It’s Martha Mondays time again, and I couldn’t wait to make this cake. It’s the Chocolate Beetroot Cake from the November issue of Martha Stewart Living (it’s not on the website, but worth investing in the magazine for this recipe). And it was Brette’s choice, and it was a fantastic pick.
The cake was easy to make, and apart from the food processor, this cake can be made in one bowl which I was very pleased about. I have decided that all cakes made without the need for butter are going to be a winner, that may be because butter has hit a ridiculous price here, but I think the main reason is that cakes made with oil or buttermilk seem to be more cakey and less crumby.
Now, I have tried chocolate and beetroot cake before (my boss has made it and brought it into work) but hers was thinner and didn’t have the chocolate frosting or the candied beetroot. This cake is a winner, I am going to cook and puree more beetroot (we still have a lot of them on the allotment) and save them up to make this cake again. You can taste the beetroot but only slightly and we found that the next day we couldn’t taste them, but that the cake had become more fudgy.
If you make this cake then its worth making the frosting (next time I would use half plain chocolate and half milk chocolate as it was a bit too rich for us) and if you have a spare uncooked beetroot lying around, then you should make candied beetroot. Its a little extravagant, but easy to make and was perfect for the top of the cake. Truth be told, I could have eaten the candied beetroot all on its own – it was sticky and sweet and wonderful. I tried it as it was cooking in the syrup and again after it had been in the oven for a while. Also it was pretty transluscent and an orangy-red colour which was lovely and autumnal and I’m all for autumnal at the moment.
So, you may have guessed already, but this cake is a winner. I am leaving some of the leftovers at home and taking some into work where I am sure that morning tea will be so much more fun today.
~ Pru
I think that you could cook up the beets, puree them and freeze them for future use in this cake. I did not have a piece the second day – I whisked it out of the house immediately since I knew it was going to be trouble!
Yes, but delicious trouble!
Beautiful I would love a piece of this cake.