Chocolate Beet Cake (Gluten-Free)

Chocolate Beet Cake

This recipe is gluten-free and incorporates beets as a main ingredient. My absolute favorite chocolate cake! The cake is sweet, moist and delicious. It has a deep chocolate flavor and almost a brownie type of crumb. Can be paired with Cream Cheese Frosting or The Ultimate Cream Cheese Frosting (pictured).

Makes 16 servings.

Ingredients:
1 large beet (large enough to get 1 cup of beet puree)
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 oz. bittersweet dark chocolate chips
1 tsp. vinegar (apple cider or distilled 
or kombucha vinegar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 large eggs

1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Boil beet for about 40 minutes or until soft. Let cool and then peel. Process in food processor with 1-2 tablespoons of water until the consistency of applesauce. Set aside 1 cup and save any extra for other beet puree needs.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a 9-inch cake pan with coconut or canola oil.
3. Sift together almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and cinnamon in medium bowl and set aside.
4. In large bowl, beat together eggs, sugar and salt until they have incorporated a lot of air (high speed for about 5 minutes).
5. Microwave dark chocolate for about 60-90 seconds in microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds and watching closely, until just melted.
6. Incorporate vanilla and vinegar into melted chocolate, mixing well. Then add the cup of beet puree and mix well.
7. Pour chocolate beet mixture into egg mixture and beat on medium until combined. 
8. Add flour mixture 1/3 at a time until incorporated into wet ingredients.
9. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until knife comes clean when penetrated in the middle.
10. Let cake cool completely before attempting to remove from pan.