Last updated on January 8th, 2020 at 09:36 pm
Originally posted June 11, 2017. Updated 4 November, 2019.
On the days you just need cake, these vegan chocolate beetroot cakes with chocolate avocado frosting are a sweet and rich treat minus the guilt. Made with sunflower seeds, raw cocoa and robust beets they are wholesome, gluten-free and delicious cake treats everyone can enjoy.
You’ll have to excuse me if you hear the sound of my face planting in to my keyboard today; we are transitioning the elf to her “big girl” bed. And it’s a process. A process where I sleep on the couch to hear if she calls out and end up on the floor in her room.
We have been doing this for three nights now and I am beginning to think I gave birth to the terminator. As I wake up peeling my eyelashes apart so I can see, the Elf bounds out of bed, indefatigable. I know her sleep is broken but she doesn’t seem to feel it.
It is one of the universe’s twisted little jokes that children can suck the very marrow from your sleep but not have any need for it themselves.
UPDATE: Two years later and our little one has only just gone in to her own bed full-time! What the….?
Amongst all this sleepless chaos, however, we have cake. Vegan Chocolate Beetroot Cakes. And cake equals good.
While I am not one to run from a full-fledged chocolate binge – I’m looking at you raw caramel fudge truffles– it does the mind good knowing these vegan chocolate beetroot cakes at least try to be healthy. They contain simple, whole ingredients:
- Raw beetroot
- Sunflower seeds
- Buckwheat flour
- Apple sauce and
- Cocoa
Combined they create a moist little cake that isn’t too sweet. With a half-cup of brown sugar shared amongst twelve cakes, it isn’t too bad on the sugar either.
I paired our cakes with an inspired chocolate avocado frosting but if you wanted a sweeter topping, the chocolate ganache from my loved up raw chocolate cake would work a treat. Or you could try my basic vegan chocolate frosting recipe. A vegan cream cheese topping would also be heavenly; note to self.
CHOCOLATE AND BEETROOT ARE A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN
Beetroot and Chocolate are made for each other. While the chocolate provides that familiar rich cocoa flavour, the beetroot lends an earthy sweetness. I used sunflower seeds to create a nut-free cake but almond meal would add another nutty flavour layer.
Health-wise, beetroots are packed with essential nutrients, are a great source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. While cocoa is rich in polyphenols, which have significant health benefits, including reduced inflammation and improved cholesterol levels | Source: Healthline.
These lovely little cakes are a little gift to myself; if I can’t have sleep I will l have cake.
These little vegan chocolate beetroot cakes are a gorgeously chocolatey treat made better by wholesome ingredients and a wonderful balance of flavours.
Enjoy.
If you need a little more beetroot in your life try my awesome beet butter (nut free) recipe or my get glowing beetroot and berry chia pots.
Hungry for More Plant-Based Goodness? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the latest news and updates.
Vegan and Gluten-free Chocolate Beetroot Cakes
Ingredients
Beetroot and Chocolate Cakes
- 200 grams raw beetroot peeled and grated
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/2 cup sunflower seed meal blitz a scant 1/2 cup of seeds in the processor until the consistency of almond meal (around 55 grams)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1 tablespoon optional if you like it a bit sweeter - around 80 grams total
- 1/2 cup apple sauce 125 ml
- 1/2 cup dairy-free milk 125 ml
- 1/2 cup cacao or cocoa powder 60 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 8 grams (gluten-free if required)
- 1/4 cup olive oil 60ml
- pinch sea salt
Chocolate Avocado Frosting
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cacao or cocoa around 45 - 50 grams
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup 40 - 60 ml
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C and grease a 12-pan muffin or cupcake pan.
- Grate the beetroot and place it in a large mixing bowl with the other cake ingredients.
- Mix until just combined and spoon evenly among the greased cake moulds.
- Bake in the oven for 20 -23 minutes or until cooked through (a skewer should come away clean from the centre)
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely.
- To make the avocado frosting, place the avocados in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the cacao or cocoa, two tablespoons of maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt.
- Process until smooth and taste. If the avocado is still coming through add the third tablespoon of maple and a tiny bit more cocoa. Process to combine.
- Fill a piping bag with the frosting and pipe on to each cake before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
IF YOU LOVE CHOCOLATE AS MUCH AS I DO CHECK OUT THESE OTHER GREAT RECIPES →
Hello! This looks divine, I NEED to make these today, please tell me, I’m not a fan of the flavour of raw beets in food, I’ve tried in cake as well. I prefer cooked beets and I have some, I’m wondering, can I use cooked beets in your lovely recipe please or not?
Hi Rochelle,
I have only used the raw beets in this recipe but it should work. If you boiled the beets I would blend them up to a textured puree. If you roasted the beets add a touch more liquid to the recipe – say another tbsp or two of the dairy-free milk – to make up for the loss in moisture. I would mash the roasted beets before popping them in the batter. I hope you enjoy them! I would love to know how it goes. A.
Hi” Could we change the apple sauce for another ingredient? I don’t have it at home but I want to try these cupcakes!
Hi Alba,
You could try swapping it for a 1/2 cup of vegan buttermilk (put a 1/2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in a half-cup measure and fill the rest with dairy-free milk). I would then add another 2-3 tbsp of sugar to the recipe to sweeten it. I haven’t tried it but it should work. Let me know how it goes! Cheers. A
Can you make this in cake form? Instead of cupcake
Hi Jansen,
I have only made these as cupcakes but you should be able to transfer it to a cake recipe. I would try baking it in a 20cm pan for around 23 – 26 minutes at the same temperature (or until cooked through). Maybe add another 1/2 tsp of baking powder for good luck.
Let me know how you go! Cheers. A.
OMG! This has become my no.1 preffered way of eating beetroot! I’ve made this 3 times now and they always gone so quickly! Thank you for the recipe!
Nancy, you’ve made my day. Thank you! Big cyber hug coming your way.