I have some beets in my fridge…. trying to think of a place I could take this cake so I wouldn’t eat it all if I made it!
I snatched up some super cheap beets today, but still have some of this left so I’m gonna see whatelse I cake make with them!