Ingredients

The following ingredients have 12 Servings
  • 180 g / 1 ½ cup* white all-purpose flour
  • 100 g / 1 cup cacao (I used raw)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 90 ml / ¼ + 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 70 ml / ¼ cup + 2 tsp of espresso or strong, black coffee
  • 1 cup / 240 ml almond milk
  • ¾ cup beetroot purée**
  • 180 g caster sugar
  • 150 g dark (70%) chocolate
  • 125 ml / ½ cup almond milk
  • chopped pistachios, for decorating (optional)
  • pomegranate seeds, for decorating (optional)
  • 2 tsp cacao powder, for decorating (optional)

Instruction

  • Heat up the oven to 175° C / 347° F.
  • Sift flour, cacao, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
  • In another large bowl, cream sugar, olive oil and beetroot purée together using an electric mixer.
  • Add espresso and almond milk to the creamed sugar. Mix well.
  • Line a large muffin tray with paper liners or grease it well with a little olive oil.
  • Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients very gradually. Stir the two together very slowly and be careful not to overmix. Stir only until there are no more flour pockets in the batter.
  • Distribute the mixture evenly between 12 cupcakes. Bake on the lower middle shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes - until a skewer comes out fairly clean (not too clean as this is a moist cake). Cool after baking.
  • Apply whipped chocolate ganache frosting to the cooled cupcakes, using a butter knife or the back of a teaspoon. Dust each cupcake with a touch of cacao, decorate with pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios.
  • To make the ganache, chop the chocolate up into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
  • Warm almond milk in a small pot until it reaches an almost boiling point. Pour hot almond milk over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 5-10 minutes, DO NOT STIR straight away. Now stir the chocolate gently until it's combined with almond milk into a smooth and glossy chocolate ganache. Let it completely cool down.
  • Once ganache has cooled down completely start beating it with an electric whisk just like you would beat coconut cream. After a few minutes, it will turn into a gorgeous butter cream. Be careful not to overwhip as it will turn the chocolate grainy. If that happens, melt the ganache over a double boiler gently, cool down completely and start beating again.