I made these before the holidays but didn’t get a chance to pass the recipe on.  My son’s class at school were having a Food Festival and parents were asked to contribute cakes that had been made with a vegetable as an ingredient.  I made these, some little courgette and vanilla cakes and also some blackcurrant and avocado cakes.    The beetroot and chocolate were not only the favourite of the ones I made but also won the first prize out of all entries – the children loved them, even those who professed not to like beetroot (quite a few).   I was delighted and very proud.  To keep me in my place however, one little girl did stop eating her cake the moment she heard it contained beetroot and could not be persuaded to continue with it……

I don’t think it is a new thing baking with vegetables, carrot cake has been around for a while after all, but it seems to be enjoying a boost at the moment.  The veggies do add a delicious moistness to cakes and in most cases reduce the fat content.  Perhaps it also eases our conscience that there is veg in our treats, a cunning way to increase that five a day and I am all for that.

So you could try these because they are maybe a little better for you than the usual chocolate cupcakes or just because they are extremely good to eat.

Chocolate and Beetroot Cakes

160g beetroot, cooked and peeled

40g cocoa

120g plain flour

160g caster sugar

2 eggs

140ml oil

1 heaped tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180.  Line a bun tin with cup cake paper cases .  Sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder and mix with the sugar and salt in a bowl.  Puree the beetroot, add the eggs and oil and whizz again.  Mix with the dry ingredients, put into the paper cases and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  This made 12 and I had a little mixture over for some mini ones which I only cooked for 10 minutes.