Can't Be Beet Chocolate Cake!
[Please allow me this one cutesie title, and I promise not to do it again (fingers crossed secretly behind back).]
That's no misspelling you see in the title. I actually made chocolate cake yesterday and put beets in it. And, if you're asking (as my husband D. did) Why?, then I'll tell you as I so eloquently told him, Just because.
Just because I had a single solitary beet in the fridge and I wanted to get rid of it. Just because beets are one of "10 Super Foods to Use in Your Recipes." But primarily just because I vowed to get E. to eat beets and like them!
And...it worked! I watched as she finished her piece of cake with Banana-Peanut Butter Sauce, and just as I was about to inform her of the secret ingredient, she looked up at me, reading my mind as only a child can, and said, "Hey, what happened to that yucky red stuff you were cooking?" "It's in the cake," I said, with only a hint of evil glee. "Cool," she said, and brought her plate to the sink.
Well, that was a let-down. But the cake wasn't. It's very dark-cocoa tasting, with no hint of the beet about it. It's not terribly sweet, so probably next time I'll add a bit more sugar. And I'll put it in a smaller pan, or perhaps in two 8-inch round pans. But it's definitely a keeper--and a slick way to get whole wheat flour and beta carotene into your loved ones.
Beet Chocolate Cake with Banana-Peanut Butter Sauce
1 large beet
water
unsweetened apple sauce
2 tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Peel and dice one large beet. Place the pieces in a saucepan with water to cover and boil until soft. (I've heard that you can buy canned beets, so you may want to skip this step--and the resulting red hands--by using pre-cooked beets.) Allow the beets to cool, and then drain them, reserving the red water for another purpose. Put the drained beets into the food processor with 1/4 cup (clear) water, and process until pureed.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Oil or spray your cooking pan(s).
Put the pureed beets into a 2-cup measure. Add enough apple sauce to reach the 2-cup line. Add the 2 tablespoons water, vanilla extract, and apple cider to the beets and mix well.
Mix the dry ingredients together; then add the beet mixture and stir until well-combined. Bake for 35-60 minutes, depending on the size of pan you use: more for small, deep pans and less for a 9X13 pan. (I used a 9X13 pan, and it took 35 minutes.) Test by inserting a toothpick into the center; it's done when the toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.
Banana-Peanut Butter Sauce
1/2 of a 12-ounce package lite, firm silken tofu
1 banana
2 tbsp. natural peanut butter
1/4-1/3 cup agave nectar, to taste
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Refrigerate until needed. The sauce will thicken in the fridge, so it's best to give it time to chill if you plan to sandwich it between layers of cake. (Just for fun, the next time I make this, I'll add a couple of drops of the beat juice to it to give it a slightly pink color.) Serve over cake.
Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts
1/8 of cake alone (no topping):
Banana-Peanut Butter Sauce adds the following: 91 calories, 2.5 g fat, 63mg sodium, 115mg potassium, 13g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 6g protein, 1.81 MyPoints.
Percent daily values are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Though MyPoints are calculated using a formula similar to Weight Watchers Points TM, this site has no affiliation with Weight Watchers and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
This was such a hit that this morning as I was packing her lunch, E. said to me, "Mom, put some of that beet cake in. I want to eat my veggies!"
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free ARF/5-A-Day
posted by SusanV at 8:02 AM
61 Comments:
Ah man, you're gonna be popular now! The peanut butter sauce sounds wonderful --
This looks amazing (can I borrow your oven?!). I love the display, the plate, the tiers and the sauce. Too bad we don't have "scratch and sniff" monitors!
Alanna--You know, I was right in the middle of making this when I thought, "Didn't Alanna say she made something sweet with beets? Was that a cake?" So I must have gotten the idea from you, but forgot it. Now I need to go look at your recipe and see how you did it. Your most popular recipe is about to get another hit!
EatPeacePlease--I love the idea of scratch and sniff monitors! Well, mostly. I guess there are some things out there I really don't want to sniff. LOL
I love everything about the pic, too! Standing ovation this time, Susan!
That sniffing thing is too funny.
I've had chocolate-beet cake made with grated raw beets but never one with cooked beets. Great idea -- I look forward to trying it.
This looks awesome!
I remember this plate ;)
A few days ago, I saw a recipe of a cake made with beetroot and raspberries, in a french blog and it looked very red. But it contained eggs. And today I see your cocoabeet cake. I do have to taste this amazing mix. Thank you Susan for your idea.
That looks way too good to have beet in it!I going to have to try this one for sure.
I still love the plate, too!
