Vegan beetroot chocolate cake with chocolate avocado frosting - a moist, fudgy chocolate cake with hidden veg, topped with a creamy chocolate avocado frosting; a delicious treat that is a little bit better for you!
This vegan beetroot chocolate cake with chocolate avocado frosting is so delicious and fudgy that you would never know that it contains hidden vegetables!
The beetroot keeps the cake really soft and moist; it does make it a little delicate and crumbly however so the cake must be handled with care.
If you aren't a fan of beetroot don't worry, you can't actually taste it in the cake (at least I can't); it just tastes like a lovely chocolate cake!
The frosting is made simply by blending ripe avocado with cocoa powder, agave nectar/maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract. I have to admit that I was skeptical about putting avocados in frosting but actually it is delicious, with a really smooth, creamy, fudgy texture.
I can just about taste the avocado, but the flavour is not so strong that it is off-putting; and when it is combined with the deeply chocolatey cake I find that the avocado no longer comes through and all I can taste is chocolatey deliciousness!
The other special ingredient in this cake is vegan mayonnaise. Mayo is often used in cakes to help keep them moist and it works really well here! I used Vegenaise but any other brand will work.
If you don't want to use mayo then I *think* that apple sauce would work in it's place, bear in mind that I haven't tested it though!
How To Make Vegan Beetroot Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Avocado Frosting:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*
Start by mixing together ground flaxseed and water to make a flax egg, set aside to go gloopy.
Whisk together plain flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and instant espresso powder. The espresso powder doesn't make the cake taste like coffee at all, it just helps to deepen the chocolate flavour but you can leave it out if you prefer.
Add light brown soft sugar, grated cooked beetroot, vegan mayonnaise, sunflower oil, vanilla extract, cider vinegar and the flax egg and stir everything together until well combined. The batter should be very thick, don't be tempted to add more liquid!
Scrape the batter into a 20cm/8inch square cake tin that you have greased and lined with baking parchment and spread it level. Bake for 35-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The cake will dip a little in the centre - this is normal.
The cake is very delicate so leave it to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes before you gently turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Avocado Frosting:
To make the chocolate avocado frosting you will need to use very soft, ripe avocados, not so ripe that the flesh is blackening of course though.
Place the ripe avocados in a food processor along with sifted cocoa powder, agave or maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract.
Blend until smooth then scrape down the sides of the food processor and continue to blend until very smooth and glossy. This can take a little while so be patient and scrape down the sides of the food processor again as needed.
If you don't have a food processor then you may be able to make the frosting using a stick blender but it may take a little longer.
Place the cake on a serving board and spread over the frosting, top with chocolate shavings if you like and serve.
The texture of the frosting is fairly soft so I don't think that it would work well for a layer cake, but for a single layer cake like this one it is perfect!
How To Cook Beetroot:
I used precooked beetroot to make this vegan chocolate beetroot cake - the kind that comes vacuum packed. Just make sure that it isn't flavoured with anything and doesn't contain vinegar!
You can also cook your own beetroot if you like. You will need about two large/three medium beetroot. Scrub them clean and wrap in tin foil. Place in a preheated oven at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for about 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on size.
When they are cooked, a knife should slide into the centre easily. Allow to cool until they are cool enough to handle then use the back of a knife to scrape off the skin. They are now ready to grate and use in the cake!
How Long Will The Cake Keep?:
The vegan beetroot chocolate cake itself will keep for up to five days, but because the frosting contains avocado it is best eaten on the day it is made.
If you like you can bake the cake a day or two in advance and store it in an airtight container. Prepare the frosting and assemble the cake on the day that you want to serve it.
Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for about two to three days max.
Can I Freeze It?:
Any leftover cake (frosting and all) can be frozen for up to a couple of months, defrost at room temperature before serving.
More Cakes With Fruit And Veg!:
- Vegan pumpkin cake with maple pecans and cinnamon buttercream
- Vegan apple bundt cake
- Vegan sweet potato loaf cake with pecan streusel
- Vegan banana cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting
If you tried this recipe why not tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess
*All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full.*
Vegan chocolate beetroot cake with chocolate avocado frosting
Ingredients
Vegan Beetroot Chocolate Cake:
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- 3 tablespoon water
- 200 g (1 + ⅔ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 50 g (7 Tbsp) cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 225 g (1 ¼ cups) light brown soft sugar
- 225 g (8oz) grated cooked beetroot
- 60 g (¼ cup) vegan mayonnaise
- 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp) sunflower oil
- 2 teaspoon cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Avocado Frosting:
- 2 medium ripe avocados
- 5 tablespoon cocoa powder sifted
- 5 tablespoon agave nectar/maple syrup
- 3 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm/8inch square cake tin and line with baking parchment.
- Mix together the ground flax seed and the water in a small bowl, set aside.
- Whisk together the plain flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and instant espresso powder in a large bowl.
- Add the light brown soft sugar, grated cooked beetroot, vegan mayonnaise, sunflower oil, vanilla extract, cider vinegar and the flax seed mixture and stir everything together until well combined. The batter should be very thick, don't be tempted to add more liquid!
- Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and spread it level. Bake for 35-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
- The cake is very delicate so leave it to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes before you gently turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make the chocolate avocado frosting, place the avocados in a food processor along with the sifted cocoa powder, agave or maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract.
- Blend until smooth then scrape down the sides of the food processor and continue to blend until very smooth and glossy. This can take a little while so be patient and scrape down the sides of the food processor again as needed.
- Place the cake on a serving board and spread over the frosting, top with chocolate shavings if you like and serve.
Emily Scott
Recipe look amazing
Can I use vegan butter/margarine instead of vegan mayonnaise?
Can I used olive oil instead of sunflower oil?
Thank you
hannahhossack
Hi Emily, I haven't tested any swaps for the mayo but I think that an equal quantity of butter/marg should work ok; alternatively a non-dairy yogurt could be a good replacement.
Yes, you can use any kind of oil you prefer.
Geraldine
Hi there!
I'm intrigued by the vegan mayo! I've never seen that used to make a cake... Which one did you use? I've got some from Rubies in the Rubble made from Aquafaba or the Hellman's one made with sunflower oil but which is a tad stronger... I don't really want my cake to taste of mayo! lol
Thanks
hannahhossack
Hi Geraldine, I used the Follow Your Heart Vegenaise brand one but any should be fine (as long as it's not like a garlic flavoured one!). As it is only a small quantity it won't make the cake taste like mayo, it just helps to keep it moist.
Charlotte
I baked this two days ago for my other half's birthday, oh my god it was absolutely amazing, so moist yet light, i topped mine with strawberries and blueberries. It was so good, I've had my children and other half nagging me to make another so I've baked another tonight. Thank you so much for this recipe, will definitely be my go to for chocolate cake 🙂
Nadine
Hello, can you boil/steam the beetroot instead of roasting them?
Hannah
Hi Nadine, yes but you will need to pat them dry to avoid making the cake too wet.
Carol [email protected]
How many calories does the cake have without the frosting?