Beetroot and chocolate cake recipe: a sweet and savoury delight in every slice

Many cultures believe that if a man and a woman eat from the same beetroot, they will fall in love, and in Greek and Roman mythology, Aphrodite (Venus) attributed her romantic power to the beet.

This is most likely why beets are portrayed in erotic paintings in ancient Pompeii.

It is also believed that the world's first chocolate cake was baked around the late 1800s after Bostonian Dr James Baker discovered that one could grind cocoa using a water-powered mill. Since then, chocolate cake has rightfully become its own category of cake, with many different styles of chocolate cakes baked and consumed around the world.

Beetroot is often incorporated into a variety of dishes, ranging from soups to salads, as well as pickled or roasted as a side dish.

The versatility of beets in the kitchen has made them an important part of many cultural cuisines around the world. For example, in Eastern European cuisine, borscht, a soup made primarily with beetroot, holds great cultural significance and is considered a national dish in countries like Ukraine.

I am fascinated with the rough exterior and the silky, dynamic colour inside which often symbolises that of human nature; the beetroot’s ability to grow in challenging conditions make it an inspirational symbol of perseverance, and its versatility in culinary dishes also positions itself as a symbol of pleasure and nourishment.

‘Sweet versus savoury’ is my lifelong dilemma! However, this month’s wonderful recipe for beetroot and chocolate cake by Duncan Farrington, of Farrington’s Mellow Yellow, of Hargrave in Northamptonshire, ticks all the boxes.

Instead of butter, this recipe uses rape seed oil and I often leave the chunks of chocolate fairly large, which softens in the oven, and results in a gooey texture that leaves you wanting more.

With its vibrant colour and earthy flavour, my top tip for cooking with beetroot is to put your hands in sandwich bags to protect your skin from going a reddy pink colour.

Duncan says: “This is one of our favourite cake recipes made with Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil and takes inspiration from the wartime tradition of using beetroot in cakes when cocoa was rationed. The combination of chocolate and beetroot creates an incredibly rich and indulgent cake that always goes down well!”

You can find more stories and recipes from our British farmers in my third book, For The Love Of The Land II.

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Beetroot and Chocolate Cake

Duncan Farrington says: “Sustainability and the environment have always been at the heart of our business and something I am personally very passionate about, so all the rapeseed grown for Farrington’s Mellow Yellow is grown to LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) Marque standards.

“I am committed to sustainable farming practices, from the wildlife habitats around field edges, to the health of the soils in my fields, to solar panels on barn roofs powering our oil presses.

“In 2020 I was incredibly proud when Farrington Oils became the world’s first food business to be certified as both carbon and plastic neutral and, in 2021, we were honoured to receive a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development for our industry-leading commitment to the environment.”

Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour | Serves 8

Ingredients

200g plain cooked beetroot, well drained 30g cocoa powder
115g plain flour
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
150g caster sugar
240ml Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten
150g dark chocolate, chopped

Method

Preheat your oven to 180°c or 160°c fan. Grate the cooked beetroot into a bowl and put to one side. Grease an 18cm (7 inch) round cake tin with a little Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil and line with greaseproof paper.

Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the grated beetroot, Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil, vanilla extract, eggs and dark chocolate and mix well.

Pour your cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a skewer comes out clean. It will be fairly moist and fudgy in the middle.

Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes in the tin once baked and then turn out onto a wire rack to fully cool. Enjoy with a cup of tea and good company.

Our new food columnist Jenny Jefferies is the author of the For The Love Of The Land and For The Love Of The Sea series, and Islands In A Common Sea: Stories of Farming, Fishing and Food Around The World. A Love British Food Ambassador, Jenny is married to a farmer and lives in South Cambridgeshire.