Peanut butter and chocolate - what's not to love? [You'd have to sneak the beets by me, too, btw. I'm not a fan. Maybe this would convert me. ;-)]
Beautiful photo!
Thanks for the recipe! I can't wait to try it!
Why stop with beets -- throw a handful of spinach in the blender and really feel good about eating the cake! ;o)
Just think, bringing beet-spinach cake to your next potluck...
Hi Susan,
I just wanted to stop in and say hello. I can't believe you're from Hammond but living in Jackson (Jackson, MS, right?); it seems we've traded places! Cooking fatfree and vegan must be especially challenging here in the Deep South.
This cake looks delicious--I've tried a similar technique with a baked sweet potato with pretty good results (and beta carotene!)
Best of luck to you too...and it was sunny today, no? Hooray!
Incredible! I definately want to try this one. Not only does it look gorgeous, it sounds delicious!
I made this today and it was terrific. When I pureed the cooked beets it came out to exactly 2 cups. I added a tad bit of applesauce just in case.
I did not have peanut butter but I did have almond butter. So I used that instead. Very nice
Susan, could you use this batter to make cupcakes?
Very, very tasty!!!
Hi Anonymous, I'm so glad you liked it! I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work for cupcakes.
Thanks for posting!
Thank you so much for this recipe... it's given me the chance to have a real birthday cake again (I haven't been able to eat almost any oil for almost a year due to dietary conditions). You made my b-day special!!
Hi Susan!
Another great recipe! Everyone I know is trying your recipe because it's SO good!! I've made multiple times now and I'm hooked. Sometimes I've had to change a couple things to the recipe (canned beets or all whole wheat flour or less sugar) and it still comes out amazing. My mom surprised me by making it for my birthday last month! -E.O. from WA
This recipe looks fantastic! I want to make it for a friends birthday, but I noticed the recipe doesn't have any fat in it. Does it turn out ok without it? Is it still moist?
How funny... I just blogged about making beet cake and here you are with one already made. :) Mine wasn't vegan though. Nor was in accompanied by the lovely sauce you made. I'll have to give that a try next time.
Now, I have a recipe for my Birthday Cake too. How wonderful of you to post these recipes just for me. LOL
I am going to make the cake, with the German Chocolate Topping you have also posted.
I can't wait to try it all out on my Family.
They will be really surprised, to say the least.
THANKS, you are a true Godsend, for we Vegans.
You're welcome, wvtrailseeker! Hope you enjoy the recipes!
oh i cannot wait to make this recipe into cupcakes for valentine's day! how many will this recipe yield? also has anyone tried using agave nectar inplace of the sugar for the cupcake batter? or any other sugar substitute? thanks!
I have now made two cakes with blended beets substituted for all of the fat. It is moister than most cakes, and probably even more delicious. We are never going back to regular chocolate cake again! YUMMM! I also dusted it with cinnamon, which made a great presentation.
(And I hate beets normally...)
P.S. My weight watcher's points calculator said it is two points per serving. Hard to believe anything this lucious it two points!
Hey Susan, thanks for another wonderful recipe. I've been cooking lots of food from your blog recently and it's always fantastic. This cake came out very nicely but, as you noted, it could have been a tad sweeter--I was wondering how much more sugar you would recommend next time around. Also, I was making it with a friend who hates bananas (yeah, I don't understand either); do you have any other suggestions about frosting possibilities? Thanks again for all the inventive, healthy, delicious recipes. Your blog has been a huge help to me.
I LOVE this recipe, I've made the cake like 4 times now XD thank you Susan!
I don't mean to be rude, but do you think there is a way to adapt this recipe to include eggs?
Cheers
Fanny
Hi Susan,
thanks again for another great recipe. Although this might sound crazy to all the chocolate lovers out there, I experimented by making this with carob powder because chocolate is restricted on the diet I follow and I feel better if I don't eat it. It was great! Even two chocolate lovers on two different occasions, one of which was my son, laughed at my worries and said it was really good. My son was especially funny, recalling the joys of your orange chocolate cake while eating this, saying the carob was good but the chocolate orange cake was better. . .then a pause as he cleaned his plate. . .then, "is it alright if I have another piece?" !! So carob powder or cocoa powder, your cakes are delicious winners!!
I used:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour instead of the wheat and white flour
3/4 cup agave nectar instead of the 1c sugar
8 tsp baking powder instead of 2 tsp baking soda (recommended conversion).
And it came out great! Thanks.
I made this cake last night and it was amazing! We're not even vegan and we loved it. It think it would also make great muffins.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I have tried a lot of beet cake recipes and this is definitely the best one.
