Recipe: Beet Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream and Bananas

Last Friday was Ryan’s 25th birthday.  Because Ryan’s a crazy person, he requested a cake that contained not one, but two non-seasonal ingredients.  He’s so badass I can’t stand it.

For the second year now, I’ve made Ryan a cake that contains beets and bananas.  Doesn’t that just sound like a really awful children’s album.  Charlotte Diamond, call me if you want to collaborate.

When Ryan first requested this cake, I thought it was to spite me.  At the time, I was in the anti-beet camp.  However, I’ve recently been won over – this cake as the primary reason.

This cake does not taste like beets.  I will repeat:  IT DOES NOT TASTE LIKE BEETS.  Rather, the beets give it a density and moistness that makes it seem much more decadent than it really is.  And they give it a red colour that can easily be mistaken for red velvet cake.

And, because beets aren’t quite in season yet, I use leftover grated beets from last season.  This cuts down on the prep of the cake.  The only downside is that it looks like my kitchen has bled out.  How’s that for imagery for a recipe that I’m promoting?

Ingredients:

• 2 cups beets, cooked, peeled, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups +2 tbsp of sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 yogurt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder – please use the fair trade kind, it’s just good manners
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Method:

• Cook, peel, and grate beets.  Take a picture of your kitchen like it’s a crime scene.
• Puree beets with 2 tbsp of sugar.
• Combine other wet ingredients (including sugar) in a bowl.  Add beet puree.
• Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add slowly to wet ingredients.
• Mix gently.  Try not to imagine blood.  Add chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into a greased pan.  I used a spring-form pan, because I have one and I know I’m guaranteed to get my cake out.
• Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 40-60 minutes.
• Once the cake has cooled, top with any seasonal or non-seasonal(!) topping of your choice.

The tricky part is knowing when the cake’s done.  Because of the density of the beets and the meltiness of the chocolate chips, it’s pretty hard to use the toothpick method.  I’m always freaked out about under cooking, thus poisoning, my family and have been known to overcook things.  Last year, the cake was relatively dried out.  This year, it wasn’t.  I just waited until the cake cracked on the top.  This worked for me this time, but I, sadly, can make no guarantees.  If you have a better method, please please tell me.

Tags: bananas, beet chocoolate cake, birthday, charlotte diamond, fair trade cocoa