A recipe for (unprocessed) Dark Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake
Now that we’re well into our challenge of no processed foods for the month of October, the cravings have kicked in something fierce. It may surprise you to know that sugar does not top my list of sought-after ingredients, instead it is cheese that is sorely missed from my diet. I’ve penciled in a wine & cheese for early in November; here’s hoping I can hold out until then.
So what is keeping the sugar cravings at bay? Well, a maple pumpkin pie has helped (recipe coming soon), honey in my coffee, homemade syrups on my morning pancakes, and this, this marvelous dark chocolate beet cake.
A few years ago I played around with chocolate beet cupcakes, but always wanted them to be darker, richer, and more decadent. This cake meets all the above requirements and more. Each forkful is deeply satisfying, in the way that only a chocolate cake can be.
It is prepared with half whole wheat flour (although you’d never guess) which makes it more substantial, and it’s easier to walk away contented with just one piece. Maple syrup, honey and the natural sugars of the beets sweeten the cake as well as contribute to a deeper depth of flavor.
You’ve made carrot cake and zucchini bread, now it’s time to give beets and chocolate a chance. They were definitely intended to be together – and I’m not the only one to think so.
You may pine for the weekend G&T’s, potato chips, or ketchup during the October unprocessed challenge, but there’s absolutely no need to pine for chocolate cake. Not when recipes like this are available.
Dark Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 3 medium beets cooked and cooled
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup light olive oil
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 medium eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup organic unbleached white flour
- 1 cup organic whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 10-cup bundt pan and dust it lightly with cocoa.
- Grate the beets on a box grater and measure them; you should have 2 cups of grated beets. Transfer them to a medium colander and allow them to drain of any excess moisture while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, olive oil, maple syrup and honey until everything is well blended.
- Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla extract.
- Sift together the flours, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gently fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, but do not over mix.
- Fold the beets into the batter until distributed, then scrape the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread around until it is even.
- Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool, in the pan on a wire rack, for a good 20 minutes.
- Carefully invert the pan onto a plate, tap gently, and the cake will drop out. Serve warm or cool. Will keep for up to four days, well wrapped in plastic.
Nutrition
What are you craving during October Unprocessed?