- Diane from NYC
I can't find apple cider vinegar where I live, What can I use instead? Can I use white vinegar or apple vinager? Thanks so much, this looks deliciuos and can't wait to try it!
Claudia from Mexico
I would probably use the white vinegar, Claudia, but any vinegar will do. Hope you enjoy it!
OMG! Thank you Susan so much! I made this last weekend and actually used white vinegar and the chocolate cake came out soooo god. I wasn't as fluffy as yours but pretty decent and for being my the first time ever baking a vegan cake and on top of it fat free, It was excellent way to start. Even my non-vegetarian, non dieters relatives loved it. Definitely making this again, next time I will use a little bit less salt, it was a little salty for my taste. thank you again!
Susan, I'd like to make this using canned beets. Any idea how much of the canned beets to use to equal "one large beet"? Thanks!
Linda, I would use a whole can of beets, drained and well-rinsed. After pureeing, measure them, and if you don't have two cups, add apple sauce to the 2-cup line. Hope you like it!
I made this cake for my friend's birthday and she loved it... and so did everyone else! I served it with a spicy chocolate sauce instead of the peanut butter. I will most likely use agave syrup next time instead of sugar. Thanks for posting this!
What is the point of the apple cider vinegar? If i don't want to use any vinegar what can I Substitute the vinegar with? Or can I remove the Vinegar all togather?
The vinegar is an integral part of the recipe; it combines with the baking soda to create a chemical reaction that makes the cake rise. You can use white vinegar instead of cider vinegar, but you need some kind of vinegar or you may wind up with a flat cake. You can't taste the vinegar in the finished product, and unless you are allergic to vinegar, I wouldn't try to substitute for it.
This cake was a smashing success! I made it with the Vegan German Chocolate Frosting (I used rice milk instead of soy because one of the people I was making it for can't have soy products). People were shocked at how good it was!!! Susan, thanks once again for another fabulous recipe.
Thanks for this amazing recipe! It's awesome. The best chocolate cake I've ever had, and the healthiest too^^
I've linked your post from my blog, and translated the recipe to Spanish (I'm from Spain), I hope you don't mind. If you don't want it to be translated, please tell me and I will take it out of my blog.
I made this cake for my mother's birthday. I was very worried about how it would turn out because I realized a little too late that I didn't have enough applesauce. I substituted the rest with a mix of rice milk and oil and it still turned out delicious! I decorated it with opened cape gooseberry fruits which matched the banana-pb sauce perfectly! My mother and the rest of my family all loved it!
Thank you so much for another hit Susan!
is it possible to replace the sugar with agave nectar? if so, can you estimate the measures?
thanks, i love your blog :)
I haven't made it with agave nectar, but here's what I'd do: omit the 2 tablespoons of water and use 3/4 cup of agave instead of the sugar. Mix it into the wet ingredients rather than the dry.
Please let me know how it comes out if you try this method!
This was so good - I was searching for a way to use some of my CSA beets and this was perfect! I ended up freezing some of it already cut into pieces, and it was really easy to defrost and enjoy single servings. Thanks!
well, i made this cake twice, and it was great! i almost forgot what a cake tastes like since i became vegan, and this one was so good!
btw, i replaced the sugar with 3/4 cup of natural apple concentrate - with no sugar added - and it worked just fine. cherry concentrate is also good.
thanks!
WOW. I had some beets but no eggs and wondered if I could find a recipe for muffins... internet search - voila I found this site. This cake worked perfectly as muffins - I just added some chocolate chips for more texture. DELICIOUS. My husband is freaking out at how good they are! I think these are the moistest muffins I've ever made, and somehow there's no fat in them. ?! Amazing!
Hi Susan,
Can we replace cornstarch with anything ? Is all purpose flour ok ?
Thanks,
Vasavi.
Vasavi, can you get any kind of starch, such as potato or tapioca starch? If not, then flour should be okay.
Hi Susan, I've been afraid of baking for years for fear of getting worms in my flour ... but this cake and your blueberry-banana bread inspired me to get back into it and take the change!
The cake is wonderfully rich and fluffy ... I'm amazed how you coaxed these ingredients into something so good.
For the icing, I tinkered with your recipe a bit, adding more nectar and vanilla. Also, a teaspoon of salt adds some savory body to the flavors. Any ideas on how to thicken it up? I was thinking cornstarch might do it, but too afraid to try -- plus, the cake is almost all gone.
Delicious! This cake is an inspiration to try more of your vegan baking recipes (I'm typically an egg, butter and milk lover, but you might have won me over).
