A great combination – earthy beetroots and tart raspberries

At this time of year, it is so easy to be inundated with fruit and vegetables are. Here’s a beautiful beetroot and raspberry cake recipe that is full of verve and colour that will use up some of the surplus vegetables. You can of course make it any time of year with frozen raspberries!

Raspberry Beetroot Cake — If you’re very fond of filling add an extra layer!

Beetroots are usually paired with chocolate to make a cake but why not something different? It’s a fruity moist cake and tastes delicious. My local garden show has a category for a cake made from vegetables. I am sure this will be a winner!

Take some gorgeous beetroots (also known as beets) and raspberries and bake them form a light cake and top with Swiss meringue or buttercream. This can be made at any time of year that beetroots are available with frozen raspberries. Dried raspberries give an extra added zing. Dried raspberry powder and pieces are quite easy to obtain. Prices do vary for example Real Food Source sell 100 gr for £5.49

Beetroot Raspberry Cake Recipe

A food processor will really help you with this recipe. Use the finest grater attachment you have to grate the beetroots, then use the chopper to chop up the raspberries – there’s no need to puree them. Switch to your stand mixer for easy mixing. Use the same tin as you would usually use for a traybake or an expandable rectangle lined with parchment.

The Swiss meringue buttercream is surprisingly easy to make but you will need a thermometer to ensure you don’t overheat the egg white and sugar mixture.

Beetroot (Beet) Raspberry Cake

Danielle Ellis

An easy to make cake using fresh beetroots and raspberries - frozen raspberries can be used as well. Topped with Swiss meringue buttercream this is a moist indulgent cake. For ease of making, you'll need a food processor, stand mixer and a thermometer. The rose water and allspice flavourings are deliberately very subtle and are there to enhance the flavour

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Course Afternoon Tea

Cuisine British

Equipment

Stand mixer
Food processor with a grater attachment
digital thermometer
Saucepan
Bowl that will fit into the saucepan
Cake tin approx 20 cm by 30 cm (8 in by 12 in)
Baking parchment

Ingredients

For the Cake

200 grams beetroot (beets) grated finely
150 grams raspberries fresh or frozen
200 grams butter
200 grams caster sugar
200 grams plain flour
7 grams baking powder
200 millilitres eggs 4 medium eggs
5 millilitres rosewater optional
5 grams allspice optional

For the Swiss Meringue

60 grams egg whites approx 2 egg whites
120 grams caster sugar Double the weight of the egg whites
125 grams unsalted butter
15 grams dried raspberries optional either powder or pieces

Instructions

Beetroot and Raspberries

Grate the beetroot in a food processor on the finest setting and set aside.
Pulse the raspberries in the food processor to break them up. Set aside.

The Cake

Pre heat the oven to 180°C 350°F
Prepare the cake tin. Line with baking parchment or spray with cake release spray and set aside.
In a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar and mix well until light in colour and fluffy. This will take longer than you think 5-10 minutes.
Add the flour and baking powder and spice and rosewater if using and mix until the flour is incorporated.
Break the eggs into a jug and mix well.
With the stand mixer turning, slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour, butter and sugar mixture until incorporated. The mixture should be smooth and loose.
Stir in the raspberries. The mixture might become grainy (split). Just ignore it.
Add the beetroot and mix slowly.
Turn into the cake tin. Level with a spatula
Bake for approximately 20 minutes until the top bounces back when pressed and an inserted knife comes out clean.
Let the cake cool before taking it out of the tin.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

NB The easiest way to make this is to use the clean stand mixer bowl (if it is metal) over a saucepan of lightly boiling water. Alternatively, use a clean glass bowl. The bowl should fit into the saucepan but not touch the water.
Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl and mix well. Place the bowl over the saucepan of lightly boiling water and warm to 67 to 71°C ensuring you whisk regularly.
Once the temperature is reached, remove from the saucepan and whip the egg whites in the stand mixer until thick.
Cut the butter into small cubes and add one by one continuing to whisk all the time until the butter is used up. The mixture may seem very loose. It will thicken as it cools. If you are using the dried raspberry powder, add half at this stage. Put in a sealed container in the fridge when cooled to cool further.

Assembly

Spread the Swiss meringue butter cream evenly over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the remaining dried raspberry powder or pieces. Cut into square and serve