Enjoy this lovely adaptation of Petrea’s Chocolate Hazelnut cake recipe from Food for Life.

Ingredients

• 300g dark Lindt chocolate, chopped
• 200g unsalted butter
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 cup of raw or brown sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of hazelnuts, whizzed in a food processor until fine
• 1/2 cup of Zucchini, grated
• 1/2 cup of Beetroot chopped
• 1 cup of wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• chopped hazelnuts, grated chocolate and orange to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius
2. Brush a 22cm round cake tin with melted butter or coconut oil.
3. Line the base with baking paper.
4. Gently melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan, stirring until smooth.
5. Using electric beaters, whisk the egg whites until stiff
6. Place the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a medium-size bowl
7. Using the electric beaters (no need to wash from whisking the egg whites), whisk until creamy.
8. Fold the hazelnuts and zucchini through the chocolate mixture until well combined
9. Fold in the flour and baking powder, then using a metal spoon, fold through the stiffened egg whites, and pour into the prepared cake tin.
10. Bake for 1 1/4 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
11. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
12. Decorate with chopped hazelnuts and grated chocolate.
13. Serve with segments of fresh orange.