Snail Orchids, Delicately Fragile and Chocolate Beetroot Loaf Cake

Hello lovely Maddabling readers, I hope this weekend blog post finds you happy and well. It has been another gorgeous sunny Winters day today. Tonight I share with you Snail Orchids, Delicately Fragile and Chocolate Beetroot Loaf . Happy Reading xo♥

Snail Orchids

Quite by accident, I spotted my first Snail Orchids today on a coastal walk. They are the second type of orchid I have seen so far this orchid season. I have never seen these ones up close and they are amazingly tiny yet detailed. 

They are so small that I nearly missed them, they only grow to around 20cm in height. I just happened to look down at precisely the right time.  It's very easy to see where snail orchids got their name from don't you think?

Delicately Fragile

I was fascinated by this delicately fragile leaf that was in our yard, skeletal in appearance, all of the leafy green was gone. It was feather light yet such an intricate structure still remained. 

I love these snaps in black and white, they make it all the more striking. Nature is quite surreal at times, this will be a good leaf-y reference point if I am taken by the urge to sketch again...

Chocolate Beetroot Loaf Cake

I saw this recipe in STM last weekend and have been very keen to try it, not having had success with Beetroot Cakes in the past. This recipe was excellent and made two smaller loaf cakes that are dense and very moist. I made a few substitutions that I will list in the recipe.  

Chocolate Beetroot Loaf Cake

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups self raising flour, sifted (I used 1 1/4 Cup unsifted Wholemeal Self Raising flour) 

1/4 Cup Dutch Cocoa, sifted (I used 1/4 cup of Raw Cacao, unsifted) 

1 Cup Caster Sugar (I used 1 cup Coconut Sugar)

125g unsalted butter, melted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 Cup Milk

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 Cups Grated Raw Beetroot

Method: 

1. Preheat oven to 180C

2. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, butter, egg, milk and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.

3. Add the beetroot and mix to combine. 

4. Pour into a 10cm x 21cm (2 litre capacity) or two small loaf tins lined with non stick baking paper. 

5. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. 

6. Allow to cool in the tin for five minutes then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. 

Note: This can be sliced and frozen for up to two months in individual servings.

Readers, I hope you enjoyed Snail Orchids, Delicately Fragile and Chocolate Beetroot Loaf Cake. See you all on Wednesday for a new edition of Wednesday Wishes x