INGREDIENTS

250 g dark chocolate
240 g raw, finely grated beetroot
3 eggs
scant 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
10 g baking powder
pinch of salt
100 g vegetable oil

For the decoration
150 g butter, at room temperature
2 cups icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted
squeezed juice from the grated beetroot
50 g dark chocolate

TO MAKE

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a 20 cm round, deep cake tin with baking paper.

Break the chocolate into small pieces, place in a bowl and microwave for one minute on full power. Remove, stir and repeat every 30 seconds (stirring in between each melt). Alternatively, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted.

Allow to cool for five minutes. This is important!

Squeeze the beetroot to remove the excess juice and reserve for the buttercream. Set aside.

Add the eggs and sugar to the cooled chocolate and whisk until thick.

Add the flour, baking powder, salt, oil and squeezed raw beetroot and fold the mixture together using a metal spoon until blended well.

Turn into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 minutes or until it is springy to the touch or a cocktail stick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Meanwhile make the buttercream by beating the butter, icing sugar and beetroot juice together until smooth, fluffy and vivid pink in colour.

Turn the cake out on to a wire rack, remove the paper and leave to cool. Pipe or spread the buttercream over the cake. Make squiggles or the word ‘beetroot’ using the chocolate. When set, arrange on top of the cake.

Images and edited recipe extract from Lucy’s Bakes by Lucy Cufflin. Published by Hardie Grant.