Wait a minute, you’re thinking.
Seriously? Did I just write that correctly? I’m thinking.
It’s all true. There are beets in that cake. As chocolatey and dense and delicious as it looks, beets lurk within. All that beet goodness gives the cake a slight red tint and a spectacular taste (no kidding). You can happily add this to your diet and eat it for dinner and dessert all in one. Er, maybe as a beet salad appetizer and dessert in one. Er… Okay… Just dessert. But you can pretend you are eating healthy from all those vegetables.
When I told D about this recipe he was less than pleased, How about just a chocolate cake?
How about we have 5 lbs of beets from our CSA’s winter share we need to go through in 3 weeks and we’re going to put beets wherever I please. For our last distribution I jarred our beets into some snappy rosemary pickles and needed a new and interesting outlet. Chocolate is always a kitchen winner, from mole to brownies, so with beets it would pair.
If you are still having problems with the sound of this cake, or any sweet vegetable cake, think about carrot cake, zucchini bread or the eggplant loaf. (Just kidding on that last one.)
Maybe this will become a sneaky way to get vegetables in your child’s meal, or a way to hide beets from the beetaphobe in your life. I guarantee this cake will be eaten.
The original game plan for this recipe was cupcakes. Fluffy beet and chocolate cupcakes. After a quick survey of the pantry, when no flour could be found, I decided a more dense, flourless cake was in order. I must say I am very happy no flour was found. I think the rich texture of this cake presents the beets very well. Paired with a tall glass of milk, I think of this as borscht for the new generation.
I found the original recipe on epicurious for a flourless chocolate cake and adapted it. I cut out some of the butter and cocoa powder and because beets contain natural sugars, I reduced the amount of sugar. I also found 1 full egg and 2 egg whites to be plenty (okay, I only had 1 egg and 2 whites frozen- but it worked!). And of course, the original recipe contained no beets, so I added plenty.
Flourless Chocolate Beet Cake
Active time= 15 minutes. Bake time= 25 minutes
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 egg, separated plus 2 egg whites
salt
1-1/2 cups grated (cooked) beets plus 2 tablespoons cooking juice
1/4 cup cocoa powder1) Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter an 8-inch cake pan, line it with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper.
2) In a double boiler set over medium heat, melt the chocolate and butter.
3) With an electric mixer, begin beating egg whites with a pinch of salt and the beet juice. As whites build, add the sugar, egg yolk and zest into the chocolate mixture, stirring to incorporate evenly. Add grated beets to the chocolate and incorporate.
4) Gently fold in the egg whites and cocoa powder until just combined. Pour into the buttered cake pan and bake 25 minutes in the center of the oven.
5) Cake is ready when a toothpick comes out clean on the sides, but slightly wet in the middle. Remove
from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. Invert the cake on a plate and refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.