Cakes Recipes - Chocolate Layer Cake

Ingredients

• 225g can cooked whole beetroot, drained and juice reserved

• 115g unsalted butter, softened

• 550g light brown sugar

• 3 eggs

• 15ml vanilla essence

• 75g unsweetened chocolate, melted

• 285g plain flour

• 10ml baking powder

• 2.5ml salt

• 120ml buttermilk

• chocolate curls, to decorate (optional)

For the frosting

• 450ml double cream

• 500g plain chocolate, chopped

• 15ml vanilla essence

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Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180.C/350"F /Gas 4. Grease two 23cm/9in cake tins and dust with cocoa powder. Grate the beetroot and add it to its juice. Beat the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until pale and fluffy. Beat in the chocolate.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low speed and beginning and ending with flour mixture, alternately beat in flour and buttermilk. Add the beetroot and juice and beat for 1 minute. Fill the tins and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then unmould and cool.

3. To make the frosting, heat the cream until it just begins to boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate, until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Strain into a bowl and chill, stirring every 10 minutes, for 1 hour.

4. Sandwich and cover the cake with frosting, and top with chocolate curls, if using. Allow to set for 20-30 minutes, then chill before serving.