Ever since I read about it, I have been fascinated by the idea of a Red Velvet Cake. Isn't there something incredibly Audrey Hepburnish about the name. Can't you just picture yourself in a Little Black Dress, with a strand of classy pearls, biting into a cupcake of maroon awesomeness?
And yet, the amount of food colouring that it consumed was a huge deterrent. Someday, I will attempt it with beets, I promised myself.
That day arrived, when I decided to inaugurate my new OTG on my friend, MM's birthday. About a year back, I had introduced her to the glories of the humble beet root, and in the ensuing months, she surpassed me in finding uses for it. This, then, is in Pinky's honour!
1 1/2 tbsp dark cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup fresh pureed beets*
1/3 cup oil
1 1/2 capful vinegar (this I to maintain the colour of the beet- recipe asked for more, but I wasn't brave enough)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Method:
*3 medium sized beets give approximately 1 1/2 cups of purée.
Wash the beets, scrape/ peel and slice them. Cook them (steam cook or microwave) till they’re well done. Cool and purée the cooked beets along with about 3 or 4 tbsps of water, in a blender till smooth. Keep aside. You can do this ahead and refrigerate the purée for a day or else freeze it till required.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl till well mixed. Keep aside.
Put the puréed beets, oil, lemon juice and vanilla extract into another bowl and lightly whisk together till mixed well.
Pour this into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix just enough to combine. Line a cake dish with butter paper, and pour the batter into it.
Bake at 200C for about 20 to 25 minutes. A skewer/ toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean once they’re done.
Cool completely and decorate with frosting of your choice- I did not.
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