Name: Beetroot cake
Prep time: 1 h 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: Serves 12
Ingredients: 250g butter plus extra for greasing; 200g dark chocolate broken into chunks; 500g plain flour; 500g golden caster sugar; 2 tbsp cocoa powder; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; ½ tsp salt; 2 large eggs; 200g natural yogurt; 400g cooked beetroot in natural juices (not vinegar); 4 tbsp or 2 x 28ml bottles red food colouring optional (we used Scarlett Langdale – a natural liquid colouring will not work); 200g full-fat cream cheese at room temperature; 250g butter softened; 400g icing sugar sifted; 2 tsp vanilla extract; a few sweets to decorate, optional (we used jelly hearts from a sweet shop)

Beetroot cake with icing served on a cake stand

For the sponges

250g butter
plus extra for greasing
200g dark chocolate
broken into chunks
500g plain flour
500g golden caster sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
2 large eggs
200g natural yogurt
400g cooked beetroot
in natural juices (not vinegar)
4 tbsp or 2 x 28ml bottles red food colouring
optional (we used Scarlett Langdale – a natural liquid colouring will not work)

For the frosting

200g full-fat cream cheese
at room temperature
250g butter
softened
400g icing sugar
sifted
2 tsp vanilla extract
a few sweets
to decorate, optional (we used jelly hearts from a sweet shop)

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Make the first batch of sponges by greasing and lining two 20cm round tins. Gently melt 125g butter and 100g chocolate together in a saucepan. Mix 250g flour, 250g sugar, 1 tbsp cocoa, ½ tsp bicarb and ¼ tsp salt in a large mixing bowl. Whizz one egg with 100g yogurt and 200g beetroot in a food processor or blender until fairly smooth. Put the kettle on.
step 2
Tip the beetroot mix into the dry ingredients along with the melted chocolate mixture and 150ml boiling water, then stir to combine. Stir in half the food colouring, if using, and divide the mixture between the tins. Bake for 25 mins until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
step 3
Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to make two more sponges – or if you're lucky enough to have four 20cm sandwich tins, you can bake in a big batch all at once.
step 4
To make the frosting, briefly beat together the cream cheese and butter, then beat in the icing sugar and vanilla. Use a little to sandwich the cooled cakes together, then swirl the rest all over the sandwiched cakes and decorate with sweets, if you like. Sit the cake somewhere cool (not the fridge) to set a little before serving.