March 2, 2024

Amazing Chocolate Beetroot Cake

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This Vegan Chocolate Beetroot Cake has been one of my best-loved recipes by friends and coworkers (who are always my taste testers). Everytime I begin to trial new vegan desserts they get every iteration along the way. I think the final product in this recipe is one that I’m most proud of.

Vegan Chocolate Cake has long been on my to-do list, but it moved to the top recently when a coworker asked if I had a recipe to share. She’s especially interested in vegan baking because of her daughter’s allergies to dairy and eggs. Vegan desserts are always safe for her.

So I got to work. I wanted to adapt my Mom’s Chocolate Oatmeal Cake (I’ll share that recipe soon, promise) because that was always one of my favourites from when I was younger. I took that recipe and thought about how to replace the butter and eggs. For butter, I went with coconut oil and for eggs, I opted for apple cider vinegar (because I remembered how well it worked in my Vegan Banana Bread). Other than that, I didn’t change the recipe at all and set to work trying it out as cupcakes.

It didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, the cupcakes, while they tasted great, were way too dense and they were sunken in the middle. So, unfortunately, I ended up chucking this batch and got to work starting over. This time I used less oil, and thought I’d add some puree of some sort, since I’ve done that before with brownies and muffins. The goto is usually applesauce, but I didn’t have any. It’s also worth mentioning that I live a boat ride away from the nearest grocery store, so I really had to make due with what I had on hand.

My next decision might seem questionable, but hold tight. I grabbed some cooked beetroot from the fridge that I’d been saving for hummus (oh well), and quickly blended up a puree. Once everything was mixed, the batter took on a really rich, almost red velvet-y colour. I scooped it into my muffin pans, popped it in the oven and crossed my fingers.

The result was absolutely perfect! No sunken tops, light yet rich flavours, and not a hint of any unusual ingredients. I topped them with a quick strawberry butterless buttercream and packed them up. I shared them around the next day and got rave reviews. No one could tell they were vegan, they just thought they were a really good cupcake, period. They were even more shocked when I revealed the super healthy veggie secret ingredient! I will absolutely be making this cake recipe again, anytime I get the chance!

Tips

Try not to open the oven door during the baking process (heat loss can affect the rise). When you think they’re done, do a quick toothpick test to check. Stick a toothpick into the middle, if it comes out wet you need more time. If it’s dry or has a crumb, you’re done!

Allow the cupcakes or cake to fully cool before frosting, otherwise you’re likely to have all your toppings slide off.