Double Chocolate Beetroot Cake

The Green Cherry (vegan)

1 cup beet puree *see direction 1

2 tablespoons flax meal

4 tablespoons water

2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour

⅓ cup cocoa powder

1 cup organic cane sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup olive oil

¾ cup unsweetened almond milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

6 oz (170g) semi-sweet dark chocolate pieces

¾ cup full fat coconut milk

Prepare Beetroot Puree: Peel and quarter 3 to 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 good blender and blend until smooth.

Measure out 1 cup for use and set aside.

For the Cake Base: Preheat the oven to 350'F. Line an 8" round cake pan with parchment paper and grease around the side.

In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and water and let stand for 5 to 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.

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.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

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: 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 to 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.

Using an offset spatula, frost the cooled cake and serve.

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