Deep, earthy, slightly sweet beetroot pairs surprisingly well with rich, slightly bitter dark chocolate. And, as always, hiding veg in a pud this delicious is always a thrill. The crucial thing here is to carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the melted chocolate mixture, rather than simply stirring them together, which would knock the air out and undo all of your good work.

Serves 12

200 g cooked beetroot 100 g unsalted butter, diced 200 g dark chocolate 4 tbsps cocoa powder 3 free range eggs, separated 100 g caster sugar Zest of an orange 1 tsp vanilla extract Pinch of salt

You’ll need: 12-hole muffin pan

1. Preheat the oven to 180° C/fan 160° C/Gas Mark 4. 2. Grease the muffin pan with butter and dust with 2 tablespoons of the cocoa powder or alternatively line with paper cases.

3. Grate the beetroot finely on a box grater. Place the grated beetroot in a sieve over the sink and push the beetroot down to remove as much moisture as possible. Leave to drain.

4. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water without letting the base of the bowl touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is almost all melted; the rest will melt with the residual heat. Set aside to cool.

5. Beat the egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until bright white, glossy and forming stiffpeaks. This should take you about 5 minutes with a handheld electric whisk.

6. Whisk the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture with the drained beetroot until combined then add a spoon of the egg whites to the chocolate bowl and fold, don’t beat, until fully incorporated. Add the rest of the whites to the chocolate and fold again until no white is visible in the bowl. Add the final 2 tablespoons of the cocoa powder, orange zest, vanilla and salt.

7. Pour the mixture into the muffin cups and place the muffin pan in a deep roasting tray. Fill and boil the kettle then pour the boiled water around the muffin pan until it comes halfway up the sides.

8. Place the roasting tray in the centre of the oven and cook the cakes for 30 minutes. They will be cracked on top with a bit of wobble in the middle. Cool before serving with a dollop of cream or ice cream.