A Twist on the Carrot Cake: Beetroot & Ginger Cake

My dad doesn't eat cakes. He's got a sweet tooth, alright, but he prefers chocolate over baked goods. He's also not into vegetables so much. His favourite meal would probably consist of roasted pork, pickled wild mushrooms, loads of cheese, all drowned with some Estonian beer. So when my parents came for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake last Sunday afternoon, I didn't tell them that I was serving a beetroot cake*. My mum did wonder what were the ruby pink speckles in the cake, but it was only after they had both eaten a slice that I told them it was a beetroot cake.

Neither one of them batted an eyelid, and both of them promptly helped themselves to another piece.

And I was one happy daughter..

* If you like carrot cake (and I do), then you're bound to like this cake (and I did). Beetroot gives the cake some moistness and sweetness, and you don't have to worry about this tasting musty or whatever else might put you off beetroot. I'll be definitely making this again, perhaps adding finely chopped crystallised ginger or Buderim ginger nibbles to the cake to further enhance the ginger-beetroot flavour combination.

Beetroot & Ginger Cake
(Peedikook ingveriga)
Based on this Pirkka recipe
Makes 12 pieces



4 large eggs
300 ml soft brown sugar, lightly packed
400 ml plain/all-purpse flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tsp of ground ginger, or 2-3 Tbsp crystallised ginger pieces
300 gram raw beetroot, coarsely grated
175 grams butter, melted & cooled

Whisk eggs with sugar until thick and light caramel colour.
Mix flour, vanilla sugar, ground ginger, baking powder.
Add the melted butter, dry mixture and grated beets to the egg-sugar mixture, folding gently.
Line a 25x25 cm or 25x30 cm baking tray with a parchment paper, pour the batter into the tray.
Bake at 200 C for 35-40 minutes, depending on the size of your tray, until the cake is dark golden brown on the top. Test for doneness with a wooden toothpick- if it comes out dry & clean, the cake is cooked.
Cool a little, then cut into squares.

Serve with a cup of coffee or tea. A dollop of ginger-flavoured whipped cream would be nice, too.