This chocolate beetroot cake recipe is going to dazzle all you chocolate lovers! Full of good-for-you beets, this delicious cake is so moist and rich. And the optional raspberry whipped cream topping is so good!
It is my birthday month AND Valentine’s Day is days away. So, if there was ever a time to add a chocolate cake recipe to the blog, this was the time.
I can see some of you crinkling your nose at my mentioned of “beetroot” in the title. I truthfully thought about leaving the mention of beets out of the title, because I know the earthy taste of beetroot often scares people off. But, I can promise you as a chocolate cake aficionado that the beets in this chocolate cake only make this decadent dessert better!
This beetroot cake is soft, fluffy, delicious and perfectly moist! Lightened up on the sugar and made with whole grains, it is a healtheir cake recipe that doesn’t skip on the flavor. Easy to make and baking in 30 minutes, this chocolate cake can easily be made gluten free or egg free with simple modifications.
Why add beets to cake?
Fair question.
Beets are an awesome root veggie that are chocked full of nutrients (folate, manganese, potassium, iron to name a few (source)). And while that is all well and good, why bother adding them to a cake? Is it just for the sake of veggie-loading?
Nope. While added beets to add some healthy goodness to this chocolate cake recipe, they also add moisture, richness and just add to the incredible flavor of this already amazing dessert. Beets have natural sugars and can add sweetness to this cake without using as much sugar as traditional chocolate cake recipes.
How to cook your beets for this recipe
Cooking your beetroot for this chocolate cake recipe is going to help cut the earthy flavor that many people find off putting about beets. Plus, it will enhance and bring out this beautiful root veggie’s natural sweetness and, thus, adding to the yum favor of your cake in a natural, veggie-loaded kinda way.
Here are some different methods you can use to cook up your beets for this cake recipe.
Time saving hack! Lots of grocery stores have pre-cooked beets in their fridge or freezer section. You can grab some of those to use in this chocolate beetroot cake recipe to make life and this recipe a little easier.
The magical raspberry homemade whipped cream frosting
Homemade whipped cream is my favorite “frosting” for cakes. Light, not too sweet, wildly easy to make.
I have added crushed raspberries into the mix to bring a hint of natural pink as well as a lovely tartness to balance out the sweetness of the cake. If raspberries are not your favorite, you can skip those and just enjoy delicious homemade whipped cream or use whatever frosting you like best!
Suggested Adaptations
Make it gluten-free. Use a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour mix in place of the flour in this recipe.
Need egg-free? Make a flax “egg” by mixing 2 tablespoons of ground flax with 5 tablespoons of water. Set aside for 5 minutes then use in recipe in place of the eggs.
Make this cake dairy-free. You can use a dairy-free yogurt or replace the yogurt with a dairy-free milk.
Turn this cake into cupcakes! This chocolate beetroot cake recipe will make about 24 regular sized cupcakes. Simply mix the batter as directed and portion it out into a lined cupcake tray, filling each hole about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 16-18 minutes and let cool completely before frosting.
Use a different kind of frosting. Whipped cream not your thing? Our just want something a bit different? Any frosting your like best will bring extra magic to this cake, but I love a fudgy chocolate frosting or this homemade creamy cheese frosting might be what you are looking for.
Other delicious beetroot recipes that will dazzle your tastebuds
- Pink Beet Pancakes
- Vegan Beet Waffles
- Strawberry Beet Instant Pot Applesauce
- Fudgy Beet Gluten Free Brownies
- Pink Beet Smoothie
- The BEST Beet Hummus
- 10+ Delicious Beet Recipes
Loving this beetroot cake and are hungry for more?
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Chocolate Beetroot Cake (with raspberry whipped cream)
Equipment
- 9 inch cake pans
Ingredients
For Chocolate Beetroot Cake
- 2 large eggs
- 12 ounces beets cooked and peeled. About 1.5 cups pureed
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 cup coconut sugar or other granulated sweetener
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or unsweetened plain non-dairy yogurt
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat, or all-purpose
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips optional
For Raspberry Whipped Cream
- 1 pint whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup or to taste
- 1 cup fresh raspberries plus extra for garnish
Instructions
For chocolate beetroot cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line two 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper on the bottom or generously grease.
- In your blender, combine cooked and peeled beets, eggs, oil, maple syrup, sugar, yogurt, and vanilla. Blend until beets are totally pureed. Set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Pour contents of blender into the bowl with dry ingredients. Stir together with a spoon or spatula. Add chocolate chips, if using, and stir until just combined.
- Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Allow cake to completely cool. While cake is cooling, make raspberry whipped cream.
- Once cool, assemble the cake by adding the whipped cream between each layer and frosting the top. Decorate with extra chocolate chips and raspberries, if desired.
For Raspberry Whipped Cream
- Add cold whipping cream, vanilla, and maple syrup to a bowl of a standing mixer or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer. Tip: If your kitchen is warm, you may want to chill your bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting. This will help your cream to whip up easier.
- Whip cream until soft peaks form.
- Meanwhile, mash your raspberries in a bowl with a fork until no large pieces of raspberry remain.
- Add mashed raspberries to the whipped cream then continue to whip until you get stiff peaks and cream is very thick.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
Comments
WOw. Just wow. I made this for my son’s birthday and it was such a huge hit.
Hello! Love your site and all of the amazing recipes!!! They have been a hit in our house, that’s for sure!
Do you think this recipe would work in a bundt pan? I will also be replacing the eggs with flax eggs so not sure if that will make a difference.
Thank you!!!
Oh what a fun idea! I think it would, but haven’t tried it. If you give it a go, please let us know how it goes!
made this cake today for my son’s 2nd birthday ❤️ it is delicious!super moist and very tasty. the raspberry whipped cream on top is a must as it complements the cake perfectly!
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! And the happiest of birthdays to your son!
I lіke the helpful іnformation yoս supply in your articles. i didn’t know beetroot had these many recipes! and they all look delicious.
Thanks again for the tips
Hi! I want to make this cake for Valentine’s Day. I bought the precooked beets at Whole Foods and they have mild vinegar? Will this affect the taste of the cake?
I *think* it should be okay since I doubt it will be too much vinegar and is probably used as a mild preservative. However, I’d smell them before adding to the cake to make sure they aren’t too vinegar-loaded.
I found different beets that didn’t have any vinegar. It’s in the oven now in a bundt cake pan. I’ll save the beets with vinegar for a salad! Thank you.
Enjoy!
I did! Thank you for sharing this 🙂 My 6 year old managed to eat a slice which is why I made it as she is a fussy eater
So glad it was a success!