Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe (Chocolate Beet Cake)
This moist chocolate cake recipe is the best when you want a super satisfying chocolate cake. Suprisingly, this chocolate beet cake adds lots of nutrients to your diet, too!
Originally published on February 12, 2016.
I was lucky enough to celebrate my birthday whilst I was in Rye (England) just over a year ago in October, and by fortune, discovered this moist chocolate cake recipe!
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I had stayed at The Mermaid Inn with my mother, the night before, which was something I’d wanted to do for many years. We had a gorgeous breakfast at the inn.
Afterwards, we picked up my Aunt Rosa and headed to Bodiam Castle, a National Trust property which we were able to visit for free with our Royal Oak Foundation memberships. I love Bodiam Castle, with its iconic moat!
Afterwards, we met my cousins for a fabulous pub lunch. However, my cousin, Denisa (you might remember her Pimm’s Cup recipe), wouldn’t let me order dessert, which was quite strange. It all made sense when we headed back home as she had made a lovely homemade birthday cake for me! I was surprised, but not disappointed. Believe it or not, I dried my hair completely straight that morning, but this is the result of English weather in October on my hair.
After the obligatory photos and candle-blowing, we all enjoyed a cup of tea with our slice of cake.
I don’t remember who commented first, but someone complimented Denisa on her cake. It was such an incredibly delicious and moist chocolate cake! Then someone else said the same thing, and we all ended up agreeing how fabulous it was. Yes, of course I asked for the recipe. Actually no, I told Denisa I needed the recipe!
She was smiling the entire time, but it wasn’t because of everyone’s compliments. It was because the cake had a secret ingredient: beetroot! We were all shocked. A healthier, moist chocolate cake, that actually tastes better than a normal, vegetable-free chocolate cake? I’m in, chocolate beet cake it is!
What Makes This Chocolate Beet Cake Moist?
Given the fact that beets are 88% water, they contribute to the moisture component of this cake. You won’t taste the flavor of the beetroot if you concerned about this. As you read above, none of us realized there was beets in my birthday cake!
I wanted to post this recipe a while ago as I’ve made it myself a few times, but it just hasn’t happened until now. I’ll convince myself (and maybe you too), that it’s the perfect moist chocolate cake recipe for the new year: the beginning of better choices and resolutions. It’s so healthy and nutritious with the addition of beets and no added butter (if you choose to skip the frosting), ha ha! And speaking of beets, try my quick pickled beets recipe!
Want to make cupcakes instead? I’ve got you covered!
Cake Decorating with Edible Flowers
The cake below is how I decorated this chocolate beet cake for my mother’s birthday this year. I used flowers from my garden (since I don’t use any chemicals or pesticides) so they are safe to ingest. Here are a few tips:
- Only use flowers from a reliable source: your own pesticide free garden, or organically grown edible flowers from a store.
- Before putting any flowers or greenery on a cake or baked good, check to make sure it is non-toxic. For example, oleander flowers and leaves are extremely poisonous. They should NEVER be used to decorate any food. You can check an extensive list HERE.
- I used geraniums, jasmine and garbanzo bean leaves on my mother’s cake below. Roses and rose leaves are very pretty, too.
Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe (Chocolate Beet Cake)
adapted from a recipe by Lenna on Allrecipes-UK/Ireland (printable recipe below)
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
Prepare two, 8″ or 9″ baking pans (or one, 9×13″); butter and flour them well.
Puree the beets in a food processor along with the eggs, vanilla, oil and the sugar.
In a large bowl, place the dry ingredients, then add the pureed mixture.
Beat with an electric or stand mixer on low speed until well combined.
Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until done a a tester (or skewer) comes out clean.
Remove from pans after a few minutes and allow to cool completely on racks. You can tell from the photo that this is definitely a moist chocolate cake recipe that works!
Meanwhile, make the buttercream frosting by beating the butter until soft, then adding the sugar, cocoa, 1/4 cup (2 oz) coffee and salt, and mixing until creamy and smooth. Continue to add more coffee until a soft, spreadable, or pipable consistency is reached.
Cut the tops off the cake to make them level, you can see photos on this post. Place one layer of the moist chocolate cake on a serving plate and spread some buttercream on top. Alternatively, pipe some frosting around the perimeter first, if you’d like to leave the sides “naked.”
Then spread more frosting over the middle of the moist chocolate cake.
Place the second layer on top and add more frosting.
Decorate as desired. Sometimes I put some almond crunch pieces on the sides and make frosting rosettes, with a pattern on top.
And here is my Mum’s birthday cake again. I smoothed the top with a hot spatula and then made a pattern with a knife: easy peasy, but also impressive.
