This dark chocolate beet cake has such a rich and soft texture that no one would guess it contains beets! There’s no need for a hand or stand mixer (affiliate link), and it goes nicely with a variety of frostings. Next, try my double chocolate layer cake.
Don’t hate me, but I’m concealing veggies in baked products once again. Well, I never told you I wouldn’t do odd stuff. In fact, at this point, I believe it’s more of a guarantee that I’m going to do odd stuff.
But this time is different, I promise! It’s not zucchini or avocados, or anything else green.
This week, it’s a vegetable that is very divisive, is adored by Dwight Schrute, and leaves your hands and kitchen looking like you just brutally killed someone.
Beets! If you live outside of the United States, you may know them as beetroots. Beets are one of my favorite vegetables. I like a decent beet salad with arugula, feta, and maybe a handful of walnuts. Mmmmm.
I just began experimenting with beets in baked products in order to use their natural red coloring for colourful, low-fat and sugar-free treats.
So far, I haven’t discovered the right technique to make it happen that doesn’t include all of the usual suspects like butter, sugar, dairy, and so on, but I’m working on it.
Contents
- Why this chocolate beet cake is so great
- Beets are your friends
- Can you taste the beets?
- How to get rid of beet stains
- Ingredients for chocolate beet cake
- How to make chocolate beet cake
- What kind of frosting should I use on a beet cake?
- Can I make this a layer cake?
- More hidden veggie desserts!
- Chocolate Beet Cake Recipe
- FAQs
- Does red velvet cake have beets in it?
- How do you make a Mary Berry chocolate cake?
- Why is beetroot used in cakes?
- Is red velvet cake made from beetroot?
- What’s the difference between red velvet cake and chocolate cake?
- Why red velvet cake for Juneteenth?
- What is the difference between chocolate cake and fudge cake?
- Is baking with beets healthy?
Why this chocolate beet cake is so great
This delectable, rich, soft dark chocolate cake integrates beets in such a manner that even the most discriminating palates will miss them.
It’s flavorful without being heavy. It will fulfill your sweet craving without being excessively sugary.
You may be thinking, “omg, you want me to shred a bunch of dirt veggies and spoil a perfectly beautiful chocolate cake?” If that describes you, HUSH.
I would never intentionally tell you to spoil a perfectly excellent chocolate cake because I AM NOT AN ANIMAL.
Beets are your friends
The grated beets dissolve into the rest of the batter as it bakes, and once cooled, there is no physical proof that they existed (just hide your beet-stained paper towels and youre in the clear). Just try it.
I guarantee you won’t feel like you’re eating a vegetable; instead, you’ll feel like you’re eating a rich, chocolate cake begging to be iced and devoured by the closest live person.
They provide a great wetness to the batter, which isn’t heavy or greasy and contains Vitamin C, iron, and potassium.
Can you taste the beets?
I’ll be perfectly honest: storing this cake (tightly wrapped) in the fridge allows the flavors to develop further and you may (MIGHT) notice the tiniest tinge of earthiness.
But I promise I only spotted it because I was searching for it; you’ll have to work hard and know what you’re looking for.
If you presented this to someone under the guise of “Eat some chocolate cake!” I doubt any of those folks will return to you with frightened expressions, yelling BEEEEEETS! BEEEEEEEEEETS! as they flee screaming out of the building.
Thus, if someone asks what sort of cake it is, you don’t have to answer it’s a chocolate beet cake; just tell them it’s chocolate cake and leave it at that. Nobody needs to know. Please don’t be suspicious, please.
How to get rid of beet stains
I’ll be honest: this section stinks. Even if you use disposable gloves when preparing and grating the beets, the beet juice gets on your skin.
And I get the impression that this isn’t a fashion trend that many people will embrace.
Baking soda is the answer to this issue, and it is quite easy. You’ll already have it on hand as one of the components for this recipe, so make sure you have enough to remove the evidence stains off your hands.
Sprinkle the baking soda on your skin, add a little water, and massage it in. Mine usually come off fully the first time, but feel free to repeat if the stains persist (as long as your skin can tolerate the exfoliation).
Two things to consider if you have a darker complexion where it is less noticeable:
- I’m quite envious.
- In any case, clean your hands this way. It’s almost certainly there; you simply can’t see it! And I wouldn’t want you to spoil a white dishtowel or touch your sofa and leave a stain you’ll have to explain isn’t blood for the rest of your time with it.
Ingredients for chocolate beet cake
- Cooked and chilled beets (see how to prep themhere)
- Melted and gently chilled unsalted butter
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Brown sugar, light or dark
- Sugar, granulated
- Honey/maple syrup
- Eggs
- Authentic vanilla extract
- Cake flour (don’t worry if you don’t have any; create your own!)
