BEETROOT, ORANGE AND PINEAPPLE CAKE

A classic carrot cake with a twist whereby grated beetroot replaces the carrot, giving it a lovely sprinkling of pink through the cake. The origin of the carrot cake is fairly murky — and many believe it evolved from a carrot pudding that was made in the Middle Ages when the carrot was used to sweeten the bake. The concept was revived in Britain during the war due to rationing. The American connection comes when in the 1960s the pudding evolved into a cake, and was finished off with a cream cheese frosting (icing) as we know it today.

4 extra-large eggs

200g (1 cup) light brown sugar

250ml (1 cup) sunflower oil

240g (2 cups) cake flour

10ml (2 tsp) bicarbonate of soda

5ml (1 tsp) salt

4x250ml grated raw beetroot

400g can of crushed pineapple, well drained 30ml (2 tbsp) grated orange rind

Icing:

2x 250g bricks of thick cream cheese

60ml (4 tbsp) runny honey

10ml (2 tsp) grated lemon rind

15ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 160°C. With an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and doubled in volume. Beat in the oil. Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add to the egg and sugar mixture and mix until combined. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the beetroot, pineapple and orange rind.

Mix until well combined. Spoon the mixture into 2x20cm cake tins which have been base lined and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the icing beat the cream cheese until it is fluffy and has no lumps. Beat in the honey and lemon rind and juice. Sandwich the two layers of cake together with half of the icing and pile the remainder on top. Decorate as desired.