Most recipes for beetroot cake include chocolate in one form or another, but once you slice into this one, it has the hue of crimson-red ink and the deep flavour of the roasted beets of my childhood. The very ones – roasted, almost-burnt, skin on – that I would eat with my bare hands and tint my fingers with their juices. Back then, just a pinch of fleur de sel, and perhaps a squeeze of lemon juice, were the only necessities. Nowadays, a dust of flour and a fat vanilla pod seem to be a must.
The earthy perfume of this cake will fill your kitchen and your house. And whenever raindrops start hitting the window again, I think you should know that a slice of this delicious cake will reheat – from frozen – beautifully in the microwave, making for a perfect, almost instant, winter warmer.