Chocolate beetroot cake with salted caramel buttercream

1.Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the bases of 2 x 20cm loose-bottom cake tins.

2.In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, combine chocolate and oil and heat until melted. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt.

3.In a bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Add the vanilla and maple syrup; mix. Gently fold in the flour mixture, then the ground almonds followed by the melted chocolate, ½ cup milk and beetroot.

4.Pour mixture into the tins and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Cool the cakes in the tin until cool enough to handle then remove to a rack. (The cakes are less crumby to decorate if they are made a day ahead and stored in the fridge.)

5.Make the salted caramel butter cream (see below).

6.To assemble, split each cake in half to make 4 layers. Spread all the salted caramel buttercream over the tops of 3 of the cakes and stack them. Place the fourth cake, smoothest-side up, on the top. Dab large blobs of the reserved white buttercream on the top and sides of the cake and with a spatula, scrape the buttercream around, providing a light ‘naked’ coating.

7.For a salted caramel drizzle, warm some canned caramel in a small pan. Salt to taste and thin with a dash of milk to a dripping consistency. Drip caramel off a teaspoon around the rim of the cake. Decorate with edible flowers.

8.Warm the caramel in a microwave for 30 seconds until softened. Add a dash of milk and beat until smooth, adding sea salt to taste.

9.With an electric mixer, beat the butter and Kremelta together until pale and light. Beat in the icing sugar ½ cup at a time, mixing well after each addition until it is all incorporated. Add a dash of milk with the final cup of icing sugar to retain a light and smooth consistency.

10.Remove a quarter of the buttercream to a separate bowl. Into the larger quantity beat the salted caramel.