A family birthday

Saturday was my half-brother Sam’s 30th birthday, an occasion that had to be marked (of course) with a cake!

Celebrating Sam's birthday with beetroot and chocolate cake

Sam and I only met for the first time last year (a long story for another day), and yet within hours of meeting we discovered we shared an unfortunate genetic legacy – Crohn’s disease. Whilst I have been relatively fortunate (my Crohn’s has been in remission for many years), the illness has blighted much of Sam’s twenties, costing him jobs as well as his health.

Sam find dairy products particularly indigestible, so a dairy-free cake was essential. Luckily, the Canteen cookbook has a brilliant Beetroot and Chocolate cake which never fails to impress, and I never tire of keeping my guests guessing what the “secret” ingredient is. To date, no-one has correctly identified the beetroot!

When I make this recipe, I leave out the white chocolate chunks – I think they are superfluous and make the cake a bit oily, and I like to finish the top off with a light dusting of edible gold sparkle dust.

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