Cherie Hausler’s Rye, Chocolate & Beetroot Cake Recipe
Discover the rich flavours of Cherie Hausler’s cookbook ‘A Plant-Based Farmhouse’ with this delectable recipe: Rye, chocolate & beetroot cake with luxurious chocolate mousse creme.
Indulge in the enchanting world of wedding cakes with this beloved recipe from Cherie Hausler’s cookbook, ‘A Plant-Based Farmhouse.’ As a self-professed hopeless romantic, crafting wedding cakes holds a special place in Cherie’s heart. This particular creation, a Rye, chocolate & beetroot cake with luxurious chocolate mousse creme, has graced the celebrations of many cherished couples, earning its acclaim for more than just its exquisite taste.
What makes this cake a perennial favourite? Beyond its rich chocolate allure, it boasts versatility that caters to various dietary needs, effortlessly transforming into a gluten-free delight with a simple substitution. Whether served as cupcakes or a grand tiered centre piece, its moist texture ensures it endures the day’s festivities. Yet, perhaps its most intriguing aspect lies in its secret ingredient—beetroot.
The recipe below is for a single-layer 20 cm (8 in) cake, plus the amount of chocolate mousse crème needed to cover one single cake layer. Simply choose how many cake layers you would like, depending on the occasion, and multiply both the cake mix and the chocolate mousse crème quantity accordingly.
Images and text from A Plant-Based Farmhouse by Cherie Hausler, photography by Lean Timms. Murdoch Books RRP $49.99.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 110 g (3 ¾ oz) beetroot, peeled and grated
- 110 g (3 ¾ oz) rapadura sugar
- 150 ml (5 fl oz) soy or almond milk
- 55 ml (1 ¾ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
- 40 g (1 ½ oz) maple syrup
- 10 g (2 teaspoons) vanilla bean paste
- 125 g (4 ½ oz) rye flour
- 50 g (1 ¾ oz) raw unsweetened cacao powder
- 30 g (1 oz) almond meal
- 2 g (½ teaspoon) salt
- 2 g (½ teaspoon) baking powder
- 4 g (1 teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) Apple Cider Vinegar
Chocolate Mouse Crème:
- 2 avocados (300 g/10 ½ oz)
- 155 g (5 ½ oz) maple syrup
- 75 g (2 ½ oz) raw unsweetened cacao powder
- 8 g (2 teaspoons) vanilla bean paste
- 2 g (½ teaspoon) salt
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350° F). Line the base of a 20 cm (8 in) springform cake tin with baking paper and grease the inside of the tin with olive oil.
- Put the grated beetroot in a food processor with the sugar, milk, olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla paste. Blitz until smooth.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients to the food processor and blitz again.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl and use a spatula to quickly but evenly mix the vinegar through. Don’t worry if you see white streaks — it’s just the vinegar reacting with the bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, and it’s a good thing!
- Immediately pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a skewed inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack.
- While the cake is baking, make the chocolate mousse creme. Peel the avocados, remove the stones and scoop the flesh into a high-speed blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz into smooth and creamy. Leave in the fridge until you are ready to ice the cake.
- When the cake is completely cool, smooth the icing over and decorate with your choice of flowers or foliage.
- Any leftover cake will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
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