Chocolate Beet Molten Cakes

 

I tried two recipes for molten chocolate cakes. One was Paleo and what I have to say about it is that it didn’t unmold as promised, it was very flat, and it wasn’t great. Then there was this recipe for chocolate beet molten cakes, taken from Aran Goyoaga’s Small Plates and Sweet Treats. Not only are these delicious, they are also nutritious thanks to the beet purée and almond butter. I loved these! (And absolutely nobody complained about the beets.) 

The original recipe says that you can omit the beet purée and simply use butter instead of the almond butter if you want, but I like both these ingredients in here! Note that you can take the easy way out and purée canned beets, freezing the excess for another recipe or a second batch. 

1 medium-size red beet (leaves and stem removed) 

6 oz. (170 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped 

¼ cup (60 g) smooth almond butter 

2 eggs 

2 egg yolks 

1/3 cup (50 g) dark muscovado sugar (I used brown sugar) 

2 Tbsp. superfine brown rice flour 

¼ tsp. fleur de sel 

Fill a small pot with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the beet and cook until tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Insert a knife in the center to see if it is cooked all the way through. Drain the water and let the beet cool enough to handle. Peel the beet and cut it into chunks. Purée it to a smooth paste in a food processor or blender. Measure out ¼ cup (60 g) pf the purée and set aside for the recipe; the rest can be refrigerated or frozen and reserved for another use. 

Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Grease 4 (4-ounce) ramekins; place them on a baking sheet and set aside. 

In a medium heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate and almond butter. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and let the chocolate melt slowly over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally to ensure that the chocolate doesn’t burn on the bottom. Transfer the bowl to a rack and let cool slightly. 

Meanwhile, combine the eggs, egg yolks, and muscovado sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and pale (don’t skip this step, it’s worth it!). Add the chocolate mixture, beet purée, superfine brown rice flour, and fleur de sel. Whip over medium speed until it comes together into a smooth batter. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. 

Divide the batter among prepared ramekins. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are set but the center is still soft. Serve warm.