Recipe: Beetroot Cake

They believe every child has the right to a fun, carefree, happy childhood, including the over 26,000 children who are treated in hospitals and hospices in the UK every day. To this end, they fund projects in hospital and hospice care, so that children can still play, socialise and recuperate from treatment in a child friendly environment. These projects include: arts, music and play therapy programmes; sensory equipment and facilities; respite care; state of the art equipment and parent accommodation.

From 1-10 December, folks across the UK are being invited to put the kettle on and get baking as part of the Wallace and Gromit’s Great British Tea Party. Not only is it a great chance to get together with friends, family and colleagues for a traditional teatime, it also raises money for sick children and for the Foundation’s projects.

To take part, all you have to do is register online http://www.wallaceandgromitfoundation.org/great-british-tea-party/ and you will be sent a cracking Wallace & Gromit Great British Tea Party fundraising pack with all you need for your Tea Party. You can also download some fantastic extras, including Tea Party invitations. Get your child’s school or your work colleagues involved, or have it at home with friends and neighbours. However you choose to get involved, you’ll know that every penny raised makes a difference to a child in a hospice or hospital.

Check out this tasty beetroot cake we found online, or go the Wallace and Gromit’s Great British Tea Party website to find more recipes to get you started:

BEETROOT CAKE (from www.allotment.org.uk)

150 g raw beetroot, grated 200 ml groundnut oil 250 g golden caster sugar 3 medium eggs, separated 3 tablespoons milk 100 g hazelnuts, roasted and chopped 200 g plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon each ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg Topping: 180 g unsalted butter, softened 150 g icing sugar, sifted 450 g low-fat cream or curd cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Pink and pale blue sugar flowers to decorate

Step by Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 170ºC/fan 190ºC/gas mark 5 and butter two 20 cm cake tins (9 cm deep) with a removable bases. Line the base with baking paper and butter this too. Place about 1 teaspoon of the grated beetroot in a small bowl, cover with 2 teaspoons boiling water and set aside (this is to colour the frosting later on). Whisk the oil and caster sugar in a large bowl, then whisk in the egg yolks and milk, and fold in the remaining beetroot and nuts. Sift flour and baking power together and stir into the mixture, then add the spices. Whisk egg whites in another bowl until stiff, then fold them in three goes into the cake mixture. Divide the mixture between the tins, smoothing the surface and bake for 30–35 mins or until shrinking from the sides and skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Run knife around the edge of the cakes and leave to cool. Make frosting, cream butter and icing sugar in food processor. Remove butter icing to a bowl, blend with cream cheese until smooth and work in vanilla extract and a couple of teaspoons of the beetroot liquor to tint it a pale pink. Turn cakes onto a board and remove baking paper. Spread about a quarter of the frosting over the top of one of the cakes, sandwich with the other and use the remaining frosting to coat the top and sides. Decorate the top and sides with sugar flowers and place in fridge to set for approximately 1 hour.

Notes

If not serving straight away, cover with clingfilm and chill and remove from fridge about 30 mins before eating.