This morning Bryan said to me what is the big attraction with beetroot these past few days. 'It's in season so I'm making the most of it' I replied. Mostly we eat the base roasted and served as a salad with feta cheese. I have even used the beet tops as a vegetable. Saute them as if it was spinach and add them to a couscous salad.
But I have to say this beetroot cake is by far my favourite way of eating beetroot. The recipe is from Tina Richardson and was originally published on the website www.riverford.co.uk . It no longer exists on the site.
I was a little concerned about the extra baking powder combined with self raising flour. However the cake is quite dense and needs the extra raising agent.
BEETROOT CAKE
INGREDIENTS
- 250 gr (8 oz) self raising flour,sieved
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 150 gr (5 oz) soft brown sugar
- 100 gr (3 1/2 oz) sultanas
- 200 gr (7oz) beetroot, peeled and grated (2 -3 medium size beetroots)
- 150 gr (1/4 pint) vegetable or sunflower oil
- 2 mediun sized eggs, beaten
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180C, 350F, Gas Mark 4
- Grease and line an 8 inch loose based cake tin.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder and soft brown sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the sultanas, grated beetroot.
- Beat the oil and eggs together, and then add to the bowl.
- Combine with either a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1 - 1 1/4 hours. Insert a metal into the cake; if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. (I'd check at about 55 minutes. I cooked mine for an hour and it was just beginning to burn)
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Serve with cream if you wish. Bryan does, I prefer it without.
I felt no guilt in eating this for breakfast on a couple of mornings.
I'm submitting this post to the blog event Sweet New Zealand at Alessandra Zecchini.
