Earlier this month, Paul Mercurio was asked to prepare a jumbo version of this cake to celebrate Mornington Peninsula Brewery’s fifth birthday. The legendarychefhas been kind enough to share the recipe with Australian Brews News. [JA]

Ingredients
300g beetroot cubes – 1 Large or two medium beetroots – top and tailed peeled then cut into small cubes
½ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice
230g of Self raising flour
50g cocoa powder
200g brown sugar
Zest of one lemon
60g of milk chocolate
60g of 70% dark chocolate
100g unsalted butter
3 free range eggs – beaten
150 mils of Porter (I use Mornington Peninsula Breweries Porter) – warmed in the microwave oven but not boiled!
Pre heat oven to 160° C
Butter then line a spring form cake tin with baking paper – bottom and sides

Method
Put beetroot in a small saucepan with lid over medium heat add orange juice and bring to a simmer then turn the heat down and gently simmer with lid on until just tender. Remove beetroot and place in a food processor – discard the cooking liquor – and blitz until a paste then add half the stout (75mils) and blend some more until nicely pureed then set aside.

Sift flour, cocoa and sugar into a large bowl add the lemon zest and set aside.

Put two cups of water into a saucepan and bring to the boil on the stove then turn down to a simmer. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and put in a bowl then sit this bowl over the saucepan with the simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt giving it a stir to combine.

Add the chopped butter to the chocolate and allow it to melt and then stir to combine.

Remove the bowl from the sauce pan and allow the mix to cool a little then add in the three beaten eggs and then the rest of the warm stout and the beetroot puree, give everything a good stir so it is all well combined.

Pour the chocolate beetroot mix into the bowl with the dry ingredients and give it a good stir so there are no dry lumps then pour in to your prepared cake tin and pop that in to the oven.

Cook for about 40 mins. Check cake is done by inserting a wooden skewer in to the cake – it should come out pretty clean or with some little crumbs on it. If it comes out with wet cake mix, cook a little longer.

Allow cake to cool before turning out.

Serve with cream or ice cream.

Serves 10

Chocolate stout icing
250g icing sugar – sifted
80 grams unsalted butter – melted
60 mils of Porter
40g milk chocolate – finely chopped
40g of dark chocolate 70% – finely chopped

Put everything in a saucepan over gentle heat and stir while it all melts then mix well together. Allow to cool before putting it on your cake.