Chocolate, Chai and Beetroot Cake

It’s a beautifully romantic morning in Sydney today. The grass is wet from last night’s downpour, the sun apparently is a bit shy to show up and peeks through big fluffy clouds in a lavender hued sky. There are roses everywhere. In shops, in people’s hands, on pretty dresses, in songs, on doughnuts, on blogs and in every romantic’s heart. Love is powerful, isn’t it? Look what it makes you do. No matter which corner of the globe you are or who you are, it makes you do cute little things for the people who matter. I don’t really think that all those roses and chocolates should be reserved for just one day..love is not seasonal! But it sure makes sense to me that at least on this one day you feel slightly inspired to turn those emotions into meaningful gestures.

After dropping the boys at school, I bought two red heart-shaped balloons to surprise them tomorrow. I did feel a bit conscious, holding them and walking alongside a bunch of excited teenagers who had several of them in their hands. But thinking about the way my twosome would react made my smile. They love balloons. Normally, I would pick up different colors to avoid confusion that would generally lead to fights. I have decided to draw faces on the ones I bought today to avoid any of that. And I made this cake. Weekends are amazing when you have cake to snack on or douse with chocolate ganache to be eaten as dessert. Whichever way you like it, this tastes amazing.

I already have a chocolate beetroot cake with chocolate sour cream frosting in my archives. This one is slightly different. It is infused with Chai flavour and the texture is like a soft sponge. There is melted dark chocolate and Dutch processed cocoa in the batter for a very intense chocolate flavor. The beetroot is not what you taste but what adds a depth of flavor, nutrition and moisture to the cake. The spice adds in a touch of warmth. Many years ago, I had gotten into a funny little obsession of candying things. From herbs..to nuts and everything in between. Candied ingredients make for great garnishes while also adding texture and color to a dessert. The beetroot leaves are the only element that needs to be made one day ahead as they need time to dry up.
I used a bundt pan as you can see to make this, but I had a hard time taking it out of the pan. You could use a round cake pan or grease the bundt pan really really well if you are making this. The cake is moist and has a tendency to stick to the sides of the pan. If you do not have access to purple beet leaves, go ahead with green or even mint or basil leaves should work fine.

I hope you have a very very love-filled Valentine’s day. Even if you are single, I hope you get to eats lots and lots of cake. Cakes don’t need an occasion. Like love, they are not seasonal!

Chocolate, Chai and Beetroot Cake
Serves 6-8

120 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
120 g unsalted butter, divided
1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups raw beetroot, coarsely grated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tsp Chai spice powder
Chocolate Ganache, to serve (recipe below)
Candied Beet Leaves (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C (160 degree C for fan-forced). Grease well a bundt cake pan or a 8 inch round cake pan.

In a double boiler or in the microwave, melt together chocolate and 20 g butter.  Stir until well blended. Cool slightly.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the remaining (100 g) butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Combine flour, baking soda and chai spice together in a bowl. Combine the chocolate mixture, grated beetroot and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add the chocolate-beetroot mixture to the creamed mixture (mixture may appear separated). Gradually add in the flour-chai to the creamed mixture.

Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled. pour over the chocolate ganache. Leave aside for 10 minutes to set. Decorate with candies beet leaves.

Chocolate Ganache

200 ml heavy or thickened cream
200 g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point. Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour over the hot cream. Stir together until melted and smooth. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before pouring over the cake.

Candied Beetroot Leaves

1 egg white
1/4 cup castor sugar
12-15 small beetroot leaves

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the egg white in a small bowl and the castor sugar onto a small plate. Make sure the leaves are dry before you start. If not pat dry with a kitchen towel. Working one at a time, dip each beetroot leaf into the egg white (scrape off excess against the bowl) and then dip into the plate of castor sugar, turning it to ensure an even coat on both sides. Lay the leaves in a single layer on the tray lined with baking paper to dry out. Leave aside for 24 hours, turning once in between.