👥8 people
⏲️35m
🕐1h 30m
🍽️dessert
Beets give this all natural cake its creamy texture and red color.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces pureed beets
- 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened, but not quite room temperature
- 2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened slightly
- 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 10 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder*, not dark or dutch processed
- For The Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 8 oz. powdered sugar
- 3 teaspoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
Method
- Preheat the Egg to 350 degrees indirect heat. Place beets in a small baking dish and add a ½ cup of water. Cover with parchment paper and foil, and roast until very tender, about 60-90 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- Butter (1) 6 or 8 inch cake pan. Line the bottom of pan with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and dust with flour. Set aside. Peel the beets and cut into large chunks. Place in a food processor (or a very good blender) with the lemon juice, and pulse until smooth and pureed.** Stir in the vinegar.
- In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese. Pour in sugar and mix until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well until each is incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
- While ingredients are mixing, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder in a separate bowl. Slowly add flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Fold the beet puree mixture into the cake batter. Spread the batter evenly in the cake pan. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Invert cake onto cooling racks, and allow to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze until ready to frost.
- For The Cream Cheese Frosting: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Switch to the whisk attachment, and mix until smooth and slightly fluffy. Ice the cake and serve.
