Beetroot Cake with Orange Frosting Recipe

A vegetable cake like this beetroot cake might sound really unusual, but the beetroot adds moisture and if you're looking for a healthier cake option - this is it! This beetroot cake doesn't use butter (only in the icing!), which definitely makes it one to try if you're trying to eat less fat! The beetroot doesn't replace the butter in this cake, as such, but it does guarantee that it stays moist and springy.

Much like a carrot cake, this beetroot cake is really nice with the orange frosting - it's the perfect loaf cake to dish up to friends when they pop round for a cup of tea - they'd never be able to guess the secret ingredient!

How to make Beetroot Cake with Orange Frosting:

Ingredients

For the cake

• 200g plain flour
• ¾tsp baking powder
• ¾tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¾tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼tsp fine salt
• 50g soft dark brown sugar
• 125g light muscovado sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ½tsp vanilla extract
• 300ml vegetable or sunflower oil
• 225g raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated (approximately 3 medium beetroot)
• Zest ½ orange

For the icing

• 50g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 100g icing sugar, sifted
• zest ½ orange
• 125g Philadelphia cream cheese
• Orange zest, for decorating

You will need

• 900g loaf tin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C, 160 C fan, 350 F, gas 4. Grease the loaf tin and line the base and sides with baking paper.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the sugars.

3. Beat together the eggs, vanilla extract and oil and pour onto the flour mixture. Beat the mixture until smooth. Add the grated beetroot and orange zest and beat again. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf for 40 minutes. Turn the oven down to 170 C, 150 C fan, 325 F, gas 3 and bake for a further 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. Leave to cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

4. To make the icing, beat together the butter, icing sugar and orange zest until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat again until smooth. Spread the icing over the top of the cake and decorate with orange zest.