Found a can of beetroot right inside the shelf of my pantry. Best use it as I can see the can is starting to be mouldy. Check inside and beetroot slices it looks good. My sister just bought me a kilo of pitted dates from Costco.

I also have thickened cream that will expire in three days’ time, got to use it before the due date. My friend got me dark good quality Nestle brand chocolate and oil (rice brand).

As it is my turn to bring a plate of dessert to our girl’s slumber party. I decided to bake a cake to show my friend I appreciated her kindness of buying me the chocolate and oil.

I search for a recipe that I can use dark chocolate, beetroot and dates. I found one. Looks easy to make. The link is at the bottom. As usual, I like to change the ingredients to suit me and I can call it my own. The cake is moist, slightly crunchy as I have mixed fruits in it and delicious served with cream fraiche. Let’s bake!!!
   

Ingredients

425 g beetroot can, drained liquid
1/2 c yoghurt
1/4 c thickened cream
4 eggs
3/4 c Castor sugar
350 g pitted dates, roughly chopped
3/4 c warm water
1 1/2 c plain flour
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 Tsp baking powder
1 cup mixed fruits (packet)
150 g dark chocolate, good quality (Nestle cooking chocolate), broken into pieces
3/4 c oil, (rice bran)

Method

Heat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease a round tube cake tin 24 cm. Place dates and water in a blender to blend until dates are mushed up. In another bigger blender puree beetroot with yoghurt and thickened cream until well combined. Add eggs, sugar and date puree, and blitz until well combined.

Sieve flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together. Mix in mixed fruits. Melt chocolate gently in a bowl in microwave. Stir in oil. In mixing cake bowl, combine flour, melted chocolate and beetroot mixtures. Fold together with a large metal spoon until well combined. Do not over-mix.

Pour mixture into prepared cake tin and bake for 1 hour – 1 hour and 15 minutes (time varies with different oven, original recipe 60 minutes) until cake springs bake when lightly pressed (the cake is quite fudgy so a skewer inserted into the middle will not come out clean).

Stand 25 minutes before removing from tin. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt, ice-cream or creme fraiche. Enjoy eating with friends!!!!

https://helenscchin.com/2015/07/02/dark-chocolate-beetroot-and-dates-cake/

Original recipe from: https://www.bite.co.nz/recipe/8829/Dark-chocolate-date-and-beetroot-cake/

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