Beetroot & Chocolate Cake

|If you havent yet discovered the wonderful cake combination that is beetroot and chocolate this is the perfect introductory recipe. Try it with a dollop of crème fraîche.|beetroot|200g butter250g beetroot peeled and cooked200g dark chocolate 70% coca solids4 tablespoon hot espresso135g plain flour1 teaspoon baking powder heaped3 tablespoon cocoa powder5 eggs seperated190g caster sugarcreme fraiche|Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm/8in cake tin with a little butter and line the bottom of the tin with a disc of baking parchment.Blend the beetroot in a food processor to a rough purée.Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot water (do not allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water) then pour in the hot coffee.Stir in the butter in small pieces and leave to soften. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.Meanwhile sift the flour baking powder and cocoa together in a bowl and set aside.Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks in a bowl until frothy. Stir the eggs into the chocolate and butter mixture then fold in the beetroot.Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Fold in the sugar.Fold the sugar and egg whites into the chocolate mixture then fold in the flour and cocoa mixture.Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.Allow to cool in the tin then serve with crème fraîche or double cream.|20.00 minutes|8|