Beetroot chocolate cake with spicy glaze

This has to be one of my favourite allergy-friendly (vegan) cake recipes. The cake is dense, moist and generously chocolatey. The amount and kind of spices in the glaze can be adjusted to your own liking – perhaps try adding cloves or orange rind next time.

 For the cake:

• 500g gluten free flour
• 180g cocoa
• 200g sugar
• 2 medium beetroots, grated finely
• 150ml olive oil
• 350ml orange juice
• 1.5 tablespoons baking powder
• 250g silken tofu

 For the glaze:

• 100ml water
• 1 cinnamon quill (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 vanilla pod, split (or 1 tsp vanilla essence)
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• pinch of ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan forced, 350F, Gas mark 4). Grease and line a 22cm cake tin with non-stick baking paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa together into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and beetroot and mix to combine.

Blend together the oil, juice and tofu, until it has a smooth texture and is well combined. Add this to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Then pour this into the cake tin and bake in the oven for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check the cake after 1 hour by insterting a skewer into it – if it comes out clean the cake is ready. Place on a wire rack to cool.

For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until the liquid bedomes fragrant and reduces by half. Allow to cool down slightly before glazing the cake.

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