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For the cake

For the chocolate cream

Nutrition: per slice

  • kcal412
  • fat24g
  • saturates6g
  • carbs40g
  • sugars2g
    low
  • fibre3g
  • protein7g
  • salt0.6g

Method

  • step 1

    Heat oven to 160C/140C/gas 3 and grease then line the base of two x 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. To start making the chocolate cream stir the yogurt with the cocoa and xylitol until completely blended then set aside while you make the cake. This helps to dissolve the xylitol granules.

  • step 2

    To make the cake, first blitz the beetroot in a food processor until it resembles a thick puree. Tip in the cocoa, flours, ground almonds, xylitol, baking powder and soda and pulse briefly to mix the ingredients together.

  • step 3

    Now add the eggs, the 150ml rapeseed oil, vanilla extract and milk, and blitz again to make a smooth liquid batter.

  • step 4

    Divide the mixture evenly between the tins working quickly, as the baking powder activates once in contact with the liquid ingredients, then bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer poked into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool for few mins then remove from the tins and finish cooling on a wire rack. Once cold, carefully strip off the lining paper.

  • step 5

    To finish the chocolate cream, whip the double cream until it holds its shape. Stir the cocoa mixture then fold in all but 2 tsp. Spread a third on top of one of the cold sponge cakes, top with the remaining sponge and spread with the rest of the chocolate cream to create a swirly finish. Dot over the reserved cocoa mixture and gently feather in with the end of a teaspoon. The cake will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, but return to room temperature before eating for the best taste and texture.

RECIPE TIPS
WHAT IS XYLITOL?

Despite its rather synthetic-sounding name xylitol is derived from woody plant fibres found in nature like sweetcorn husks and birch trees. It’s granular texture looks like sugar and has the same sweetness, making it a perfect substitute, with the benefit of 40 per cent fewer calories and a lower GI. It also helps to protect teeth from decay. You can buy xylitol from health food stores and under brand names such as Total Sweet from the supermarket.

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Comments, questions and tips (5)

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Overall rating

A star rating of 2.6 out of 5.5 ratings

damian.raistrick

The claim that this is only 2g of 'sugar' per slice is nonsense. There is 300g of xylitol in this thing. It cuts into 12 slices, so that's 25g of xylitol per slice. There's no way that 25g of xylitol is only equivalent to 2g of sugar.

damian.raistrick

Really bad recipe! I love baking cakes, but this was disappointing. For a start the amount of sugar (total sweet) is huge (and expensive!). But regardless, this cake tastes truly awful! The beetroot (I used home grown) reacts with the other ingredients producing a strange chemical-like after-taste.…

isobel.brammer

question

I'm going to cook this recipe for my dad's birthday, is it worth the effort?

damian.raistrick

No, sadly it really tastes horrible and isn't low sugar at all! It has a weird chemical after-taste, possibly the beetroot combined with the vanilla taste? Anyway I ended up throwing this in the bin - terrible waste of money. Search for low sugar chocolate cake and there's a Sainsbury recipe with…

Caroloop

A star rating of 1 out of 5.

TRULY AWFUL!!!!! We are trying to follow a low sugar diet and are missing cakes and sweet treats, so I was excited to find this recipe. However, it was difficult to make and I managed to dirty every piece of kitchen equipment and also ruin my top when trying to puree the beetroot. I couldn't find…

Grandbaker

It may have been as a normal cake contains a higher sugar and fat content which provides a strong flavour everyone is used to however due to the lack of this it would bit taste the same

annmai

A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Made this yesterday and was very surprised at how nice it turned out. Not too sweet, nice deep chocolatey taste. I used it as a dessert, with mango puree and mascarpone. Definitely will do again. As we're only 2, just used a half sandwich, so now have 3 more generous portions in the freezer. I…

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