Margarida’s Red Velvet Beetroot Cake

A soft, stunning cake with a secret ingredient straight from the garden.

At Bela Vista, we love making the most of what nature gives us — and this cake is no exception. Margarida’s famous red velvet cake isn’t made with artificial colouring — it gets its gorgeous colour and richness from… beetroot!

Moist, beautiful, and topped with whipped cream and berries, this is a showstopper of a cake that surprises and delights every time.

🥄 Ingredients:

• 2 large cooked beetroots

• 1 cup of kefir or natural yoghurt

• 4 whole eggs

• 2½ cups of sugar

• 4 cups of self-raising flour

• 1 cup of sunflower oil

• 1 tablespoon of baking powder

• (Optional: natural red colouring, if you want a bolder red tone)

  
  

🍰 Method:

1. Blend the beetroot – Use a hand blender or food processor to blend the cooked beets with the kefir or yoghurt until smooth and liquid.

2. Mix the wet ingredients – Add in the sunflower oil, eggs, and sugar. Mix it all together with a hand mixer until smooth.

3. Add the dry ingredients – Gradually add the self-raising flour while mixing. Then stir in the baking powder.

4. (Optional colour boost) – If you want a vivid red cake, you can add a little natural red colouring.

5. Prepare the tin – Grease your cake tin with butter and flour. Margarida always lines the bottom with baking paper — trust her, it makes it easier to remove later!

6. Bake – Bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 40 minutes. Check with a skewer or toothpick — if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

   
   

🍷 The Finishing Touches – Assembly & Decoration:

1. Cool and slice – Once cooled, carefully remove the cake from the tin and slice it in half horizontally.

2. Make the syrup – In a small saucepan, combine:

   • 1 small glass (a "cálice") of Port wine

   • A splash of water

   • 1 tablespoon of sugar

   • Heat gently until the sugar dissolves.

3. Soak the cake – Drizzle the syrup over both cake halves. Don’t skip this step — it gives the cake that extra wow flavour.

4. Whip the cream – Whip 2 packs of double cream with just 2 tablespoons of sugar until fluffy.

5. Assemble – Spread whipped cream on the bottom half of the cake, add fresh berries or just strawberries, then place the top layer on.

6. Decorate – Cover the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream and decorate with more berries or sliced strawberries. Simple. Beautiful. Delicious.

   
   

This cake is a favourite at Bela Vista, especially in summer when strawberries are in season and there's a reason to gather around the table. It’s not just a dessert — it’s a little taste of home, tradition, and that special Margarida magic.

Let us know if you try it! Or better yet — come stay, and we might just surprise you with a slice. 😉