Supper Club…It was my turn on dessert and I decided to try out a
RICH CHOCOLATE AND BEETROOT TORTE courtesy of Susan Jane White aka The Virtuous Tart
Ingredients
2 cups pitted dates
125g good cocoa powder
1 cup pureed beetroot (about 4 baby beets from vacuum pack without vinegar)
3 tbsp tamari soy sauce
4 medium eggs
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp baking powder
Coconut yogurt and crushed pistachio nuts to serve
Method
Preheat oven to 170 C /335 F, Gas 3½
Boil the pitted dates in a small saucepan with about 1 inch water for 10 to 15 minutes. Puree in a blender. You only need one cup for the recipe; the remainder can be used to sweeten natural yogurt.
Mix the cocoa powder, the pureed beetroot and the tamari soy sauce with the date paste until smooth. Blend in the eggs, the olive oil, the vanilla extract and the baking powder until everything is well mixed.
Immediately pour the batter into a well-greased circular cake tin/springform type. Speed is of the essence as the baking powder has been activated. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. The cake is closer to a ganache torte and should be moist and rich. Allow to cool before removing from the tin. To serve, sprinkle the coconut yogurt and scatter the pistachio nuts over the torte.
I can unreservedly recommend this torte. It was relatively easy to make and tasted absolutely delicious and it is so good for you. If beetroot isn’t a superfood, it should be! Also I had great fun getting my supper club to guess the ingredients. This recipe is from her first book “The Extra Virgin Kitchen” and her latest offering “The Virtuous Tart” recently won the best cookbook in Ireland at the book awards. I know what’s on my Christmas wish list.
Follow her on instagram susanjanekitchen or www.susanjanewhite.com
