This decadent and delectable Flourless Chocolate Cake is definitely a nourishing version of everybody's favorite, classic, chocolate cake.
Some time ago, at the beginning of Fall, when leaves were starting to change color and fall softly on the ground, my neighbour Connie handed me some beets, the last crop from her backyard garden. This past summer was warmer and lasted longer than usual, and that reflected in an abundance of fresh grown produces. So thankful for her present, I set my mind in motion as to what to make with those beets. Of one thing I was sure: I wanted to bake something with them.
It happened that during my last visit to the Public Library, I had brought home a lovely book called "Love Bake Nourish" by Amber Rose, full of delicious, stunning, and healthier desserts. Flipping the pages, there it was: a Flourless Chocolate Beet Cake. Perfect!
While cleaning and cutting the beets, a beautiful, intricate marbleization was revealed: white and fuchsia striped and mingled in such a pretty design. The artistry of Nature.
It was unfortunate that when I cooked them they changed their color, although the water turned a vibrant purple hue.
I loved that the recipe called for almond flour. I am a great appraiser of gluten free flours and ancient grains. I replace the regular all-purpose flour with spelt, kamut, oat, almond meal, amaranth, coconut, chickpea, buckwheat, more and more often. The almond flour added a delightful nutty flavor and a coarse texture. The unsweetened cocoa and the dark chocolate, with the honey and vanilla as the only sweeteners, made for a very chocolatey cake that was just mildly sweet (exactly my thing). The "healthy" fat was provided by the extra virgin olive oil and the superb moistness by the beets which melded wonderfully in the batter, adding another layer of texture and flavor, enhancing the cake without being overpowering.
Definitely, a nourishing version of a classic chocolate cake.
Indulging in a slice of this Flourless Chocolate Beet Cake, will satisfy your sweet cravings and at the same time you'll intake many essential nutrients (and a few calories).
Enjoy!
Song of the day: "Save your scissors" by City and Color.
Recipe adapted from "Love Bake Nourish" by Amber Rose.
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Flourless Chocolate Beet Cake
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 small cooked, unseasoned beets, peeled and pureed (about 300 g)
- 4 large free-range eggs
- 4 Tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder (plus extra for dusting)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 ⅓ cups (125 g) almond flour
- 4 ounces (125 g) dark chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)
- 4 Tbsp cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Grease and line a 9-inch loose bottomed cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the beets, eggs, honey, vanilla, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt with an electric mixer, until thouroughly combined.
- Fold in the almond flour.
- Mel the dark chocolate pieces over a bain-marie (double boiler) over low heat, then mix in the oil.
- Gently stir the chocolate and oil into the cake mixture until well combined.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Take out of the oven and leave the cake to cool in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack.
- Once the cake is completely cool, dust with cocoa powder.
- Serve on its own or with crème fraiche.
Notes
The beets just add another layer to the texture and flavor, enhancing the cake without overtly dominating it.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8-10 portions
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
karrie @ Tasty Ever After says
I need a flourless chocolate cake in my life right now and yours looks delish! I've got some beets in the refrig that I just roasted yesterday so I'll have to try them in this cake 🙂
Hi Karrie! Glad to be of help...especially in chocolate related matters 😉 . Hope you give it a try, you'll be surprised at how moist and good it is. Thanks!
Justine @ JustineCelina.com says
Nicoletta, this looks absolutely incredible. I've just pinned the recipe to save it for later when my sweet tooth strikes. Thank you for the gorgeous inspiration!
Thank you Justine for stopping by and leaving a comment! And thanks to Amber Rose and her fantastic cookbook. This cake is great!
Cary says
I just made this tonight and not happy with the results. I think it has too much beet? My measuring cup shows 300g to be about 1.25 cups. And, here in the US we just have dark red beets readily available. Cake batter was very red, almost like red velvet. I cooked it for 40 minutes until toothpick came out clean. Within about 10 minutes of cooling, the cake fell. Lost alot of height. The cake seems too dense and wet. Maybe puree was too thick? I'm willing to try again. Definitely need to tweek.
Sorry to hear that. My first guess is that the red beets might be denser and heavier than the marbleized ones I used, so maybe try putting a little less? But it might also depend on the conversion between grams and cups. I’m not sure about 300 g being 1.25 cups. Grams are a weight measurement, while cups are a volume measurement, so it depends on the density (liquid, solid). Anyway it won’t be a tall cake, as you saw mine wasn’t and it was very fragile, cracking at the edges, but still it should hold its shape. Hope you keep trying and succeed, ’cause it’s a great cake. Thanks for sharing your experience. I appreciate feedback.
Cary says
I'm going to the farmer's market Saturday to look for Chioggia beets. I am fairly certain they for more similar to the beets you picture. I'll also see if I can find a food scale. I really want this to work as my niece has Crohn's and this works for her specialty diet. I want this recipe to work so I can make it for her when we go to the beach next month. I'll let you know how I do.
Irregardless, this recipe has restored my love of beets!
So glad you're not giving up. It is for a good cause. I'm sure a food scale will help immensely and if you find similar beets even better. Good luck and thanks so much for your comments.
Allison Lindgren says
Nicolette, I have a question before I make this. Is it 300 grams of whole beets or 300 grams of beet puree?
Hi! It's 300g cooked beetroot, peeled and puréed.
Jessica says
For Christmas, I made two different gf chocolate beet cakes. Both turned out so perfectly in their own ways. Following this recipe almost to a “T”, I used 2cups of pureed beets. It was so dense and moist. You can really taste the subtle beet flavor in this cake and the color turned out more pink than the other recipe, which was very exciting and intriguing to my guests. This is going in my recipe book. I will like to add a couple more tbsp of honey or some coconut sugar for next time.
★★★★
I'm so happy to hear that! Yes, it is subtly sweet, so you can definitely add some coconut sugar or honey. Thank you for the feedback!
Crystal says
I'm so excited to make this today!
I have all of the ingredients, my beets have already been roasted and I follow a keto lifestyle so I've been looking for a delish flourless recipe like this!
Thank you for sharing xx
Thank you! I have seen the result on Instagram and it's beautiful! Thank you for tagging us and loving our recipe! If you would be so kind to come back and give us a rating that would help us a lot.
Caroline says
This is a crowd pleaser and so delicious. Not very sweet but to my liking since I don’t like things that sweet. I think you could amp up the chocolate a bit more with more cocoa powder but then you’d prob have to add more honey. I serve it with whipped cream and marscapone piled on top and fresh berries. Absolutely delicious, thank you!
★★★★★
Thank you! Happy you liked it! Loved the way you served it. I usually stay away from sweets that are too sweet, so this is perfect for like minded people 🙂 .
Isabella says
Made this last week and it was delicous! I have been asked to bake two cakes for an upcoming event and immediately thought of this recipe. I was wondering if i could make one without the chocolate? How would the recipe need to be adjusted to compensate? Recommended substitution? Thank you.
★★★★
Thank you for the review, happy you liked the cake! I have not made it any different, but if you are willing to try without the melted chocolate, you could add milk, any kind, to compensate for the loss of that wet ingredient. Since the milk would go in last, add the oil and stir, then slowly add the milk until you get the right consistency. I guess you would want to remove the cocoa powder, too? You could add some cinnamon for spice. Let me know how it goes, it's not easy for me to adjust from a computer without making it 😉 .
Jackie says
How long can this be stored?
Hello! I would say 3 days in a cake dome or simply covered with a towel, at room temperature.
Jackie says
Thank you. Does this freeze well?