Mexican Chocolate Beet Cake

From the High Mowing newsletter, we must make this!

Mexican Chocolate Beet Cake

The earthy flavor of beets goes undercover in this moist cake. We bake this in honor of a future filled with acres of non-genetically modified sugar beets and a safe seed supply.

Ingredients:

2 cups beet puree (1 lb or so fresh beets)
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
2 ½ cups organic granulated sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
½ cup of warm water
¾ cups unsweetened cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Before you bake prepare your beets: Boil whole, trimmed, scrubbed beets for about an hour until completely tender. Cool until you can comfortably handle them and then rub under running water to easily remove skins. Process in a food processor until smooth and pureed (add a LITTLE water if needed).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil two 9 inch cake pans or one oblong baking pan.

Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and water together until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, spices, and cocoa powder together. Add a third of the dry ingredients to the wet, mix; repeat two more times until combined (do not over-mix—that is bad for cakes). Fold in the beets and mix slightly until blended. Pour into pan(s) and bake for 40-60 minutes (less time for the smaller pans). Check center with a toothpick or fork; if it comes out clean, your cake is baked!

Frost, glaze, or top with something delicious…or eat it naked….