- Cocoa powder without sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
How to make chocolate beet cake
- Grate the beets until they are roughly 2 cups in size. Put a colander into a large mixing basin and add the grated beets. Let them to drain naturally of any extra moisture; do not wring them out or use paper towels to absorb liquid! They should maintain a reasonable level of moisture.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and gently sprinkle with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Whisk together all of the wet ingredients in a large mixing basin.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.
- Stir the dry ingredient combination into the wet ingredient mixture slowly.
- Stir in the beets to mix.
- Spoon batter into prepared cake pans, smoothing the surface with a spatula if necessary.
- Bake for 25 minutes on each cake layer, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake to cool in the pan for 15-30 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool fully.
- Frost as desired, then slice and serve!
What kind of frosting should I use on a beet cake?
You may decorate it with whichever icing you want:
- Ganache de chocolat
- chocolate milk
- cannoli icing
- cookie butter icing
- vanilla
- buttercream with blackberries
- traditional buttercream
- mascarpone whipped cream
- sour cream
Or simply leave it alone! Finish with a light, delicate dusting of powdered sugar and serve.
I enjoy it just fine without any additions, so this isn’t one of those cakes that has to be combined with icing to be absolutely perfect.
Since I wanted to emphasize the cake, the sensitive crumb, and the gorgeous brown color that a good chocolate cake should have, I just showed you a single layer with some milk chocolate frosting in these images.
Blackout cakes, get out of here (no, wait, come back). Sorry, I still adore you).
But I also didn’t want to wait any longer to share this recipe with you all since I only had a tiny quantity of frosting left over from another dish. Guys, patience is not something I possess.
To be honest, it’s a marvel that I can wait for things to come out of the oven.
Can I make this a layer cake?
Yes! The recipe below will yield two 9-inch round cakes, allowing you to build a stunning layer cake, but if you just want one layer, simply cut the recipe in half!
If you only have enough ingredients for one layer but desired a layer cake, split the round in half and make a half-moon cake. Then you could top it with a fondant astronaut and flag, and the sliced side might look like cheese!
As usual, I never promised you brilliance… just a load of strange.
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- Cupcakes with chocolate zucchini and cookie butter frosting
- Extremely Fudgy Dark Chocolate Avocado Cookies
- Vegan Insanity’s Chocolate Beetroot Doughnuts
- Cupcakes with Chocolate Avocado and Cookie Dough Frosting
Chocolate Beet Cake Recipe
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Description
Equipment
- grater box
- Colander
- blending bowls
- Whisk
- 9 cake pans, round
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked and cooled beets (see how to prep them here)
- melted and gently chilled cupunsalted butter
- oil of cupolive*
- 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- a cup of granulated sugar
- honey or maple syrup
- 3 eggs, medium, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- **2 cups cake flour
- chocolate powder (unsweetened)
- 2 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Grate the beets until you have around 2 cups (not packed tightly together). Put a colander into a large mixing basin and add the grated beets. Let them to drain naturally of any extra moisture; do not wring them out or use paper towels to absorb liquid! They should maintain a reasonable level of moisture.
2 c. beets - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and gently sprinkle with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- 2 cup honey or maple syrup
2 cup granulated sugar, 12 cup light or dark brown sugar, 12 cup olive oil*, 12 cup unsalted butter, and 1 honey until well blended.
1
Whisk together the butter, oil, sugars, and maple syrup in a large mixing basin. - Stir in the eggs and vanilla extract.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla essence, 3 medium eggs - 4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
**2 cup cake flour, 3 - Stir the dry ingredients into the wet components slowly.
- Stir in the beets to mix.
- Spoon batter into prepared cake pans, smoothing the surface with a spatula if necessary.
- Bake each cake for 25 minutes (one at a time), or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few wet crumbs. Let it cool in the pan for 15-30 minutes, or until you can touch the pan without using oven gloves. Slide a knife or thin spatula along the sides of the cake pan to release it from the pan, then gently transfer the cake pan onto a wire rack to cool entirely.
- With a serrated knife, cut a tiny layer off the top of each cake to make it flat and ready to stack.
- Cover the cake with your preferred icing. Then, top with the second cake and frost it as well. You may cover the edges of the cake as well, or leave them uncovered!
Put the first layer of cake on a serving dish.
- Decorate as desired, then slice and serve!
Notes
- Ganache de chocolat
- chocolate milk
- cannoli icing
- cookie butter icing
- vanilla
- buttercream with blackberries
- traditional buttercream
- Whipping cream with mascarpone
- sour cream