Dec 5 2011


Well, you should, because this moist chocolate-beet cake recipe is one of the most delicious and interesting desserts I've had in a long time. Beets happen to be one of my favorite vegetables because of the earthy taste and vivid color, and the fact that this recipe artfully transforms the root into a luscious cake is just really cool.
There are more steps to this recipe than most cakes, because the beets have to be cooked, but the result is worth it: it's a moist, decadent chocolate cake. I could taste a hint of earthy, beet flavor (that I loved), but others claimed they tasted nothing but rich chocolate. Keep reading for more!
David Lebovitz suggests baking the cake until it is firm around the edges, but there is still a wobble in the center of the cake. Be sure to let the cake cool completely before cutting into it, otherwise you will end up with what looks like a chocolate lava cake instead. And just so you know, it tastes even better the second day because the cake and the flavors have really had a chance to set. Give this adventurous and visually stunning dessert a try and you might find yourself looking for more sweet ways to cook with healthy vegetables!

Adapted from David Lebovitz

Moist Chocolate-Beet Cake

Chocolate Beet Cake

Ingredients

8 ounces beets, unpeeled, rinsed and scrubbed free of dirt
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (70 percent cacao solids), chopped
1/4 cup hot water
7 ounces butter, at room temperature, cubed
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (the darkest you can find, natural or Dutch-process)
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 cup superfine sugar
Powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Butter a springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. Boil the beets in salted water with the lid askew until they’re very tender when you stick a knife in them about 45 minutes. Drain then rinse the beets with cold water. When cool enough to handle, slip off the peels, cut the beets into chunks, and grind them in a food processor until you get a coarse, yet cohesive, purée. (If you don’t have a food processor, use a cheese grater.)
  3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  4. In a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring as little as possible. Once it’s nearly all melted, turn off the heat (but leave the bowl over the warm water), pour in the hot water and stir it once. Then add the butter. Press the butter pieces into the chocolate and allow them to soften without stirring.
  5. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a separate bowl.
  6. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and stir until the butter is melted. Let sit for a few minutes to cool, then stir the egg yolks together and briskly stir them into the melted chocolate mixture. Fold in the beets.
  7. In a stand mixer, or by hand, whip the egg whites until stiff. Gradually fold the sugar into the whipped egg whites with a spatula, then fold them into the melted chocolate mixture, being careful not to overmix.
  8. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder.
  9. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and reduce the heat of the oven to 325ºF, and bake the cake for 40 minutes, or until the sides are just set but the center is still is just a bit wobbly. Do not overbake.
  10. Let cake cool completely, then remove it from the pan.
  11. Sift powdered sugar evenly over the cake for serving.
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