Beetroot cake with dark chocolate and chocolate ganache

Makes a 20cm cake Beetroot ensures everything stays beautifully moist, and produces a superb deep-red colour. To make a lactosefree version, you can use vegan dark chocolate.

For the cake mixture

— 450g beetroot

— 3 eggs

— 100g dark muscovado

sugar

— 150ml mild vegetable oil,

plus extra for greasing — 2-3 drops vanilla extract — 125g wholemeal spelt

flour, plus extra for dusting — 25g cocoa powder

— 1 tsp baking powder

— 75g dark chocolate, 70 per

cent cocoa content

For the ganache

— 30g mild coconut oil — 20g cocoa powder — 1-2 drops vanilla extract — 2 tbsp maple syrup

To decorate

— 2 tsp beetroot powder — 30g dark chocolate, 70 per cent cocoa content, roughly chopped — edible flowers (optional)

Place the beetroot in a pan of water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 45-60 minutes, until soft. Drain, submerge in cold water, peel, leave to cool, and grate coarsely.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl using an electric whisk, until stiff. In a second bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar, gradually adding the oil and vanilla extract.

Combine the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Add to the egg yolks and mix briefly.

Chop the chocolate and melt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Fold the chocolate and beetroot into the cake mix. Finally, gently fold in the egg whites with a balloon whisk.

Grease a 20cm springform cake tin with oil and dust with flour. Transfer the mixture to your tin and bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes, until risen. When an inserted wooden skewer comes out clean, the cake is ready. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

To make the ganache, melt the ingredients in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stir well, and spread evenly over the cake. Chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes, until the ganache has set. Dust the cake with beetroot powder and scatter over the chopped chocolate and flowers, if using.