Chocolate and beetroot cake sounds like one of those ideas that should not work - but it does. This is rich, deeply chocolatey and properly moist, without that overly sweet, heavy finish. The beetroot disappears completely, leaving you with nothing but a better chocolate cake - finished with a dark chocolate ganache that seals the deal.
Table of Contents
Recipe snapshot
💬 What it is: A whole food chocolate cake made with beetroot, spelt and honey
❤️ Why you'll love it: Stays moist for days thanks to the beetroot
👨🍳 How to make it: Blend, mix, bake - ready in under an hour
👨🍳 Peter's tip: the dark chocolate ganache is not optional
Why Beetroot Works in Chocolate Cake
Beetroot is mostly water, which means it keeps the crumb moist long after baking. It also brings a subtle earthiness that deepens the chocolate rather than competing with it. You won't taste beetroot - just a richer chocolate cake.
Ingredients
Worth noting:
- Beetroot - cooked and peeled. Vacuum packed works perfectly, or roast whole beets wrapped in foil at 200C for 45 minutes and cool before using
- Raw cacao - not cocoa powder. Raw cacao is less processed and gives a deeper, more intense chocolate flavour. Worth seeking out
- Honey - replaces refined sugar entirely. Use a mild flavoured honey so it doesn't overpower the chocolate
- Spelt flour - lighter than regular flour and easier to digest. Plain flour works if you can't find it
- Coconut oil - replaces butter. Use refined coconut oil if you don't want any coconut flavour coming through
Everything else - almond meal, eggs, vanilla, baking powder and salt - is straightforward.
For the ganache:
- Dark chocolate (70% minimum) and coconut milk.
How to Make It (Quick Overview)
Prep
Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease AND flour your tin thoroughly to prevent sticking - this is important with a dense, moist batter.
Blend the wet ingredients
Combine beetroot, coconut oil, eggs and vanilla in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth but don't over-process - you want smooth, not aerated.
Combine and bake
Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Pour into the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
Make the ganache
Let the cake cool completely first - non-negotiable. Heat the coconut milk until it just begins to boil, pour over the broken chocolate and stir until smooth. Pour it on while it's still fluid - it sets fast and you won't get a second chance.
Why This Is a Better Chocolate Cake
- No butter
- No refined sugar
- Stays moist longer than a standard chocolate cake
- Deeper, more complex chocolate flavour
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FAQ
Not really. The beetroot adds moisture and a subtle earthiness that deepens the chocolate flavour. It's a chocolate cake first and foremost.
Yes - plain flour works fine. The texture will be slightly different but the result is still a great cake.
You can. A dusting of cacao powder works if you want to keep it simple. But the dark chocolate ganache is what makes this cake worth making.
Expert Tips
- A bundt tin gives a beautiful presentation but a regular round cake tin works just as well - just make sure you grease AND flour it thoroughly to prevent sticking
- Don't over-blend the beetroot mixture - smooth but not aerated
- Cool completely before the ganache goes on - non-negotiable
- The ganache sets quickly - pour it while still fluid
Storage and Freezing
Storage
- Keeps well for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. The beetroot helps it stay moist longer than a standard chocolate cake - it actually improves on day 2.
Freezing
- Freezes well without the ganache. Wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Make the ganache fresh when you're ready to serve. Defrost at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
This is a rich cake, so keep things simple and let it do the work.
- Serve slightly warm with thick Greek yoghurt - the contrast works
- Whipped cream if you want something softer
- Fresh berries cut through the richness nicely
- Skip the ganache? A dusting of cacao is enough
- Or go all in - warm cake with vanilla ice cream
If you have it, a drizzle of good honey over yoghurt and cake works surprisingly well.
If you love rich chocolate desserts, my chocolate and pear cake has the same dark, indulgent feel.
More recipes using chocolate
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate and Beetroot Cake
Conversions
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 130 g spelt flour, white
- 120 g almond meal
- 6 tablespoon cacao, raw preferably
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 150 ml coconut oil
- 125 ml honey
- 250 g beetroot, cooked, i.e. roasted (see Note 2)
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate ganache:
- 100 g dark chocolate, 70%, broken into even pieces
- 125 g coconut milk
Instructions
- Grease and flour a 22cm bundt cake tin and preheat your oven to 180 deg C.
- In a large bowl combine the spelt flour, almond meal, raw cacao, baking powder and salt. Stir thoroughly to remove any lumps and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor combine the coconut oil, beetroot, eggs and vanilla. Blend or process on low speed until the bee root is well blended.
- Pour the beetroot mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated. Pour in the cake tin and bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cake cooler. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing with the ganache.
- To make the chocolate ganache, heat up the coconut milk on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, remove and pour over the broken chocolate. Stir until smooth and allow it to rest for ten minutes before drizzling over the cake.
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Peter's Tips →
- Grease AND flour your tin properly - this cake is moist and will stick if you rush this step
- Use cooked beetroot only - raw beetroot won't blend properly and will affect the texture (buy them pre cooked from the supermarket or roast them whole covered in foil for approx. 1 hour in a 180 deg C (350F) oven. Allow to cool completely before peeling - use gloves so your hands don't mark!
- Blend until smooth, not fluffy - over-blending adds too much air and changes the crumb
- Let the cake cool completely before adding ganache - if it's even slightly warm, the ganache will slide straight off
- Heat the coconut milk just to boiling - not simmering for ages, just hot enough to melt the chocolate
- Pour the ganache while it's still runny - it sets quickly and you won't get a second chance
- Don't overbake - check at 25 minutes, it should be just set with a clean skewer
- The flavour improves the next day - if you can wait, it's even better
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Souvlaki For the Soul
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Rate and Comment below!This post was first published in March 2014 but was updated with additional pictures and new information in May 2026.
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