Chocolate Beet Cake Recipe. Gluten-Free Friendly
Chocolate Beet Cake
Now that sounds really funky, doesn’t it? I know what you’re thinking, but let me tell you: This Cake is amazing! It is unfortunate that in America, beets invariably conjure up pointed remarks about, ummm… never mind! We grew up eating them every day, and yes for nourishment and pleasure, not duty! I am always looking for ways to sneak them in, as in this chocolate beet cake, where they do their magic even while they totally escape detection: the result is this dense, moist and deliciously funky cake.
Vacuum-Packed Roasted Beets
Vacuum-packed beets have become increasingly available, peeled, kosher for Passover, all natural, well priced, and fabulous. This is great news, as beets’ long cooking time often acts as a deterrent. With this option, you will be encouraged to use them more often, as I do: in salads, smoothies, soups and desserts. Take a look at my mega post on beets, beet recipes that can’t be beat: haha, get it?
Chocolate Beet Cake with Drizzle
Drizzled with Cranberry Sauce? Only if you want to make it more outrageous, black-and-red drama, you know? Yes please, gimme!
The cranberry drizzle is whipped up in minutes. Blend some good quality canned natural cranberry sauce with a little cranberry or pomegranate juice until smooth, and voila! that’s all there is to it!
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- Pinch salt
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup oil
- 1 1/2 cups vacuum-packed roasted beets, mashed with a fork
- 2 2/3 cups flour (gluten-free: any GF flour. Passover: 1 2/3 cups potato starch)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2/3 cup pomegranate or cranberry juice
- 1/4 cup rum or brandy (liquor stores)
- 2/3 cup pure cocoa powder
- 1 cup unsweetened grated coconut
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees °F.
With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites and salt at high speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually and whip until stiff. Switch to low speed, and allowing only enough time to combine the ingredients, beating in one ingredient at a time, just a few seconds each time, the yolks, then the oil, etc… until all ingredients are incorporated. Pour the batter into a greased tube pan, or 9x13” pan, and bake for 1 hour or until the point of a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (muffins: About 24, baked 45 minutes)
Note: If you would like to make this cake very festive: Unmold it and let it cool. Melt 1 cup real chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon oil on a very low flame (microwave OK), and pour the mixture evenly all over the top of the cake: Yum!
Hi may I now how many grams or ounces the beets weigh? Not all cans or packages of beets are created equal. Thanks so much for your help and great recipes. I made the almond cake last year and it was wonderful!!
Debbie that’s right, all cans are not created equal. This is why I include exact measurement. Please check again: 3 cups:-))))
Wait, the recipe says 1 1/2 cups, you say here 3 cups, are you doubling the recipe?
Hi Barb, so sorry I’m not understanding your comment. Please clarify
Hi, I tried this chocolate cake recipe few hours ago but somehow couldn’t achieve the same result as you, my cake clearly wasn’t looking that good (but tasted fine). What kind of chocolate are you using? Maybe it’s because of the flour I used, I have a gluten intolerance so I used tapioca flour instead of normal wheat flour.
Hi Yvone,
Of course substituting gluten-free for regular flour would make all the difference. You will be happy to hear that in my upcoming cookbook, I make ample allowances for gluten-free dishes, both savory and sweet. Until my recipes are articulate enough to share (the book is due in June 2011) let me already say this to you: 1. Don’t use all tapioca. Rather, use a mixture of brown rice flour, tapioca and other flours you will experiment with until you arrive at the texture you like. 2. Add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum. 3. don’t pour the batter in one large mold, but in smaller molds, such as muffin molds.
In the absence of gluten, you need to make some concessions, and once you learn to work with them in mind you will be totally OK!