Annie Bell's Pink Speckled Cake

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 150 g raw beetroots, grated
• 200 ml peanut oil or 200 ml vegetable 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 ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 180 g unsalted butter
• 150 g icing sugar, sifted
• 450 g light cream or 450 g curd cheese or 450 g cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 170 deg c fan/190 deg c/gas mark 5.
• 2 butter two 20cm cake tins 9cm deep with a removable base. line with baking paper, then grease this too.
• 3 place 1 teaspoon grated beetroot into small bowl, cover with 2 teaspoons boiling water, set aside to colour frosting later.
• 4 whisk oil and caster sugar, whisk in egg yolks and milk.
• 5 fold in beetroot and nuts, stir in sifted flour and baking powder, then spices.
• 6 whisk egg whites until stiff, then fold into mix in 3 goes.
• 7 divide between 2 tins, smooth surface and bake for 30-35 mins or until shrinking from sides of tins.
• 8 leave to cool before removing paper.
• 9 frosting: cream butter and icing sugar, add cream/cream cheese/curd cheese until smooth.
• 10 work in vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons of beetroot liquid made earlier.
• 11 spread about a quarter of the frosting onto one cake and sandwich with the other.
• 12 use the rest to coat the top and sides.
• 13 decorate with sugar flowers, or prefered decoration and refrigerate for an hour.
• 14 if not serving immediately, cover and store in fridge until 30mins before eating.