So its birthday season in my family.. Between September and April there is at least 3 birthdays a month to celebrate, and I usually make the cakes. What better way to share my beet booty then with a chocolatey beet cake. It helps that I went a little crazy at my last CSA pick up and brought home 8 lbs of beets. Yup, that is what I did and I don't regret one single beet. So birthday+beets makes a happy birthday cake!
p.s. This cake is an ace for the holidays!
Suggestion for serving this super awesome cake, Do not tell anyone that they are eating a cake with beets in it until they are raving about how delicious it is. Over the years, I have learned that people tend to be wiry of veggies in there desert. You are not lying, just omitting unnecessary information for their own enjoyment. Let them eat cake!
I love a good fine grater. Just watch you fingers, blood and beet juice are hard to distinguish between. You might be tempted to eat all of the fine beet, but don't. Just eat the left overs.
All the ingredients ready to go. I start with the wet the largest bowl cause that were I add my dry. I also whisk or sift together all my dry ingredients. Preheat the oven. I also grab the frosting ingredients.. Let the butter and cream cheese come to room temp.
Mixi the oil and sugar and vanilla. Then the best part, add those beets! Check out how bright that color is !
Add half of the dry. mix just until incorporated then add milk mixture. Mix that in and finish with the other half of dry. Dont over mix that batter
Pour that lovely batter into well greased and dusted cake pans. Taste or don't taste your cake batter, thats completely up you but it is full of beets and there are no eggs so. Just lick the bowl clean, and the spoon.
Remove cakes from oven when an insert in the middle comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Dont let it over bake… it will dry out. Let cool in pans until you can handle then invert cakes onto wire rack and let cool completely
While the cake is cooling off, time to whip up that frosting.
Cream cheese and butter in the bowl at room temp. Beat it up on medium speed making sure it is fully mixed together.Sift in half the powdered sugar and mix slowly No Matter how hard I try, I always end up with sugar all over me. Add a bit of milk, then slowly sift in more sugar. Beat together and check you consistency. Add a splash more milk if you want a thinner frosting.
Once you get to the desired consistency, add the fun. Orange zest for flavor and color. Beets to really make this beauty pop. Isn't it amazing? Now frost you cake! Just make sure it cool enough
Look at all those flavor specks! The orange really pops through the pink.
Hey, even dinosaurs like to eat cake
Happy BIrthday!
Chocolate Beet Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes one 9-inch layer cake
Cake Ingredients
- 2 medium beets measuring about 1 cup shredded + 2 tablespoons shredded
- 1 cup minus 1 tsp milk or milk subsutie if you want to keep it vegan
- 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canola or coconut oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces (1/2 brick) cream cheese, softened
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons finely grated beets
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons milk
- Tablespoon orange zest. More or less to taste
- pinch of salt
To roast beets
Preheat oven 400 degrees
Wrap beets in a piece of foil and put on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish. The beets may drip a bit of juice. Roast until beets are easily pierced, about 1 hour. If you think of it, roast the beets ahead of time. The roasted beets will last a couple days in the fridge. Allow beets to cool enough to handle. Finely grate the roasted beets. Peeled or unpeeled is up to you. I never peel. Measure out 1 cup for cake and a tablespoon or two for frosting
To make Cake
Preheat oven 350
Mix milk and vinegar and set aside
MIx oil and sugars until fully incorporated, then mix in vanilla and beets
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Slowly mix in half the dry ingencient them add the milk and vinegar mixture. Mix in the rest of the dry until the batter evenly mixed. The batter should be a bit thick you can mix in another splash of milk to thin it out a little.
Divide the batter between the two well greased and flour or cocoa dusted cake pans. Bake 25- 30 minutes or until toothpick stuck in middle comes out clean.. Cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cakes and let cool completely.
To make frosting
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth then beat in butter until combined making sure to scrap the sides of the bowl to get it all. Add the half the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a teaspoon of milk and salt. Beat on medium speed until mixed, add rest of sugar and mix until smooth. Add a splash more milk if you want to a thinner frosting. And last but not least, mix in the orange zest and beet. Beat until combined. Refrigerate the frosting for 30 minutes before using.
To frost cake place one layer on a cake stand or platter. Spread a good amount of frosting on first layer then place other layer on top. Scoop rest of frosting on top and evenly spread from top down the side.