CHOCOLATE BEETROOT CAKE

Cake:

1. Grease two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with coconut oil. Dust with cocoa powder, shaking out excess.  
2. Measure out flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine.  
3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until light and frothy. Whisk in maple syrup until incorporated. Whisk in beet puree, milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Drizzle in coconut oil, whisking to incorporate as you do.  
4. Gently whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients until evenly combined (batter will be quite fluid). Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. 
5. Bake at 160 degrees fan for 25-30 minutes, carefully rotating pans after 15 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean or with only very light (not gooey) crumbs. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.  

Icing:

1. Scoop the coconut cream off the top of the can. Save the coconut water for another use, such as smoothies or soups.
2. Place the cream into a small saucepan along with cocoa powder and coconut oil. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth.
3. Let cool slightly and then place into a blender with avocado, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Blend until smooth.
4. Frost immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to frost - give it a good stir to loosen it up a bit.  

We’ve topped our cake with homemade beet chips. Just make sure to put them on last minute as the frosting will soften them over time.  

1. Thinly slice the beets. Rub a baking sheet with a very thin layer of oil. As you place the beets on the baking sheet, place them down and then give them a flip so that both sides have a small bit of oil.
2. Bake at 190 degrees fan for 10-15 minutes. You will know they are done when they turn a lighter colour. They will crisp up as they cool. If the chips have been cut to different thicknesses, remove the ones that are done so that they don’t burn while the others continue cooking.