Dark Chocolate Beetroot Cake (Printable Version)

A moist, rich cake combining earthy beetroot and intense dark chocolate in every bite.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 2/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil (sunflower or canola)
09 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Vegetables

10 - 1 1/2 cups cooked beetroot, finely grated or puréed (about 2 medium beets)

→ Chocolate

11 - 3 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa), melted and cooled

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar and eggs until light and slightly thickened, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Add vegetable oil and vanilla extract to the wet mixture, stirring until fully combined.
05 - Fold in the grated or puréed beetroot and melted dark chocolate until evenly distributed.
06 - Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.
08 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges with a few moist crumbs.
09 - Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before slicing into 12 squares.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's impossibly moist and fudgy without being heavy, thanks to the beetroot adding moisture and earthiness that chocolate absolutely adores.
  • You get to use up those roasted beets taking up space in your fridge, plus it feels a little sneaky to serve vegetables in dessert form.
  • The texture is tender and crumbly in the best way, striking that perfect balance between cake and brownie that tastes far more complicated than it actually is.
02 -
  • If you use cold eggs or cold melted chocolate, they can scramble and separate; always let them come to a comfortable temperature before folding in.
  • The cake continues to set as it cools, so what looks slightly underbaked in the pan will firm up perfectly as it sits, giving you that signature fudgy-tender crumb that makes this cake special.
03 -
  • Room-temperature eggs whip up lighter and create a more tender crumb than cold eggs straight from the fridge.
  • Don't overbake in pursuit of a completely clean toothpick; moist crumbs are your target because the cake continues to set as it cools.

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