Nigel Slater Beetroot Chocolate Cake Food

MOIST CHOCOLATE-BEET CAKE

Steps:

• Butter an 8 or 8 1/2 inch (20 cm) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Boil the beets in salted water with the lid askew until they're very tender when you stick a knife in them about 45 minutes. Drain then rinse the beets with cold water. When cool enough to handle, slip off the peels, cut the beets into chunks, and grind them in a food processor until you get a coarse, yet cohesive, puree. (If you don't have a food processor, use a cheese grater.)
• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
• In a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring as little as possible. Once it's nearly all melted, turn off the heat (but leave the bowl over the warm water), pour in the hot espresso and stir it once. Then add the butter. Press the butter pieces into the chocolate and allow them to soften without stirring.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a separate bowl.
• Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and stir until the butter is melted. Let sit for a few minutes to cool, then stir the egg yolks together and briskly stir them into the melted chocolate mixture. Fold in the beets.
• In a stand mixer, or by hand, whip the egg whites until stiff. Gradually fold the sugar into the whipped egg whites with a spatula, then fold them into the melted chocolate mixture, being careful not to overmix.
• Fold in the flour and cocoa powder.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and reduce the heat of the oven to 325ºF (160ºC), and bake the cake for 40 minutes, or until the sides are just set but the center is still is just a bit wobbly. Do not overbake.
• Let cake cool completely, then remove it from the pan.

BEETROOT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm/8in 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 purée.
• 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 crème fraîche or double cream.

BEETROOT & CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Tip the beetroot into a food processor and blitz until chopped. Add a pinch of salt and the rest of the ingredients, except the oil and chocolate. When completely mixed (you may need to scrape the sides down once or twice), add the oil in a steady stream, as if you were making mayonnaise.
• When all the oil has been added, stir in the chocolate, then tip the mix into a lined 900g loaf tin. Cook for 1 hr until an inserted skewer comes out practically clean. leave the loaf to cool on a rack. Serve in slices with the crème fraîche or clotted cream.