Red velvet cake
3 eggs
180g sugar
200g peeled and finely grated raw beetroot
1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
180g white rice flour
2tsp baking powder
1tbsp good quality cocoa powder
¼tsp salt
180g ground almonds
284ml buttermilk
½-1tsp red food colouring paste
For the chocolate icing:
100g unsalted butter, cubed and cold
100g golden icing sugar, sieved
2tbsp boiling water
50g good quality cocoa powder, sieved
For the snow meringue:
170g icing sugar
2tbsp water
1 medium egg white
¼tsp cream of tartar
2tsp vanilla extract
small pinch of salt
To decorate: 120g hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 3, 160ºC. Grease and line 3 sandwich tins 18cm. diameter.
Place the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat hard for 4 minutes until light and fluffy.
Beat in the grated beetroot and the vanilla seeds.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to the cake mixture with the ground almonds and whisk until combined.
Whisk in the buttermilk and colouring: make sure the colour is evenly blended.
Divide the mixture between the three tins and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes or until the sponge feels firm when pressed gently.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
To make the chocolate filling: whisk the butter until pale and soft. Add the icing sugar and water and whisk to a paste.
Beat with an electric mixer for one minute until doubled in volume.
Add the cocoa powder one table spoon at a time, beating well between each addition; the mixture should be very light and fluffy. Cover with clingfilm until ready to use.
To make the snow meringue icing: Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl over a pan of boiling water. Stir with a clean metal spoon for 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm.
Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk with an electric hand mixer for 9 minutes until cool. The mixture is ready to use when it stands up in peaks.
When the cakes are cold sandwich them together with the chocolate icing.
Cover the whole cake with the snow meringue and coat the sides with the hazelnuts.