Beetroot chocolate cake
If you haven’t yet discovered the wonderful cake combination that is beetroot and chocolate, this is the perfect introductory recipe. Try it with a dollop of crème fraîche.
Ingredients
- 200g/7oz butter, plus extra for greasing
- 250g/9oz cooked and peeled beetroot
- 200g/7oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 4 tbsp hot espresso
- 135g/5oz plain flour
- 1 heaped tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 5 free-range eggs, separated
- 190g/6½oz golden caster sugar
- crème fraîche or double cream, to serve
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm/8in cake tin with a little butter and line the bottom of the tin with a disc of baking parchment.
- Blend the beetroot in a food processor to a rough purée.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water), then pour in the hot coffee.
- Stir in the butter in small pieces and leave to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa together in a bowl and set aside.
- Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks in a bowl until frothy. Stir the eggs into the chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in the beetroot.
- Whisk the egg whites until still peaks form when the whisk is removed. Fold in the sugar.
- Fold the sugar and egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and cocoa mixture.
Post a Comment