Chocolate Easter Indulgence
30th Mar 2023
Blog
– with anthocyanins?
Well, to make a wicked, chocolate indulgence just a little more healthy, it simply HAD to contain beetroot didn’t it?!
Please don’t be put off if beetroot is not usually to your taste, I love to add ‘stealth ingredients’ to otherwise indulgent treats, and beetroot is just such an ingredient that adds healthy nutrients – in this case – anthocyanins for cardiovascular health, to a cake without really affecting the flavour. Think ‘carrot cake’, which doesn’t really taste of carrots! Here’s the recipe:
150g dark chocolate
100g butter
2 eggs
100g golden castor sugar
50g soft marscapone cheese
½ tsp vanilla extract
100g ground almonds
40g cocoa powder
75g plain cooked beetroot (if using shop-bought beetroot, avoid any in vinegar).
- Heat oven to gas 4 or 160C (fan-assisted) and line a 20cm circular springform cake tin with nonstick baking paper.
- Place a heat-proof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, just an inch of water will do, (it mustn’t bubble up to touch the bowl), and place the butter and chocolate pieces in it to melt. Stir and remove from heat immediately the chocolate has melted.
- Place the beetroot in a food processor with the Marscapone and process until a smooth puree.
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs and castor sugar for 5 mins until light and creamy then add the vanilla extract and marscapone/beetroot mixture and continue whisking until smooth and combined.
- In a separate bowl, stir the cocoa powder through the ground almonds, then fold them, with the melted chocolate, into the whisked eggs/beetroot mixture until smoothly combined.
- Using a spatula, transfer the mixture into your prepared tin and place in the pre-heated oven for 35 – 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool – the surface may crack, but don’t worry, sift a dusting of cocoa on the surface once cooled.
Enjoy – in the knowledge you’ve added a stealthy, healthy ingredient, that delivers anthocyanins for cardiovascular health!
