Chocolate is a surefire hit with kids, and parents are always looking for ways to work vegetables into the foods their children eat. This cake delivers both: the chocolate satisfies the kids, and the beets give parents a stealthy serving of veggies. According to Molly, beets and chocolate make an underappreciated flavor pairing. The beets bring an earthy note that deepens the cocoa in a way that’s uniquely delicious—so good that you might wonder why the combination isn’t more common. Molly, who isn’t a beet lover herself, still enjoys this cake.
Info
- Cook time: 55 minutes
- Total time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/4 cups (100 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 cup (240 grams) boiling water
- 8 ounces beets (about 2 medium beets), peeled and coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
- 1 1/2 cups (360 grams) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180 grams) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 4 teaspoons (16 grams) pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup (226 grams; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) unrefined coconut oil, soft but not melted
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
Frosting
- 1 cup (226 grams; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups (480 grams) powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
To Assemble
- Marzipan cut-outs, such as “BAM” dyed red with yellow lettering
- Lightning bolt cutouts dyed gold
Instructions
- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a high-speed blender, whiz together the cocoa powder and boiling water and let sit for about 5 minutes to allow the cocoa to bloom and the mixture to cool briefly. Add the beets and blend to make a very smooth puree. Add the heavy cream, sour cream, and vanilla and blend until just combined; do not overblend.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and lightly stir in the espresso powder and salt and set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together the butter, coconut oil, granulated sugar and orange zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to combine everything evenly. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry mixture and heavy cream mixture in 2 or 3 alternating additions, mixing until mostly combined. Turn off the mixer and use your rubber spatula to finish up the mixing, making sure to mix thoroughly without overmixing. Distribute the batter among the pans, spreading it out evenly with the bottom of a spoon or offset spatula.
- Bake until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted in a center comes out clean; begin checking for doneness at 40 minutes; if it’s not done, check frequently until it is. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then loosen the edges with a butter knife and turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Level off the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife; save the cake scraps to help you taste-test the frosting.
- For the frosting: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the butter, powdered sugar, and salt and mix on low until you’re confident that sugar won’t fly everywhere, then gradually increase the speed to medium-high and continue to mix until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, then add the vanilla and cream cheese, and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary to ensure that everything combines evenly.
- To assemble: Stack the 8-inch layers with thin layers of frosting in between each and spread a layer of frosting all over the outside of the cake. Add the marzipan BAM and lightning bolts.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 or 4 days.
