GLUTEN-FREE BEETROOT AND CARDAMOM CAKE WITH DARK BERRY BUTTERCREAM
Would you have guessed that beetroot, cardamom, blackberries and raspberries would go together so well? Well, we did, and we backed our hunch to come up with this lovely cake. With its moist, dark interior and luscious pink frosting not only does it taste good but it looks pretty too. We decorated the cake in the photo with a scattering of dried cornflower petals to zjoosh it up even more for a special birthday.
However, we think the Beetroot and Cardamom Cake could simply be filled with cream and dusted with cocoa or icing sugar and it would still be delicious. And the Dark Berry Buttercream would work really well as a frosting and filling for many cakes.
Ah, cakes, we love ‘em.
Caren
BEETROOT AND CARDAMOM CAKE
WITH DARK BERRY BUTTERCREAM
Serves 12+
4-5 medium beetroots, peeled
300 gm Revenge No. 2 Gluten-Free Almond Plain Flour Mix
1½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoon Dutch processed cocoa
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
280 gm caster sugar
100 gm brown sugar
260 ml rice bran oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Dark Berry Buttercream, see below
Fresh berries, edible flowers or dried petals for decoration, optional
Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and line a deep 22cm round cake tin.
Grate the beetroots in a food processor. If the threads are longer than 1cm tip them onto a board and roughly chop into shorter lengths. Place beetroot threads in a sieve to allow excess juice to drain.
Set aside 450gm beetroot threads. (Any leftover beetroot can be used in a salad.)
Combine the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, salt, cocoa and spices.
Use an electric mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the sugars, oil, eggs and vanilla until thick and glossy. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Fold the 450gm beetroot threads into the mixture.
The mixture will be very liquid at this stage. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 75-80 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Loosely cover the top with foil if browning too quickly.
Rest in the tin for 5 minutes then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the Berry Puree and Dark Berry Buttercream, below.
To assemble, cut the cooled cake in half horizontally. Use a palette knife to spread a quarter of the buttercream over the surface of the bottom layer. Place the other half of the cake on top. Spread the remaining buttercream over the side and top of the cake.
At this stage the cake can be refrigerated for a day or two. Remove from the fridge about an hour before serving to decorate and to allow the buttercream to soften a little.
Dark Berry Puree
200 gm blackberries, fresh or frozen
100 gm raspberries, fresh or frozen
60 gm caster sugar
If berries are frozen then defrost in the fridge.
Place berries and sugar in a small saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Blend mixture in a food processor, strain through a fine sieve and discard the solids. Cool before using.
200ml puree is required for the buttercream recipe. Any left over puree can be used for pouring over ice cream etc.
DARK BERRY BUTTERCREAM
100 gm caster sugar
80 gm golden syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
4 egg yolks
300 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
200 ml dark berry puree, see above
Place the sugar, golden syrup and vanilla bean paste in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar has melted. Increase the heat and continue to cook without stirring until large bubbles appear on the surface of the syrup.
Meanwhile whisk the egg yolks in an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the bubbles to subside. Turn the mixer off and pour a small amount of the hot syrup onto the egg yolks. Immediately whisk for a few seconds, turn the mixer off again and pour the remaining syrup over the yolks. (Don’t worry if some of the syrup adheres to the side of the bowl.) Now whisk on medium speed until the outside of the bowl is no longer warm, about 10 minutes.
With the mixer on, add the cubed butter one piece at a time. Ensure each cube is incorporated before adding the next piece. Don’t rush this process.
Add the cooled 200ml dark berry puree and whisk until fully blended.
The buttercream can be refrigerated at this stage but allow it to soften out of the fridge before icing the cake.
TIP:
For the puree, experiment with different combinations of dark berries, ensuring that the combined weight is 300gm.