Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Fudgy Chocolate Beet Cake Be the first to rate & review! By Martha Stewart Test Kitchen Martha Stewart Test Kitchen The recipes developed by our test kitchen team have undergone a rigorous process of development and testing, ensuring that every element is optimal, from ingredient amounts to method and cooking time. This process includes triple-testing recipes to ensure they meet our high standards. The many stellar cooks and food editors who have been part of our team include Sarah Carey, Lucinda Scala Quinn, Jennifer Aaronson, Shira Bocar, Anna Kovel, Greg Lofts, Riley Wofford, Lauren Tyrell, and Lindsay Leopold. Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 22, 2020 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email 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. Rate it Print