Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients :

500g plain flour

500g golden caster sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp salt

250g butter, extra for greasing

200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

2 large egg

200g natural yogurt

400g boiled beetroot

4 tbsp red food colouring

Method :

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

2. Starting by greasing and lining 2 x 20cm round tins.

3. Mix half the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarb and ¼ tsp salt in a large mixing bowl.

4. Gently melt half the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan.

5. Blend one egg and half the yogurt and beetroot in a blender until fairly smooth. Put the kettle on.

6. Put the beetroot mix, melted chocolate mixture into the flour mix and add 150ml boiling water, then stir to combine. Stir in half the food colouring and divide the mixture between the tins. Bake for 25 mins until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting

Ingredients :

200g full-fat soft cheese, at room temperature

250g butter

400g icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Method :

To make the frosting, briefly beat together the soft cheese and butter, then beat in the icing sugar and vanilla. Use a little to sandwich the cooled cakes together, then swirl the rest all over the sandwiched cakes. Sit the cake somewhere cool to set a little before serving.