Chocolate beetroot cake

Ingredients

• unsalted butter 175g, cubed, plus extra for the tin
• dark chocolate 200g, roughly chopped
• cooked beetroot (look for unflavoured vac-packed) 250g, roughly chopped
• eggs 3
• soft light brown sugar 150g
• self-raising flour 175g
• cocoa powder 30g
• crème fraîche to serve (optional)

Method

• Step 1

  Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line the base of a deep 23cm springform tin with baking paper.

  Step 2

  Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl set over but not touching a pan of gently simmering water. Take off the heat and cool a little.

  Step 3

  Put the beetroot in a food processor or high-speed blender and whizz to a purée. Add the eggs and sugar, and whizz again.

  Step 4

  Put the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix together. Stir in the beetroot purée, then the chocolate-butter mixture until you have a uniform batter. Scoop into the tin and level out. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until risen.

  Step 5

  Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then unclip and leave to cool completely. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with a dollop of crème fraîche, if you like.

Nutritional data

• kcals 416
• fat 25.6g
• saturates 14.9g
• carbs 37.4g
• sugars 21.6g
• fibre 4g
• protein 7.1g
• salt 0.3g