Healthy Chocolate Beet Cake

Red beets can make chocolate cake richer and moist, almost molten and contributes a delicate sweetness. The deep velvet red color of beets also makes an elegant looking chocolate cake. This recipe for chocolate beet cake is adapted from Simply in Season by Mark Beach and Julie Kauffman. The beets are subtle enough in flavor not to overwhelm the chocolate taste. In addition to giving the cake texture, moisture and color, beets, which are considered a superfood, also add a lot of beneficial nutrients to this decadent dessert including folate, potassium, magnesium, and powerful phytochemicals. One of the loveliest and easy to make healthy easy recipes.

This healthier version of chocolate cake also includes applesauce, sugar, oil, plain yogurt, eggs, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking cocoa, baking soda, salt, and chocolate chips. The applesauce and yogurt add moisture and richness to the cake together with the beets while the baking soda keeps the cake from becoming too heavy and dense. Acting as a leavening agent, the baking soda allows the cake to rise and makes it light, airy and fluffy.

Difficulty Level

Average

Ingredients

2 cups fresh beets

½ cup applesauce

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup oil

½ cup plain yogurt

3 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup baking cocoa

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan.

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the beets and boil 20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the beet skin, then chop. Pour into a large bowl. Add the applesauce to the beets and use an immersion blender to puree.

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, oil, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla. Cream until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, stirring to blend well.

Pour the flour mixture into the beet mixture, beating until just blended.

Pour half the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the batter in the pan, then pour the remaining batter over the top of the chips

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean

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