CAKE

250 gms Cooked Beetroots, pureed.

300 gms Caster Sugar

250 mls Vegetable Oil

220 gms Plain Flour

35 gms Cocoa Powder

65 gms Dark Chocolate

3 Large Eggs

½ Teasp Vanilla Extract

1½ Teasp Bicarbonate of soda

Large pinch of salt

ORANGE BUTTER CREAM

142 gms Soft Unsalted Butter

315g gms Sieved Icing Sugar

Grated Zest of 1 Whole Orange

Juice of ½ Orange

GARNISH

Strip an orange of the skin using a potato peeler. Boil gently for 15 minutes then drain and run under cold water and dry. Cut into fine strips and use to garnish the finished bake.

METHOD

1. Heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Grease and line a traybake tin (8 x 12") or a tin close to that size.

3. In a small bowl over simmering water melt the chocolate gently.

4. In a large bowl combine together the pureed beetroot, vanilla, eggs, sugar and oil.

5. Beating on a low speed  with an electric mixer add the melted chocolate slowly until all the ingredients are well combined.

6. In another bowl mix the sieved flour, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa and salt.

7. Add to the oil mixture and beat well, you will have quite a runny batter.

8. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. A skewer should come out clean when inserted into the cake. Cool on a rack.

9. Make the butter cream by gently creaming together the butter, icing sugar, orange zest & juice.

10. Mix until well combined. Add a little more icing sugar if you don't think the butter cream is thick enough.

11. Cover the cake with the butter cream and divide into the number of portions you require.

12. Decorate each portion with your strips of orange peel garnish.

 

N.B. I used fresh beetroot and cooked for a couple of hours. You can use vacuum packed beetroot just as successfully but NOT the beetroot with any form of vinegar!