Scrap the chocolate Easter eggs and hot cross buns because London baking babe Claire Ptak (owner of our favorite East London bakery, VIOLET) has written us three exclusive Easter-inspired recipes. The best part? They're gluttonous without the gluten.
Beetroot in a chocolate cake adds a depth to the flavor and texture that is amazing. Don’t worry, the cake won’t taste weird. Think about carrot cake. The root vegetable makes the cake perfect for after dinner served with crème fraîche: velvety and not too filling. The color of the beetroot just barely comes through, adding a certain luminosity. The best thing about this cake is that it is made with equal portions of everything so it is super easy to memorize. I call it the "200 Cake" because you just put in 200 grams of each thing! Plus, it's totally gluten free. What’s not to like?
Chocolate Beetroot Cake
200 grams cooked and peeled red beetroot
200 grams unsalted butter
200 grams dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids) chopped into pieces
4 eggs, separated
200 grams caster sugar (or fine-grained sugar in the US)
1 teaspoon salt
200 grams ground almonds
1. Butter and line a 20 centimeter (or 8 inch) loose bottom cake tin with baking paper. Heat the oven to 170°C (338°F).
2. Cut the beetroot up into chunks and blitz in a food processor to a fine purée. Set aside.
3. Put the butter and chocolate into a large heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water to melt. Do not stir until the chocolate has mostly melted. Stir together gently and continue to melt until smooth. Turn off the heat but keep away from any drafts or the chocolate will set.
4. Meanwhile, separate the eggs and put the whites with the caster sugar and salt and set aside. Whisk the yolks lightly with a fork to break them up and then stir them and the ground almonds into the melted chocolate. Now whisk your egg whites to stiff peaks. Hopefully you have an electric mixer, but if you don’t, you can do this by hand, too.
5. Fold the stiff whites into the chocolate mixture until fully incorporated. Pour into your prepared cake tin and bake for 45 - 50 minutes until set but still wobbly. Allow to cool for at least 25 minutes before serving.
Follow Claire's INSTAGRAM to make your mouth water! | Find more of OC's food-filled adventures HERE!![]()
Photos by Jodie Herbage
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Beetroot in a chocolate cake adds a depth to the flavor and texture that is amazing. Don’t worry, the cake won’t taste weird. Think about carrot cake. The root vegetable makes the cake perfect for after dinner served with crème fraîche: velvety and not too filling. The color of the beetroot just barely comes through, adding a certain luminosity. The best thing about this cake is that it is made with equal portions of everything so it is super easy to memorize. I call it the "200 Cake" because you just put in 200 grams of each thing! Plus, it's totally gluten free. What’s not to like?
Chocolate Beetroot Cake
200 grams cooked and peeled red beetroot
200 grams unsalted butter
200 grams dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids) chopped into pieces
4 eggs, separated
200 grams caster sugar (or fine-grained sugar in the US)
1 teaspoon salt
200 grams ground almonds
1. Butter and line a 20 centimeter (or 8 inch) loose bottom cake tin with baking paper. Heat the oven to 170°C (338°F).
2. Cut the beetroot up into chunks and blitz in a food processor to a fine purée. Set aside.
3. Put the butter and chocolate into a large heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water to melt. Do not stir until the chocolate has mostly melted. Stir together gently and continue to melt until smooth. Turn off the heat but keep away from any drafts or the chocolate will set.
4. Meanwhile, separate the eggs and put the whites with the caster sugar and salt and set aside. Whisk the yolks lightly with a fork to break them up and then stir them and the ground almonds into the melted chocolate. Now whisk your egg whites to stiff peaks. Hopefully you have an electric mixer, but if you don’t, you can do this by hand, too.
5. Fold the stiff whites into the chocolate mixture until fully incorporated. Pour into your prepared cake tin and bake for 45 - 50 minutes until set but still wobbly. Allow to cool for at least 25 minutes before serving.
Follow Claire's INSTAGRAM to make your mouth water! | Find more of OC's food-filled adventures HERE!
Photos by Jodie Herbage
