Beetroot chocolate cake

Butter, for greasing 250g dark chocolate, broken up 3 large free-range eggs 200g light muscovado sugar 100ml sunflower oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 100g self-raising flour ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp baking powder 50g ground almonds 250g raw beetroot, peeled and grated For the icing: 150g plain chocolate 100g icing sugar 100g sour cream

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/ gas mark 4. Grease a 22cm round, loosebottomed cake tin and line with parchment paper. Melt the chocolate in a bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

2 Beat the eggs, sugar and oil together in Serves 10 a mixing bowl for 3-4 minutes until smooth and creamy.

3 Stir in the vanilla extract, then sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Gently fold together, gradually adding the ground almonds.

4 Using rubber gloves to keep your fingers from staining, squeeze any excess liquid from the grated beetroot. Fold the beetroot and cooled chocolate into the mixture.

5 Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

6 For the icing, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl and set over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth, then set aside to cool. Beat in the icing sugar and sour cream until the mixtureis thick and creamy, then spread over the top and sides of the cooled cake.