1. 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 gourmet cooking 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.
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.

2. To prepare the beets for use in this recipe, trim the leaf stalks to about an
inch of the stem on and, leaving the root end to keep the beet juice from leaching
out while cooking. Wash the beets gently under cold running water and gently rub
the skin with a paper towel. The beets will be boiled before they are peeled and
added to the rest of the ingredients. The skins should remain while boiling the
beets and only peeled after the beets are cooked since this helps retain the color
of the beets and keep it from losing flavor. Once the beets are cooked, you can
now peel them using a vegetable peeler and chop. They will be pureed together
with the applesauce using an immersion blender or a regular blender.
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

3. Preparation Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bundt pan.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Pour the flour mixture into the beet mixture, beating until just blended.
5. 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.
6. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the
cake comes out clean.