Gluten free beetroot cake

This is a Nigel Slater recipe that I have adapted to become gluten free. As well as having the goodness of beetroot, it also contains a mixture of seeds that are an excellent source of essential fats, B vitamins and zinc. And what’s more it is also dairy free.

Ingredients

225g gluten free self-raising flour                  ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp gluten free baking powder                    ½ tsp ground cinnamon

180ml sunflower oil or walnut oil                   225g light muscovado sugar

3 eggs                                                        150g raw beetroot

75g mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, flax)   75g sultanas or raisins 

Juice of half a lemon           

To cook:

Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Lightly butter a rectangular loaf tin (20cm x 9cm x 7cm deep, measured across the bottom) then line the bottom with baking parchment.

Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Beat the oil and sugar together in a food mixer until well creamed then introduce the beaten egg yolks one by one, reserving the whites for later.

Grate the beetroot coarsely and fold into the mixture, then add the lemon juice, raisins or sultanas and the assorted seeds. Slowly fold in the flour and raising agents into the mixture.

Beat the egg whites till until almost stiff. Fold thoroughly but gently into the mixture with a large metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 50-55 minutes, covering the top with a piece of foil after 30 minutes.

Test with a skewer to see if the cake is cooked. The cake should be moist inside but not sticky. Leave the cake to settle for a good 20 minutes before turning out of its tin on to a wire cooling rack.