'Healthier' Chocolate Cake

Recipe thanks to Beck Hughes, Canteen Manager of Weeroona College. 

Ingredients

Cake:

• 250g melted butter
• 1 ½ cups plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarb
• 2 ¼ cups castor sugar
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 4 eggs – lightly beaten
• 2 cups (300g) dark chocolate buttons
• 1 cup finely grated carrot – squeezed to remove excess liquid
• 1 cup finely grated zucchini - squeezed to remove excess liquid
• 1 cup finely grated beetroot - squeezed to remove excess liquid

Ganache:

• 1 cup (150g) dark chocolate
• 40g butter
• 3 tbsp thickened cream

Method

Cake:

1. Grease and line cake tin - 27cm x 21cm.
2. Pre-heat oven to 180 C.
3. Prepare the vegetables.
4. Melt butter.
5. Place the ingredients in a food processor and blitz.
6. Pour into prepared cake tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 40 mins.
7. Cover with foil, turn tin and bake for a further 10 mins.
8. Check with a clean knife – it should come out clean.
9. Cool in the tin.

Ganache:

1. Microwave chocolate, butter and cream for 1 min on high to melt mixture.
2. Stir. If not quite melted, use 10 sec bursts and stir.
3. If it splits, add more cream and stir vigorously.
4. Cool.