• If you’re craving a sweet treat but don’t want anything too rich or overwhelming, give beetroot and pineapple cake a try. It has wonderful earthy flavours, and a natural sweetness from the juicy pineapple. This lovely cake is perfect for afternoon tea. 

    Beetroot and pineapple cake

    Serves: Makes 1 x 25cm cake
    Cooking Time: 1 hr

    Ingredients

    • Cake

    • 200g castor sugar
    • 4 large eggs
    • 190g (1 cups) self-raising flour
    • 1,25ml (¼ tsp) cinnamon
    • 1,25ml (¼ tsp) nutmeg
    • 1,25ml (¼ tsp) allspice
    • 10g bicarbonate of soda
    • 250g cooked beetroot, grated
    • 1 x 250g tin crushed pineapple
    • 250ml (1 cup) sunflower oil
    • 150g macadamia nuts, crushed
    • Icing

    • 240g cream cheese
    • 30ml (2 tbsp) burnt butter
    • 2,5ml (½ tsp) vanilla essence
    • 50g mascarpone
    • 180g icing sugar
    • 150g toasted macadamia nuts, to garnish

    Instructions

    1

    Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 25cm cake tin.

    2

    Beat the castor sugar and eggs until thick and creamy.

    3

    Sift the dry ingredients and add to the sugar and egg mixture.

    4

    Add the beetroot, pineapple, oil and nuts, and mix well.

    5

    Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes.

    6

    For the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and mascarpone. Add the icing sugar and whisk until smooth.

    7

    Ice the top of the cooled cake and sprinkle with toasted macadamia nuts.