Flourless Red Velvet Beet Cake

Some love and some hate beets but we have never found someone to turn their nose up at this chocolate and beet cake. The beet not only adds a rich red color, it also provides just the right amount of moisture to keep a desirable cake texture.

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Ingredients

• 3 medium red beets

• 2 tablespoons water

• 1 stick unsalted butter + more for the pan

• cocoa powder

• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate

• 2/3 cup white sugar

• 6 eggs, room temperature & separated

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1//4 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

• powdered sugar

Directions

1. Scrub beets and then wrap each loosely in aluminum foil.

2. Place on a sheet pan and roast at 400°F for 40-55 minutes (depending on the size of your beets). When a paring knife pierces through them easily, they are done. Remove from oven and cool. Using a pairing knife, remove the skin and roughly chop.

3. Place, with the 2 tablespoons water, in a food processor fitted with a large blade or blender and pulse until pureed.

4. Reserve 1 cup of puree for the recipe. Save any remaining for another use.

5. Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and then butter the bottom and sides of the pan, finishing with a dusting of cocoa powder, and set aside.

6. Preheat oven to 300°F.

7. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or in a glass bowl over a simmering pot of water. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

8. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and egg yolks for 2–3 minutes. Add the vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon and beat together. Add the butter and chocolate mixture and beat until combined. Then fold in the beet puree.

9. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula until uniform. Fold in the remaining egg whites until the batter is uniform and fluffy.

10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out almost clean. You don't want the toothpick to be clean when pulled out or your cake will be dry.

11. Pull out of the oven and allow to cool for 5 -10 minutes.

12. Remove from the spring form pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature with lightly sweetened crème fraîche, whipped cream, cream cheese frosting, or ice cream.