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1
Lightly butter an 8-inch (20cm) springform cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
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2
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
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3
Cook the beets, whole and unpeeled, in boiling unsalted water.
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4
Depending on their size, they will be tender when pierced with the tip of a knife within thirty to forty minutes.
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5
Young ones may take slightly less.
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6
Drain them, let them cool under running water, then peel them, slice off their stem and root, and process in a blender or food processor until a coarse puree.
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7
Melt the chocolate, broken into small pieces, in a small bowl set over a pot of simmering water.
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8
Dont stir.
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9
When the chocolate looks almost melted, pour the hot espresso over it and stir once.
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10
Cut the butter into small piecesthe smaller the betterand add to the melted chocolate.
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11
Push the butter down under the surface of the chocolate with a spoon (as best you can) and let soften.
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12
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and cocoa.
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13
Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a large mixing bowl.
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14
Stir the yolks together.
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15
Now, working quickly but gently, remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and stir until the butter has melted into the chocolate.
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16
Let sit for a few minutes, then stir in the egg yolks.
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17
Do this quickly, mixing firmly and evenly so the eggs blend into the mixture.
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18
Fold in the beets.
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19
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold in the sugar.
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20
Firmly but gently, fold the beaten egg whites and sugar into the chocolate mixture.
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21
A large metal spoon is what you want here; work in a deep, figure-eight movement but take care not to overmix.
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22
Lastly, fold in the flour and cocoa.
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23
Transfer quickly to the prepared cake pan and put in the oven, decreasing the heat immediately to 325F (160C).
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24
Bake for forty minutes.
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25
The rim of the cake will feel spongy, the inner part should still wobble a little when the pan is gently shaken.
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26
Set the cake aside to cool (it will sink a tad in the center), loosening it around the edges with a thin icing spatula after half an hour or so.
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27
It is not a good idea to remove the cake from its pan until it is completely cold.
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28
Serve in thick slices, with creme fraiche and poppy seeds.