For the icing, I tinkered a bit. Adding a teaspoon of salt really puts a new dimension to it, and I highly recommend it. Any ideas on how to thicken to make it more like frosting? I considered cornstarch but didn't want to ruin my last banana.
Katelyn, if you don't mind using confectioner's sugar, I'm sure that would thicken it up. You could try just adding it a tablespoon at a time until you reach the right taste and consistency.
P.S. I keep my flour in the freezer after a big infestation a few years ago. It probably isn't necessary, but it makes me feel better.
I've been looking for a chocolate beet cake for my CSA organic beets - how much beet salad can a person eat? I'm just hoping I can convert this to glutenfree and get a similar result.
Hello,
I am vegan and attempting to make a vegan dessert for a pregnant friend of mine who, while is not vegan, is pregnant and having to avoid lots of fats. do you by chance have the nutritional facts listed anywhere for this recipe? it seems like the only fat i can see would be in the icing with the PB but i wanted to check. thanks!!
Lacey, I've just added the nutrition info to the recipe. Notice that the stats in the box are for the cake only and the peanut sauce info is below that. Without the sauce, the cake is almost completely fat-free and contains no high-fat ingredients.
I'm sorry, but I made this and although the consistency and moisture were excellent, neither I nor my friends could stand the taste of this cake. The beets give it a bitter, dirt-like taste that the sugar could not compensate for. I'm thinking of trying the same recipe but using canned pumpkin instead. I like the idea of the moist and fat-free cake still...don't take this as an attack on your recipe! Any thoughts?
I'm sorry for your experience, Jennifer. My only thought is that maybe some beets are stronger tasting than others. When I made this, we couldn't even tell the beets were in there.
If you want to still use this recipe, you could try pumpkin, which I haven't tried, or apple sauce, which I have. Also, check out my chocolate-orange cake, which most people love.
Susan,
I must preface this comment by telling you how much I love and appreciate your blog; I have been a vegan for a year and your blog has become my go-to for healthy dishes that deliver in terms of taste as well. I always know that if I want to fix something healthy for company that I can prepare anything you post with confidence.
Now, about this cake, one of my best girlfriends turned 22 this weekend and I made her this cake knowing she has a passion for anything peanut butter. It was served to a party of college students who are very much not vegan and enjoy Chicago deep dish in all of its cheesy glory on a regular basis: there was NONE left! The cake was devoured after minutes of singing happy birthday with *rave* reviews! It was actually pretty moist on its own to begin with, but knowing her affinity for peanut butter, I doubled the sauce recipe and scooped it over the cake like a thick pudding, giving the cake an almost fudgy outer texture. No one believed me when I told them about the beet!
Oh Susan, thank you for helping me give my friend a healthy and happy birthday!
This cake turned out great! It's so chocolate-y and delicious! I've been looking for a beet-chocolate cake for a while now, and I'm very happy with this recipe. I will be making it again :) I didn't try the frosting though. I'm more apt to enjoying a plain slice of cake (weird, I know)
Hello! This cake looks beautiful and I am so excited to try it with the german chocolate frosting for my dad's birthday at the end of January. (Might need to do a taste test run before then (not because I doubt the recipe, but because I am not sure if I can wait a month to try this!)
I have one question. I plan to mkae this a double layer 8" round cake. You mention to bake for 35-60 minutes and that you baked a 9x13 for 35 minutes. I would guesstimate that 8" rounds would be done in 28-32 minutes. Do you agree, or do you have experience baking this with 8" pans?
I am SO EXCITED to have stumbled upon your website as I just decided to be vegetarian (100%)/ vegan (75%)...and need all the recipe help I can get!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I haven't made this exact version in 8-inch pans, but I think your calculations are right. I'd start checking it after 25 minutes just to be on the safe side. I hope you and your father enjoy it!
I made this last night and it was fantastic. I used two cans of beets for the puree, and substituted all whole wheat pastry flour. I used a different topping; had no tofu.
It was a trial run for a cupcake party I'm having. One of my friends is vegan (I'm a strict bacon-arian, who loves her veggies) and uses very little oil, so I wanted to serve something that she could have and others would actually enjoy. Great recipe, I look forward to trying more from your blog!
Oh yum!
I made this last night for a girlfriend's birthday. It took two beets for me to get close to the two-cup liquid measure. Also, because I used my mini-Cuisinart, there were some beet chunks left. I actually ended up really enjoying the few little bits of beet in the cake.
This cake was so moist but still light and fluffy. I made it in a bundt pan and dusted it with sugar. The only thing I'd change is to use a bit more cocoa (or maybe the "Special Dark" cocoa,) since I wanted a little deeper chocolately flavor.
Thanks, SusanV!
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