Double Chocolate Beetroot Cake

1. Make the beet puree. Place prepared beets in a pan adding enough water to cover them by an inch. Bring to the boil then reduce to medium high heat and cook for 20 mins, or until a fork cleanly goes through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked beets from the water and place them into the jar of the blender. Add 60ml of the beet liquid from the pot into the blender jar (reserving the remaining liquid in the pot). Blend until beets are a smooth puree. Remove the puree from the blender and set aside. 

2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF/176ºC. Lightly grease three nine inch cake tins and dust with cocoa powder. 

3. Bring the water and 250ml of the beet liquid to a boil. (Discard the remaining beet liquid.) Remove from heat. In a separate bowl whisk together the cocoa, espresso, and beet powders then pour the boiling water over the powders, whisking to fully dissolve. Then, add 250ml of the beet puree and the sour cream/yogurt and whisk again until combined. Set aside. 

4. Put the eggs, vanilla extract and the olive oil into the measuring jug. Do not mix. Set aside. 

5. Add the sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl and allow mixer to mix for 30 seconds. Reduce speed and slowly pour the wet beet mixture into the dry mixture, then slowly add the egg/olive oil mixture one egg at a time. Once all wet ingredients are added, increase to the speed for 10 seconds. Remove bowl from the mixer and set aside. 

6. Melt the chocolate using a double-boiler method (making sure not to have the bowl touching the water), or microwave in ten second intervals. Hand whisk the melted chocolate into the batter. 

7. Pour a third of the batter into each of the prepared cake pans and bake in the preheated oven for 30 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to sit on a cooling rack for 10 mins before removing to completely cool. 

8. While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting. Add butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract and salt to a mixing bowl. Cream the ingredients together until completely combined and nicely whipped, about three to four mins. If using a mixer, reduce the speed and add in the beet powder and a third of the powdered sugar then increase the speed to incorporate; repeat two more times to mix in all of the powdered sugar, then allow to whip for 60 seconds. 

9. When the cakes have completely cooled, place one layer of cake on a plate or cake stand and use a spatula to gently spread an even layer of frosting over the top, then another cake, frosting, and last layer of cake. Top the cake with a final layer of frosting, a light dusting of beet powder and cherries. Chill completely to set the frosting before serving.