Chocolate Beet Cake with Milk Chocolate Ganache
A surprisingly moist and decadent chocolate cake that cleverly incorporates pureed beets for natural sweetness and incredible texture. The earthy beets blend seamlessly with rich cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate, creating a deep chocolate flavor that's enhanced by a luxurious milk chocolate ganache. This two-layer cake is perfect for special occasions when you want to impress guests with something unexpected yet familiar. The beets not only add moisture but also contribute natural nutrients while remaining completely undetectable in the final dessert. The fluffy whipped ganache provides an elegant contrast to the dense, fudgy cake layers.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 ½ cup sucanat or brown sugarbrown sugar1:1baking
works perfectly
- 3 eggs
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 2 cups pureed beets, roughly 3 large beets
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 3 ½ cups milk chocolate, cut into even pieces
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- 1
Bring butter and eggs to room temperature and butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans
- 2
Peel beets, cut into small pieces, cover with water and cook until tender
- 3
Drain excess water leaving only 1/2 cup with beets, then puree until smooth and set aside to cool
- 4
Melt 1/4 cup butter with semi-sweet chocolate, whisk together and set aside to cool
- 5
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- 6
Beat remaining softened butter with sucanat until well combined
- 7
Beat in eggs and vanilla, scraping bowl sides as needed
- 8
Add melted chocolate mixture and beet puree, continue beating
- 9
Sift dry ingredients together and add to batter, beating until well combined
- 10
Pour evenly into prepared cake pans and bake for 25-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean
- 11
Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then loosen edges and flip onto parchment to cool completely
- 12
Place chocolate chunks in large bowl for ganache
- 13
Heat cream until bubbles form around edges, then pour over chocolate
- 14
Let sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth
- 15
Cover ganache with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set
- 16
Whip chilled ganache with hand mixer until slightly fluffy
- 17
Place first cake layer on serving plate and spread with 1/2-inch layer of ganache
- 18
Top with second cake layer and apply thin crumb coat of ganache
- 19
Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then cover with remaining ganache
- 20
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve
Tips
Cook beets until very tender to ensure smooth puree - any chunks will affect cake texture
Let both chocolate mixture and beet puree cool before adding to prevent curdling the butter mixture
Chill ganache completely before whipping to achieve the right fluffy consistency for spreading
Good to Know
Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days covered
Cake layers can be made 1 day ahead and wrapped, ganache can be made 2 days ahead
Serve chilled or at room temperature, slice with sharp knife
Common Mistakes
Don't add hot chocolate mixture to butter or it will melt the mixture
Don't skip the crumb coat step or final ganache layer will show cake crumbs
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
FAQ
Can I taste the beets in the finished cake?
No, the beets are completely undetectable and only add moisture and natural sweetness to enhance the chocolate flavor.
How long does the ganache need to chill?
The ganache needs 2-3 hours to chill and set properly before it can be whipped to the right consistency for frosting.
Can I freeze this cake?
Yes, wrap unfrosted cake layers tightly and freeze up to 3 months, or freeze assembled cake up to 1 month.