Beetroot, chocolate and orange loaf

Beetroot is actually very sweet and keeps this rich chocolate loaf wonderfully moist. Make it for your friends, then ask them to guess the mystery ingredient. This loaf has a surprisingly smooth velvety texture and rich chocolate taste. Really good with yoghurt.

Ingredients (Makes 8 slices)
1 large cooked beetroot, about 180 gr,
225 gr flour,
100 gr cocoa,
1 Tbsp baking powder,
225 gr sugar
3 eggs,
juice and grated zest of a half large orange (reserve zest from the other half for decoration)
2 tsp vanilla essence,
200 ml sunflower oil,
100 gr dark chocolate (not too bitter), chopped into pieces
2 tbsp orange liqueur (optional)
Chocolate for frosting  (optional)
Crème fraiche or yoghurt, to serve

1. Heat the oven to 190C, Line a 900gr loaf tin with baking paper.

2. Tip the beetroot into a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. Add a pinch of salt, sugar, eggs, orange juice, zest, vanilla and liqueur. Mix well.

3. Mix together flour, cocoa and baking powder, then add it to the liquid mixture, stir well.

4. Add the oil in a steady stream, while whizzing, as if you were making a mayonnaise.

5. When all the oil has been added, stir in the chocolate, then tip the mix into prepared loaf tin. Bake for about 1 hour until an inserted skewer comes out practically clean. Leave the loaf to cool on a rack.

6. Cover the loaf with a melted chocolate and decorate with orange zest if desired. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche or thick yoghurt.



Enjoy!