Chocolate and beetroot sandwich cake

Those of you who have been following my Kitchen Garden Notes series will know that I've been growing some beetroot this year. I've never tried growing it from seed before and like most of my crops they have been sowed in a container. When the theme for one of the Clandestine Cake Club groups I belong to was announced as 'Market Fresh/Seasonal' I decided straight away that my beetroot would be sacrificed for the cause. However upon inspection of the said beetroot they didn't seem big enough for the amount I needed so Mr JibberJabber was dispatched to the Moor Market in Sheffield for a bunch of beetroot!

I've had a look through several chocolate and beetroot cake recipes and they all seemed to require the beetroot to be be boiled first. I can't understand this as when I have used other root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips in cakes I just grate them. So being 'time efficient' the beetroot was prepared in just the same way. I would advise you to use the grating plates on a food processor if you have one as grating on a box grater will have you ending up looking like there was been a blood bath in the kitchen.

For the filling I used my homemade blackberry and apple jelly but any dark fruit jelly or jam such as blackcurrant or damson would work well. I can't take the credit for the decoration idea. Whilst searching through cookbooks I came across a chocolate and beetroot cake in Fiona Cairns' Bake and Decorate. She used the beetroot boiling water to create the shocking pink colour but of course I didn't have of that so I resorted to pink food gel colouring.

I did want to a take a photo of it sliced but I didn't get the chance. Although there were only six of us at the meeting I came home with an empty plate. It seemed to go down very well with one happy chappy whisking off with three slices of it!

Click here for a printable recipe.

Equipment: 2 x 8in (20cm) sandwich tins greased and lined, food processor with grating plates or box grater, electric whisk/beaters.

Ingredients

2oz (55g) Cocoa powder

6 tbsp (90ml) Boiling water

6oz (170g) Plain flour

1½ tsp (7.5ml) Baking powder

½ tsp (2.5ml) Bicarbonate of soda

8oz (225g) Caster sugar

4oz (115g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread

3 Large eggs

5 tbsp (75ml) Milk

1 tsp (5ml) Vanilla extract

8oz (225g) Beetroot, peeled and finely grated

3oz (85g) Dark chocolate, chopped

Filling

2-3 tbsp (30-45ml) Dark fruit jam or jelly such as blackberry, blackcurrant or damson.

Topping

7oz (200g) Icing sugar

Pink gel food colouring

1oz (25g) White chocolate, broken into small pieces

1oz (25g) Dark chocolate, broken into small pieces

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

2. Make up the cocoa powder by mixing in small bowl or jug with the boiling water. Leave to one side

3. In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add the cocoa mixture then the sugar, butter, eggs, milk and vanilla extract.

4. Beat this all together with the electric whisk until it is smooth and there are no pockets of flour left.

5. Stir in the beetroot and chocolate.

6. Get the prepared sandwich tins and divide the mixture equally between the two.

7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the tops are cooked but springy. Leave in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out and leaving to cool on a wire rack.

8. Once the cakes have cooled completely spread one layer with the jam or jelly and place the other on top.

9. Make up the icing by putting into a large bowl and adding a little cold water and some of the food colouring. Just add a little water and food colouring at a time and stir well. Add extra if required. The consistency should be runny enough to be able to pour over.

10. Leave the icing to set for at least an hour.

11. Once the icing has set melt the chocolate one at a time in a bain marie. Over a small saucepan of hot water put a glass bowl (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) and add the chocolate. Keep stirring until it is all melted.

12. Use a spoon to gather up some of the melted chocolate and then drizzle over the cake.

13. Repeat with the other chocolate.

14. Leave to set.

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