Red velvet beetroot

Beetroot and chocolate cake: a soft and surprising sponge cake in which I chose to use the beetroot powder both for the batter and for the decoration.

It's perfect for use in batter because it makes the recipe easier to balance and manage than fresh beetroot, and it's also easy to find online.

I decided to use the same ingredient on the surface too, so that it could be found from the batter to the decoration and recall the same flavor even on the outside.

Since beetroot tends to lose some of its bright colour during baking, I also added a touch of  red gel food coloring  to obtain a sponge that is bright red even after baking, reminiscent of a sort of  Red Velvet in beetroot version.

The layers are filled with a creamy and silky dark chocolate ganache and assembled naked cake style, leaving the layers visible.

The decoration is simple, with a spatula effect and a final sprinkling of beetroot powder that intensifies the color and flavor and makes the cake even more lively and fun.

If you've never tried beetroot in desserts, I highly recommend it: it pairs perfectly with chocolate. It's a simple cake to make, perfect for Valentine's Day but ideal all year round.

Procedure

Start by preparing the ganache which will need to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours.

In a jug, weigh the chocolate, chopped into coarse pieces.

In another jug ​​or saucepan, weigh the vegetable whipping cream with the glucose syrup and bring to the boil either over low heat on the stove or in the microwave.

When the cream boils, pour it over the chocolate, leave it aside for a couple of minutes so that the chocolate begins to melt.

Then start blending with the immersion blender to combine the chocolate with the cream and glucose and create an emulsion, thus obtaining a glossy ganache.

Then add the cold margarine cut into cubes and continue blending.

Once the ganache is shiny, smooth, and free of large chunks of chocolate or margarine, cover with cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours, or even overnight.

Let's move on to preparing the beetroot sponge cake.

First of all, preheat the oven to 170°C in static mode.

Then, in a bowl, combine the plant-based yogurt, plant-based milk, seed oil, and vinegar and whisk together. Then, add the sugar and salt and continue mixing.

Then add the beetroot powder and mix well with a whisk to obtain a smooth mixture.

Also add the red food coloring and mix to distribute it well.

At this point, add the sifted powders, then all purpose flour, potato starch, almond flour, baking powder and baking soda.

Mix well with a whisk for a couple of minutes until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.

Line the pan with baking paper on the bottom and sides. To help the baking paper stick, spray it with a little vegetable butter spray or brush it with margarine.

If, like me, you use a bottomless ring, cover the bottom with aluminum foil and place the ring on a baking sheet.

Then pour the mixture into the mold and bake in a static oven at 170°C for approximately 55 minutes.

Check for doneness with a toothpick; insert a toothpick into the center of the cake; when it comes out clean, the cake is done. Don't open the oven for 35-40 minutes.

When the cake is ready, remove it from the oven, let it cool at room temperature for an hour, then turn it upside down and remove the ring, aluminum foil and baking paper.

Wrap the cake in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours or overnight.

Only cut the cake when it is completely cold from the refrigerator, never cut a cake when it is warm.

Using a long, serrated knife, we then cut the cake into three equal layers.

If the cake has formed a dome on the surface, we level it and remove it.

So let's take the chocolate ganache, soften it with a spatula and transfer it to a pastry bag.

We cut the tip of the bag, make a small snack in the center of a plate and place the first layer of sponge.

Using a brush, we soak the sponge with a little vegetable milk.

Then fill it by making a spiral using about 240 g of ganache.

Then place the second layer of sponge, moisten with a little milk and fill with another 240 g of ganache.

Then place the third layer of beetroot sponge cake and fill with the last 240 g of ganache and use a spoon to create a wavy spatula effect

Using a small sieve, then decorate with a little beetroot powder on the surface and the cake is ready to be served.