(adapted from Nigel Slater’s new vegetable cook book “Tender”)

250g (9 oz.) Whole (uncooked) Beetroot
200g (7 oz.) Dark Chocolate
4 Tablespoons strong Coffee
200g (7oz) Butter
150g (5 oz.) plain Flour
1 Heaped teaspoon Baking Powder
3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
5 Eggs
200g (7 oz.) Caster Sugar

Some Crème fraiche and poppy Seeds to serve

Set the oven to 180 C, 360 F, Gas 4.

Butter and line the base of a 20cm. Loose bottomed cake tin.
Boil the beetroot in water until tender when pierced with a skewer, about 30 mts.
Let them cool then peel undewr running water, slice off the stem and liquidise to a rough puree.

Put the butter, chocolate and coffee together in a bowl and melt at medium in a microwave or over a simmering pot of water.

Separate the eggs and whip the whites until stiff then fold in the caster sugar.
Fold the yolks and the crushed beetroot into the chocolate mixture.
Sieve the flour cocoa and baking powder together and fold these in the mix and then lastly, gently but firmly, fold in the egg whites.
Pour this mixture carefully into the prepared tin, reduce the oven heat to 160c, 325F, Gas3 and put the tin into the oven.
Cook at this temperature for 40 mts. the top should look spongy but the inside still soft.

Leave to cool thoroughly before removing from the tin.
Serve with Crème Fraiche sprinkled with poppy seeds.