Red Velvet / Beetroot Cake

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about: 8 big pieces
1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
4 teaspoons Cocoa powder
11/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Milk
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/2 cup Oil
1 tablespoon Vinegar
3/4 cup Beetroot Puree (directions follow)

For the Cream cheese Frosting:
8 ounce package cream cheese, at room tempertaure
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups icing (confectioner’s) sugar
1 to 2 tbsp cream or milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract


PROCEDURE:
1. Take 2 medium sized beets, wash them and cook in a pressure cooked until tender without peeling them.
2. Once the beets are cooked through, allow to cool and peel the skin. Chop into pieces and blend to a puree.
3. Preheat the oven to 350F for 10 mins.
4. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
5. Wet ingredients mixture:
In a bowl mix the milk with sugar. Add vanilla extract. Beat well. Add oil, vinegar and Beetroot Puree.
6. Pour all liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Give it a slow mix with spatula.
7. Grease a baking pan and dust with some flour. Pour the prepared batter in the pan. Tap the pan gently once or twice to remove any big air bubbles.
8. Bake for 35 minutes or the knife inserted comes out clean. Let it cool down for 10 minutes and then invert the cake over an wire rack.
9. For the frosting, beat all the ingredients together until smooth and fluffy.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here.
2. It is important to boil the beets with their skin to get maximum colour from them.
3. Here is the three tier cake created for my daughter's 3rd birthday (with condensed milk chocolate frosting).