Flowers are always good for hiding any imperfections, too!
All that’s left to do is to slice away and enjoy! I hope you like this moist chocolate cake recipe and sign up for more of my free recipes below.
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The Very Best, Most Delicious and Moist Chocolate Cake You'll Ever Taste (with a Surprise Ingredient: Beets)!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 2 large beets cooked, cooled beets (I like baking them in foil to keep them dry)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 16 oz oil (I used olive oil and avocado oil)
- 5 eggs
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp baking soda
- ⅜ tsp salt
- 9 Tbsp cocoa powder dark unsweetened, good quality (I used Barry)
Mocha Buttercream Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup butter at room temperature
- 4 cups confectioner’s sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder unsweetened, good quality
- ¼ to ⅓ cup strong coffee cold
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
- Prepare two, 8″ or 9″ baking pans (or one, 9×13″); butter and flour them well.
- Puree the beets in a food processor along with the eggs, vanilla, oil and the sugar.
- In a large bowl, place the dry ingredients, then add the pureed mixture.
- Beat with an electric or stand mixer on low speed until well combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until done a a tester (or skewer) comes out clean.
- Remove from pans after a few minutes and allow to cool completely on racks.
- Meanwhile, make the buttercream frosting by beating the butter until soft, then adding the sugar, cocoa, ¼ cup (60 ml) coffee and salt, and mixing until creamy and smooth. Continue to add more coffee until a soft, spreadable, or pipable consistency is reached.
- Cut the tops off the cake to make them level (see notes). Place one layer of the moist chocolate cake on a serving plate and spread some buttercream on top.
- Place the second layer on top and decorate as desired with the frosting and other decorations, if desired (I put some almond crunch pieces on the sides.)
Notes
- Skip the frosting on the outside for a lower-calorie cake.
- Use this post for guidance on cutting the cake layers
Nutrition
Here’s another chocolatey recipe with bananas hiding inside from my friend Serena:
double chocolate banana bread!
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I have always wanted to try a chocolate cake with beets, I have always heard that they are incredibly moist and delicious. This is a good recipe to hold onto!
Thanks, Andi! I hope you can try it one day, it’s really a treat!
Well, it’s “mental healthy” at least! Looks wonderful and I have loved beets in my chocolate cakes since I was a kid! And Mayo. And zucchini! Bring it all on!
Love it! Thanks, David!
Nothing has changed in four years! I still love chocolate cake in any way, shape, or form! The one you made for your mother is stunningly beautiful. But, that does not surprise me…
Awww, you’re so sweet, David! Thank you so much! :)
You know how to tempt us with the best moist chocolate, don’t you? Christina, this looks delicious and love the colour of the batter – or is that beeter ;-) ? I was going to say let’s put some beet and chocolate macarons on top but that would be OTT for such a perfect cake!
No way, I’ve already gone OTT with the all that buttercream, so throw them on!! ;)
Uh, ho… beets. The one foodstuff in the whole world I detest. And I’ve eaten things like deep fried ants and curried rat…. BUT I have to say, if there’s a recipe that might actually get me to enjoy them, this might be the one! Have to imagine the beets provide a kind of earthy background, not too noticeable on their own?
(And your cake decorating skills are just amazing, btw!)
That’s funny, Frank! I didn’t think you hated anything ;) I don’t like them unless they’re pickled (no added sugar) or in this cake! :)
Oh my, I am not a chocolate person, but you might convert me with this cake. Looks absolutely amazing!
I wouldn’t put so much frosting on the cake if I was to entice you with it Cathy, as I know you’re not big into sweets, but I bet I could do it! :)
The cake, like the story, sounds fabulous! I love the retro styling (of course) and really, really want to give it a whirl! I think cakes are healthy for the mind, and beetroots I am sure are good for the soul, so hurrah! Thanks for sharing both the cake, and the story (sorry about your hair) x
That is an awesome quote: “Cakes are healthy for the mind, and beetroot are good for the soul!” haha! Love it! I’m glad you have a sense of humour! Yes, unfortunately, my hair has a mind of it’s own! :(
Looks amazing! (sorry Tony!)
That’s funny, Lee! You remembered from the crab cakes!
Please don’t big-up how virtuous this cake is. It contains well over two pounds of sugar and a huge amount of fat from the oil and butter. It may be delicious, but it is very far from being “healthy”, as you claim.
Pete, my sarcasm has obviously been lost on you. I thought the “ha ha” made it clear, in case anyone thought I was being serious, but clearly it wasn’t enough. Sorry I wasn’t more transparent; I am not claiming this is a “healthy” cake at all.