#RunEveryDay Recipe – Beetroot Chocolate Cake
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A fabulous grain-free cake, ideal for a pre- or post workout snack. Beetroot combines perfectly with chocolate and also provides plenty of performance benefits for runners. Rich in B vitamins needed for energy production as well as antioxidants including vitamin C, beta-carotene and beta-cyanine to aid recovery. Beetroot is also packed with high levels of chemicals called nitrates and it is the nitrate content that appears to be particularly beneficial for exercise performance. Our bodies convert nitrates to nitrite and then nitric oxide, a gas that widens your blood vessels improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to your muscles. This allows your muscles to use oxygen more efficiently reducing the amount of oxygen required to perform exercise. By doing so endurance and performance can improve.
A perfect healthy treat pre or post exercise or as a pick me up snack during the day.
Makes 1 cake / Serves 12
Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate
200g cooked beetroot chopped
4 eggs
75g xylitol
125 g ground almonds
grated zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
To decorate 150g dark chocolate, 1tsp coconut oil or olive oil
- Heat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4. Lightly oil a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
- Melt 200g of the chocolate over a bowl of simmering water or use a microwave
- Put the cooked beetroot, eggs, xylitol, almonds, baking powder, cocoa powder and orange zest in a food processor and beat until smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate and mix well.
- Spoon the mixture into the lined tin and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes, and then allow to cool in the tin.
- Melt the remaining chocolate with the coconut oil in a pan over a low heat. Pour over the top of cake and smooth the top. Scatter with a little grated chocolate or orange zest if wished.
Nutrition info
Nutrition per serving 281kcal, Fat 15.8g saturates 6.1g, Carbohydrates 27g, sugars 19.2g, Protein 6.8g, Fibre 1.7g, Salt 0.2g