Beetroot and Chocolate Cake!

The idea for this cake and indeed growing beetroot came from my brother Ciaran.  I didn't think it sounded like a particularly tasty cake but then carrot cake is delicious so why not beetroot?!  So I decided to give it a try.  Here is the recipe and I can highly recommend giving it a go as it was  a very tasty cake - I think it got tastier on the second day (no idea if it would have got tastier later as it was obviously already very tasty and there was none left!):

• First switch the oven on to be heating up to 180 degrees C
• Grease a tin and line with greaseproof paper.
• Grate about 4oz of raw beetroot (straight from the garden if you grow it of course!)
• Melt 3oz of dark chocolate (preferably one with 75% cocoa) with 3 oz of butter - I use the glass bowl over a pan of boiling water method.
• Beat 2 eggs.
• Sift 8oz self-raising flour into a bowl
• Add
• 1oz cocoa powder
• 4oz caster sugar
• 1tsp baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• grated beetroot, eggs, melted chocolate and butter
• Mix it all together to a dry dough-like consistency
• Put the mixture into the tin and squash down
• Cook for around 45 minutes depending on your oven (keep checking - use a knife and stick in, if it comes out clean then the cake's ready!)

If you try it - let me know what you think, if you are giving to anyone else don't mention the beetroot straight away and get their opinion before mentioning it!