MERYN’S BEETROOT AND CHOCOLATE CAKE (GLUTEN FREE)

250 grams fresh beetroot

200 grams dark chocolate (70%+)

¼ cup hot espresso

150 grams butter

1 ½ cups ground almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder or ultimately raw cacao powder

5 eggs

¾ cup raw sugar

Heat the oven to 175 degrees C.

Lightly butter a 20cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

Trim, peel and chop beetroot into 3 cm wedges and cook in boiling unsalted water until they are tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and cool under cold for a few minutes then process in a food processor until a coarse purée.

Warm the chocolate and butter together in a bowl placed over simmering water. When the chocolate/butter looks almost melted, remove from heat and pour the hot espresso over it and stir briefly to just combine and finish melting.

In a large bowl mix ground almonds, baking powder and cocoa.

Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks together with the sugar until creamy then mix in the cooled melted chocolate mix and then the beetroot.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Using a large metal spoon or rubber spatula, fold the beaten egg whites and sugar into the chocolate mixture. Work in a deep, figureeight movement but take care not to over-mix.

Lastly, fold in the ground almond and cocoa mix.

Transfer to the prepared cake tin and place in the oven, decreasing the heat immediately to 160 degrees C. Bake for 40 minutes. The rim of the cake will feel spongy, the inner part should still wobble a little when gently shaken. Test with a cake tester - if it is still too gooey in the center, continue baking just until moist crumbs cling to the tester.

Set the cake aside to cool (it will sink a bit in the centre), loosening it around the edges with a knife after half an hour or so. It is not a good idea to remove the cake from its pan until it is completely cold. Serve with crème fraîche or whipped cream. Alternatively another luxurious option is to smoother the cake with chocolate avocado “icing”.