Fudgy Chocolate Beet Cake with Ganache Frosting

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Total Time 1 hour

Are you in need of a new cake recipe? Particularly one that can be served at a fancy dinner party or for a special occasion? How about one that's so dense and fudgy that it feels like you're eating a double layered brownie? If so, this Fudgy Chocolate Beet Cake with Ganache Frosting is a recipe for you.

But...before I talk more about this cake, I want to talk about the old blog for a bit. You may have noticed that my posts haven't been quite as frequent for the past couple of weeks. Turns out, I'm going to be doing some travelling starting next weekend. I'm flying to my parents cottage in Nova Scotia for about 2 weeks with the Peanut. Then we're all driving back here (that's about a 24 hour drive). Then, a few days later, we'll drive on West to Alberta (another 24 hour drive) to visit family and friends there, where Hubby will join us. We won't be home until the beginning of November. You may think I'm crazy for embarking on such a long trip that involves so much driving with a 2 year old. This is not my first time at the rodeo though, I did the drive to Nova Scotia in the Spring, and it was WAY more successful than I ever would have expected. So we're doing it again. Times two.

Anywho, between all that visiting and driving, I'm thinking that I won't have much time for cooking and recipe developing. So I've been a busy little beaver trying to get some posts lined up for while I'm away.

But enough shop talk...let's get back to this delicious chocolate beet cake. If you're looking for a light, fluffy chocolate cake, this one is not for you. This one is super dense, like a brownie. And the ganache frosting makes the cake very rich - all you need is a tiny slice.

Making the cake is similar to making other cakes, but you do need to have some roasted beets on hand to make it. Leftovers (perhaps from Roasted Beet Salad?) are fine, as long as they're not seasoned. Otherwise, you'll have to set aside 45 minutes or so to roast some up before you make the cake.

When the batter is done, it will seem quite thin and runny. Not to worry, it will work out fine. Divide it between two round cake pans for a double layer cake. Alternatively, I suppose you could pour it all into a 9x11" pan and call them brownies. 

When the cakes are done baking, cool them completely before frosting them. Otherwise the frosting will melt and become a runny mess.

Speaking of the frosting, it is so good! It's like eating hot fudge sauce! It's easy to make. No whipping required, just a little simmering, then let it chill to thicken up to a spreadable consistency.

Spread the frosting between the layers, then over the top and sides of the cake. Let the whole thing chill before serving, and store the cake in the fridge.

Now one mistake you'll want to avoid with this cake: thinking it's healthy just because there are some vegetables in it. I suppose the fact that it's a beet cake does make it a little healthier than if it were a non-beet cake, but the fat, calories and sugar are by no means reduced. Just one twelfth of this cake clocks in at 515kcal! Certainly not diet food by any means. But, like anything - keep the portions small and don't eat it everyday and you'll do okay.

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Fudgy Chocolate Beet Cake with Ganache Frosting

Carissa Serink

This cake is dense and fudgy like a brownie, but the fact that it's double layered makes it a little fancier.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time1 hr

Calories: 516kcal

Cook ModeKeep your screen on

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) softened unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3 Tablespoons canola oil
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup finely grated roasted beets skin removed (about 2 large beets)
• 1 ¼ cup hot water

For the Frosting

• ½ cup unsalted butter 1 stick
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• ¾ cup whipping cream or heavy
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottoms of two 8" or 9" round cake pans with parchment, and spray the sides with oil then lightly coat with flour, tapping out any excess.
• Sift the flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add butter and mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly.
• Add oil, eggs and vanilla and mix slightly. Mix in the beets. Slowly pour in hot water while mixer is on low speed. When it has all been added, turn mixer to medium-high and mix for 2-3 minutes, until thick and fluffy. Divide between the two prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool in pans for 30 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

For the Frosting

• Belt butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in sugar and cocoa (mixture will be very thick and resemble dough). Continue to stir over medium heat until it begins to bubble; stir in cream. Whisk until the mixture comes to a simmer, then keep whisking for another minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and salt.
• Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove from fridge a few minutes before frosting the cake, and stir.

To assemble

• Remove parchment from the cake. Spread ⅓ of the frosting on the top of one of the cakes. Place the second cake on top. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Cut into small slices to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 516kcal

Nutrition Disclaimer: I try my best to make sure the nutrition information I provide is accurate to provide you with the best information possible. However, due to ingredient discrepancies and other factors, the above nutrition information should be considered an estimation only.

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