recipes
SALTED CAR AMEL , CHOCOL ATE & BEETROOT FUDGE CAKE SERVES: 8-10 Ingredients for the cake • 3 beetroots, 300g/10.5oz total, scrubbed and peeled • 100g/3.5oz unsalted butter, softened • 175g/6oz light muscovado sugar • 2 large eggs, beaten • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 125g/4.5oz dark/semisweet chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids, melted and cooled • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder • 125g/4.5oz plain flour • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda/baking soda • 1 pinch of fine sea salt For the salted caramel • 200g/7oz caster/superfine sugar • 100ml/3.5fl oz double/heavy cream • Half–1 tsp fine sea salt For the chocolate buttercream •100g/3.5oz unsalted butter, softened 175g/6oz icing sugar, sifted 100g/3½oz • Dark/semisweet chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids, melted and cooled • A splash of milk (optional)
Method Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/ Gas 4 and grease and line two 20cm/8in loose-based cake pans.To make the cake, cook the beetroots in boiling water for 40–60 minutes until soft. Remove from the pan and reserve 100ml/3½fl oz of the cooking water. Purée the beetroot. Cream the butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, beetroot/beet purée and chocolate. Sift over the dry ingredients and fold in. Divide between the prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
To make the Salted Caramel
Dissolve the sugar in the reserved beetroot/beet water in a wide-based saucepan over a low heat, stirring, and using a pastry brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals stuck to the inside of the pan. Stop stirring and increase the heat. Shake the pan occasionally and watch carefully until the caramel turns a deep amber. Remove from the heat and immediately whisk in the cream and salt. Prick the top of the warm
32 | TOWNANDCOUNTYMAG.CO.UK
cakes with a skewer and drizzle each one with 2 tablespoons of the salted caramel, avoiding the edges. Leave the cakes to cool in their pans on a wire rack.
To make the Buttercream
Whisk the butter until creamy, then whisk in half the icing/ confectioners’ sugar. Whisk in the chocolate, then the remaining sugar for a few minutes. Slacken with a splash of milk, if necessary. Push the cake bases out, but leave the cakes on the insert of the pans. Spread the top of one cake with half of the buttercream and upturn the other on top to sandwich them together. Remove the pan insert and parchment on the top cake and upturn it on to a cake stand. Remove the other pan insert and peel off the parchment, before spreading the remaining buttercream over the top of the cake. Drizzle the remaining salted caramel generously over the top of the buttercream.You may need to return the caramel saucepan to the heat briefly before doing this so that it is runny enough to drizzle.