Chocolate, Beetroot, Espresso & Rye Cake: Dairy & Refined Sugar Free.

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

200g Beetroot, cooked

60g Dark Chocolate, melted

20g Honey

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

2 tsp Espresso Powder

3 Eggs

150g Rapadura/Coconut Sugar

Pinch Salt

85g Ground Almonds

40g Rye Flour

¼ tsp Cornflour

Icing:

150g Dark Chocolate

150g Double Cream

2 tsp Espresso Powder

2 tsp Maple syrup

METHOD:

1. Begin with the cake. Grease and lightly cocoa powder two 6” sandwich tins, taking care to line the base with baking paper. Set aside. Preheat the oven 160C.

2. Add the beetroot, chocolate, honey, cocoa and espresso powder to a blender and blend until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until light, fluffy and paler in colour. Gently mix this into the beetroot mixture.

4. Sift over the salt, almonds and flours and very gently fold in, taking care not to lose too much air. Divide between the tins and bake on the middle shelf for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Alternatively, pour the whole mix into a swiss roll tin out of which you can cut shapes to make individual layer cakes as pictured. These will take a little less time to bake.

5. When the cake is baked, cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Meanwhile make the icing by heating the cream & espresso powder until steaming in a pan. Pour this over the chocolate and leave, untouched for 2 minutes.

7. Starting from the edges inwards, whisk until just combined, smooth and silky. Add the maple, gently whisk and leave alone as over whisking may cause it to split.

8. Set aside until it thickens to the consistency you want to sandwich the cakes together.