How to make chocolate loaf with raspberries, chocolate chips... and a surprise ingredient

The earthiness of beetroot works so well with chocolate, especially when combined with the sweetness of raspberries.

Recipe: chocolate loaf with raspberries

Ingredients

• 175g softened butter
• 175g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• A pinch of salt
• 50g ground almonds
• 125g self-raising flour
• 90g dark chocolate
• 125ml boiling water
• 150g (about 3 or 4) raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated
• 100g raspberries
• 75g chocolate chips, white, milk and dark

Method

Preheat your oven to 170 ̊C/ 325 ̊F/gas mark 3 and line a loaf tin with baking paper. Use electric beaters to mix together in a large bowl the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition, followed by the vanilla and salt. Pour in the ground almonds and self-raising flour and mix on low, until just combined.

Place the dark chocolate into a small bowl or mug and then pour over the boiling water. Use a fork to mix until the chocolate has melted and then pour into the mixture. Add the beetroot and then beat again until just combined. Pour into the prepared loaf tin.

Scatter the surface with raspberries and chocolate chips and bake for about an hour or until the cake comes away from the sides and a skewer comes out clean.

Cool the cake entirely in the tin and then remove, peel back the paper and serve.

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