http://www.care2.com/greenliving/chocolate-beet-cake.html
Chocolate Beet Cake
Adapted from Farmer John's Cookbook by Farmer John Peterson (Gibbs Smith, 2006)
Every once in a while I run across a perfectly confounding chocolate dessert recipe that incorporates an ingredient “X,” like dark chocolate zucchini cake, one of my favorites, or black bean brownies (I’ll post that recipe soon). This chocolate cake recipe from the Farmer John’s Cookbook tucks a bunch of sweet beets into the batter. Beets really aren’t that much of a stretch for a dessert, as sweet as they are, but still … beets? Sure enough, the beets give it their moisture, their sweetness, and their rich color–but none of their beet flavor.
INGREDIENTS
Oil and flour for preparing the pan
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup mild flavored vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar (or your favorite natural sweetener)
2 cups cooked pureed beets (3 medium beets)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar for garnish
1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Lightly coat a 10-cup Bundt or tube pan (or two loaf pans) with oil and dust it with flour.
2. Partially fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Put the chocolate and 1/4 cup of the oil in the top of the double boiler. Heat until just the chocolate melts; remove from the heat and stir until well combined.
3. Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in the remaining 3/4 cup oil, chocolate mixture, beets, and vanilla.
4. Sift the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat pastry flour into a large bowl. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg and chocolate mixture just until the flour is mixed in. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
6. Carefully remove cake from the pan and let cool on a rack. When completely cool, dust with powdered sugar.
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10 comments
add your comment »Is there a way to make this with Dutch processed cocoa powder?
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Yes Bonnie, I am sorry I did mean beetroots.
Do try this recipe, I am sure you will love it, it is easy and does not fail.
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Please, would you tell me whether 'beets' are what I know as 'beetroots'?
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I personally found this cake, just the right sweetness, moist and fluffy, and most of all very easy to bake.
I love it.
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these sound great and will give them to my sister the baker
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Very good, but I say use at least 4 beets.
Not that light, is there a way to use less oil?
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I certainly will try this cake as it seems so simple, quick to bake and it looks so light especially as there is no butter in it.
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Anyone know how to figure the nutritional info for these recipes? I'd love to try them, but never know the calories, fat etc and since I'm trying to reduce my cholesterol it would be nice to know.
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Does anyone else have a favorite dessert recipe with an unusual ingredient?
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Sounds good. Will try it.
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