MILK CHOCOLATE AND BEETROOT CAKE WITH OMBRE ICING

 thin layer of ganache fading into orange ricotta cream gives this cake seriously good looks.

INGREDIENTS

• 200g milk chocolate, chopped
• 200g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1/3 cup (80ml) water
• 1 2/3 cups (250g) self-raising flour, sifted
• 200g each brown sugar and caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup (80ml) buttermilk
• 1 large (320g) beetroot, grated
• Beetroot leaves and bull’s blood leaves (optional – from greengrocers), to serve

Orange ricotta cream

• 1 1/4 cups (300g) fresh ricotta
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 cup (30g) pure icing sugar, sifted

Milk chocolate ganache

• 200ml thickened cream
• 200g milk chocolate, finely chopped

• METHOD

  • 1
    Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line the base and sides of two 18cm round cake pans with baking paper.
  • 2
    Place chocolate, butter and 1/3 cup (80ml) water in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don’t let bowl touch water) and stir until melted and combined. Set aside to cool.
  • 3
    Combine flour, sugars, cocoa and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Using a fork, beat eggs and buttermilk in a separate bowl until combined, then fold in beetroot. Fold chocolate mixture through flour mixture, then fold through beetroot mixture. Divide the batter evenly among pans and bake for 1 hour 5 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean with a few fudgy crumbs. Cool cakes completely in pans.
  • 4
    Meanwhile, for ricotta cream, place all ingredients in a food processor and whiz until smooth. Chill until needed.
  • 5
    For the ganache, place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Place chocolate in a bowl and pour over cream, then stir until melted and smooth. Set aside, stirring every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes or until thickened.
  • 6
    Spread ricotta cream over the top and sides of one cake, then sandwich with remaining cake. Spread ganache over the top and sides of the top cake layer, blending with ricotta cream to create an ombre effect. Scatter with beetroot and bull’s blood leaves, if using, to serve.
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