This cake is the perfect level of sweetness to introduce our baby to the sweet delight of chocolate! My husband and I prepared this for Baby Juno, and she loved it — of course. She has never had any chocolate or sugar besides the regular banana or applesauce.

We also follow a vegan diet. We find the reduction of dairy and the increase of vegetables serves us well. This cake is 100% vegan.

Beets pair well with chocolate…so well that they’re practically undetectable. This cake is decadent, fudgey, and full of good ingredients! Perfect for a baby birthday or an adult indulgence! We ate most of it. Yum yum.

Recipe adapted from author Heidi Richter on https://www.thesimplegreen.com/
Total time including baking: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Birthday Beetroot Chocolate Cake

  • 1 cup beet puree (boil or steam, and blend to create puree)
  • 2 tablespoons flax meal (we grind it fresh)
  • 4 tablespoons water (to make the flax egg mixure)
  • 2 cups sprouted spelt flour or white flour (or combination)
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup organic cane sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Dairy Free Chocolate Ganache

  • 6 oz (170g) semi-sweet dark chocolate pieces
  • 3/4 cup full fat coconut milk

Instructions

Prepare Beetroot Puree

  1. Peel and quarter 3-4 medium sized beets (approx. 1 pound of beets). Steam the  beets for 15 minutes or until a knife easily pierces them. Add the cooked beets to a food processor or Vitamix and blend until smooth. Measure out 1 cup for use and set aside. The remaining beet puree is perfect food for a little one or addition to an adult bowl or veggies and tofu.

For the Cake Base

  1. Preheat the oven to 350’F. Line an 8″ round cake pan with parchment paper and grease around the side.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and water and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Meanwhile in a large bowl, sift together the spelt flour, cane sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the centre and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the flax mixture, beetroot puree, olive oil, almond milk and vanilla. Add the beet mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  5. Remove the cake from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the cake form the pan, remove the parchment paper, and cool completely on a wire rack. While the cake is cooling, prepare the ganache.

Prepare the ganache

  1. Add the chocolate pieces to a medium sized heat proof bowl. In a small saucepan, gently heat the coconut milk until steaming, but not bubbling. Carefully pour the hot coconut milk over the chocolate and stir until all the chocolate is melted. Allow the ganache to thicken at room temperature for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note that the ganache may seem runny at first, but it will thicken to a spreadable texture after the elapsed time.
  2. Using an offset spatula, frost the cooled cake and serve.

Recipe Notes

Beetroot puree can be made in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to use. It’s also not necessary to let the puree cool before adding it to the cake batter. If your coconut milk has separated during storage (it has a thick layer of fat and a watery layer), it’s imperative that you mix it back together before measuring; a blender or food processor can assist with this if need be.

Adapted from author Heidi Richter on https://www.thesimplegreen.com/