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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Sounds like a great birthday celebration — and I love those full on English breakfasts! Enjoyed quite a few of those while backpacking through England back in 2013. Looove that this cake has beets in it! Pinning!
I love that you called it a “full on English breakfast” instead of a full English! It truly is that! :) I read a study that states that eating a full English breakfast helps you to lose weight! That’s my kind of diet! :)
This is beautiful! I’ve never used beets in baking before, but the texture of this cake looks like pure perfection! I really need to try it!
Your really should, Annie! Thanks!!
Oh wow, the color and texture of this cake is amazing, I seriously cannot wait to try it! Love that it’s packed full of healthy fats, too instead of vegetable oil. Bodiam Castle looks incredible, by the way. I definitely need to visit someday.
Yes, it’s definitely a keeper, Kimberly! I hope you can visit Bodiam one day; your kids would LOVE it!
Made this for my husbands birthday . This cake is very moist , will be making it again.
Lovely, Jean! So happy to hear it! Happy belated birthday to your husband too; he’s a lucky man! :)
Whoa, you may have just turned me into a beet lover! Usually I hate them, but paired with chocolate?? Sign me up! This cake looks so moist and amazing.
Oh yeah, you don’t even taste them in this cake, Elizabeth! Thank you for stopping by!
I think cakes are healthy for the mind, and beetroots I am sure are good for the soul, so hurrah! Thanks for sharing to others!
Thank YOU! :)
What a beautiful chocolate cake! I love the deepened flavor added by the beets! Exceptionally decorated too! I can’t wait to make this cake and thank you for sharing the recipe. I’m glad that I just found you on Memorie de Angelina blog!
Oh thank you, Roz! I’m so sorry I didn’t see this comment until now as this was sent into my spam folder, for some reason. You are very kind, and I’ve taken a peek at your lovely site, too! Gorgeous photos! I know we have a lot in common since we both follow Frank!
Keep in touch! CC
Beautiful cake and I think that beets are such a great addition making the cake oh so moist. Your cake is really beautiful Christina.
Thank you so much, Suzanne!