Fudgy Chocolate Beet Cake

Name: Fudgy Chocolate Beet Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 240 min
Ingredients: 4 medium beets (1 ½ pounds), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 2-inch chunks; 0.25 cup safflower oil, plus more for pan; 1 cup spelt flour, such as Bob's Red Mill; 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour; 1.5 cups natural cane sugar; 0.5 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder; 1.5 teaspoons baking soda; 0.75 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 0.75 cup warm water; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped; 0.5 cup heavy cream

By

Martha Stewart Editors

Updated on July 22, 2020

fudgy chocolate beet cake — Photo: Jonathan Lovekin

Prep Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

4 hrs

Yield:

1 9-inch cake

You won't taste the pureed beets, but they make this cake extra-moist and fudgy, even with the addition of whole-grain spelt flour. They also play up the cake's full-bodied, not-too-sweet flavor. This recipe appears in our cookbook, "A New Way to Bake" (Clarkson Potter).

Ingredients

Cake

4 medium beets (1 ½ pounds), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 2-inch chunks
¼ cup safflower oil, plus more for pan
1 cup spelt flour, such as Bob's Red Mill
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups natural cane sugar
½ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup warm water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate-Ganache Frosting

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream

Directions

Cake: Place beets in a steamer basket set in a saucepan containing 2 inches of simmering water. Cover and steam until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree in a food processor until smooth.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square or round cake pan with oil. Line bottom with parchment; brush parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in eggs, water, oil, vanilla, and 1 1/4 cups beet puree (reserve remaining puree for another use, refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days). Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until cake is set and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool 20 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; let cool completely.
Chocolate-Ganache Frosting: Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, heat cream until just simmering. Pour cream over chocolate; let stand 10 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour. Use immediately.
Place cake on a cake plate and spread evenly with frosting. Cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days.