7 oz Butter (200 g); plus extra
-for greasing
9 oz Beetroot (250 g); cooked
-and peeled
7 oz Dark chocolate (200 g) (70%
-cocoa solids)
4 tb Espresso; hot
5 oz Plain flour (135 g)
1 ts Baking powder; heaping
3 tb Cocoa powder
5 Free-range eggs; separated
6 oz Golden caster sugar (190 g)
Creme fraiche or double
-cream; to serve
Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4. Grease a 20 cm / 8" cake tin
with a little butter and line the bottom of the tin with a disc of
baking parchment.
Blend the beetroot in a food processor to a rough puree.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot water (do not
allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water), then pour in the hot
coffee.
Stir in the butter in small pieces and leave to soften. Remove from
the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa together in a bowl
and set aside.
Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks in a bowl until frothy. Stir the
eggs into the chocolate and butter mixture, then fold in the beetroot.
Whisk the egg whites until still peaks form when the whisk is
removed. Fold in the sugar.
Fold the sugar and egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold
in the flour and cocoa mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes, or
until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the tin, then serve with cr me fra che or double
cream.
