Certain vegetables go well in cakes, keeping them moist and providing sweetness without adding sugar. Carrot is the classic example, as is parsnip. However, beetroot (beets) are just as useful in baking. They yield sweetness, dietary fibre and also a wonderful purple colour.
Prep time: 20 minutes/Cook time: 75 minutes/Serves: 8
Ingredients:
200g (7 oz) plain flour
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
A generous pinch of salt
50g (2 oz) soft dark brown sugar
125g (1/4 lb) light muscovado sugar
3 medium eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
300ml (1 1/4 cups) sunflower (or grape seed oil)
3 raw medium beetroot (approx. 250g [1/2 lb]), grated
finely-grated zest of 1 orange
55g (2 oz) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
100g (3 1/2 oz) icing sugar, sifted
125g (1/4 lb) full fat cream cheese
finely-pared orange zest, to garnish
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan/355F/gas mark 4). Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl then mix in the sugars.
In another bowl beat together the eggs, vanilla extract and oil and pour onto the dried ingredients. Add the grated beetroot and half the orange zest.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake on a shelf toward the bottom of the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven to 170°C (150°C fan/340F/gas mark 3) and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake emerges cleanly.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting, beat together the butter, cream cheese and the icing sugar with the remaining orange zest. Spread over the top of the cake. You can garnish with parings of lemon zest, if desired.
