Chocolate Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
You might be surprised that there are a full two cups of cooked beets in this moist chocolate cake. You wouldn’t know it by tasting it or by looking at the baked cake, but the batter will be bright pink in the mixing bowl.
SERVINGS: Serves 8 to 10
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
3 large red beets
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra for pans
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
For the icing:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350º. Butter 2 9” layer cake pans, line with parchment paper and butter paper. Sift cocoa powder over pans and tap out excess.
In a large saucepan, cover beets with lightly salted water and bring to a brisk simmer until a knife slips in easily. Drain and cover with cold water. When cool enough to handle, slip skins off beets and quarter. Puree in a food processor. Measure 2 cups of puree. Set aside.
With a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add the beet puree and vanilla and mix well.
In a large bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients in mixer and beat on low speed until smooth and combined.
Divide evenly between the cake pans and bake 40-45 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes and turn onto cooling racks until completely cool.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth. Beat in butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Turn off mixer and add confectioner’s sugar. On low, beat until thoroughly combined and smooth. Use right away or chill if a firmer consistency is desired.
Place one cake layer on a cake plate and fill the center with half the frosting. Top with the second layer, and frost the top with the remaining frosting. Leave sides unfrosted.