Home » Desserts and Sweets » Beet Chocolate Cake

Beet Chocolate Cake

July 8, 2012 Posted by Lindsey G. under Desserts and Sweets
38 Comments

I adapted this recipe from Elana’s Pantry blog but I adjusted it to skip the agave and grapeseed oil both of which we avoid to only use real food ingredients.  This is a fairly easy grain free cake recipe that also includes beets which are in abundance pretty often here in Central Texas.  It is dense like a flour-less chocolate torte should be and it has an earthiness sweetness from the beets and the honey.

Ingredients:

  • 2 ½ cups grated beets (I grated in the food processor using the grater attachment)
  • 1 cup raw honey
  • 4 pastured eggs
  • ½ cup coconut oil or grass fed butter (melted) or ghee - where to buy quality fats
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ cup cacao powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt – where to buy salt

Directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the beets and honey to a boil, then cover
  2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until beets are soft
  3. Transfer beet-honey mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth
  4. Blend in eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, almond extract, cacao and salt until thoroughly incorporated
  5. Pour batter into a well greased 9-inch cake or tart pan
  6. Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean
  7. Cool and serve

Photo credit: thepinkpeppercorn, on flickr

This post is featured on Fat Tuesday, Fill Those Jars Friday, Fight Back Friday, Whole Food Friday, Freaky Friday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Melt in Your Mouth Mondays, Whole Food Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Tastetastic Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter

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    • http://homemademommy.net Lindsey Gremont

      So glad you wanted to try the recipe! Let us all know how it turns out!

      • Angela

        The flavor was terrific, however, I doubled the recipe (there are 6 of us) and had a brain lapse when I measured the butter. Put in twice as much needed so, it was a custard consistancy. I will definitely make it again. I cannot handle any kind of flour so recipes like this are much appreciated!

        • Angela

          Oh, I forgot to say that it was all gone in less than 24 hours, so the family didn’t mind my mistake at all!

          • http://homemademommy.net Lindsey Gremont

            keep calm and carry on! :)

        • http://homemademommy.net Lindsey Gremont

          That is too funny – I once forgot to add the coconut oil and I had to pour the batter back into the mixing bowl and add it and then put it back in the cake pan – that wasn’t fun either! Glad you liked it anyway!

  • Joette

    I made this tonight and it was good. Even my kids gobbled it down! It is VERY sweet. I think next time I would try using less honey maybe 1/2-2/3 cup instead of 1 cup. Also, mine had the consistency of an under-cooked brownie. Yours looks much more cake-like in the picture. I cooked it for 35 mins and did the knife test and it came out clean. I think next time I would keep cooking it. I would definitely try it again!

    • http://homemademommy.net Lindsey Gremont

      I hear you – I have made this about 5 times now and it tastes sweeter sometimes vs. others – it must be the difference in the beets! Also–I have had to cook longer before too…but not always. I think I will update the recipe to a time range! Thank you for your feedback and happy eating!

    • http://homemademommy.net Lindsey Gremont

      I want to avoid too many PUFAs (polyunsatured fatty acids) in vegetable oils. Too many omega-6s. Also-heating vegetable oils makes them unstable so read: free radicals. I just use coconut oil or animal fats at high temps or baking. Olive oil for salads. Here is a great post by Butter Believer answering ‘what is PUFA?‘

  • http://www.realfoodfreaks.com Jen

    Ordinarily I don’t like beets, however I think I could eat them this way. :) Love that it is grain free!

  • Misha

    Big hit, Lindsey – kids loved it and my husband counted it as “vegetable” – it was gone in 1 day and I don’t like chocolate (I tasted it and thought it was good for a non-chocolate person :-)

  • Melissa

    Are the beets supposed to be raw or cooked at the start?

    • http://homemademommy.net Lindsey Gremont

      Raw and then you cook them with the honey.

      • http://www.facebook.com/paulalctbrown Paula Brown

        Do you peel them first?

        • http://homemademommy.net/ Lindsey @ Homemade Mommy

          Yes!

    • http://homemademommy.net Lindsey Gremont

      Nope – no water – just the honey and the beets

  • http://www.mamanatural.com Genevieve Mama Natural

    Making this right now… Looks BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us :)

    • http://homemademommy.net Lindsey Gremont

      Let me know how it turns out!

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    • http://homemademommy.net Lindsey Gremont

      Sounds like it turned out great to me! Did it taste good? That is the most important part!

  • http://www.mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/ Miz Helen

    Lindsey,
    We will just love this cake! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great weekend and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

  • Ryan

    Can white chocolate be used?

  • http://www.facebook.com/debflame Debra Yvonne Mathis

    I’m going to make this, for sure… but why use good ‘raw’ honey if you are going to just cook it? I have organic maple sugar, dehydrated – thinking this would be tasty, but it might change the proportion of dry/wet … thoughts?

    • http://homemademommy.net/ Lindsey @ Homemade Mommy

      I think that would make it too dry. Don’t worry about the raw/cooking thing. The product is better (ie not processed to death) and it is ok to cook it. Remember sometimes it is about flavor not just enzymes and such. I am sure you get plenty of raw honey through other recipes.

  • http://www.facebook.com/lauren.m.lucia Lauren Marie Lucia

    Oh wow, this is sooooo good!
    I used half honey/half stevia and coconut oil. Using a blender for mixing gets a nice cakey consistency. Will try butter and cinnamon next time.
    I had people guess the “secret” ingredient. You should have seen their faces when they realized that their amazing flourless chocolate cake was made from beets! Sneaky :)

  • kanan

    I am allergic to honey and going sugarfree– now what are the other options for sweetening this beautiful cake?

    • http://homemademommy.net/ Lindsey @ Homemade Mommy

      I haven’t tested this any other way. Maybe you can experiment and report back here what you think works?