You Can’t Beet this Cake

No, it is not a typo, you read it right, I wrote “beet” in the title of the post. Yep, there is beet in the cake!
Can you believe it?!?! So couldn’t we! If no one tells, you would probably not know there was beet in this nice and chocolaty cake!

As I was making the cake:
Matheus: mommy, what are you making?
Me: cake!
Matheus: chocolate cake?
Me: yes, it is a Chocolate Beet Cake!
Matheus: (looking at me, smiling like I was crazy) Ahhh, silly mommy, you can’t put beets in cakes!
Me: Yes you can! Don’t we make carrot cakes?
Matheus: Yes!
Me: So, I am making a beet cake today!
Matheus: is it really a chocolate cake?
Me: Yes!
Matheus: Yummy, I love chocolate cake!

And he sure liked this one. Especially the glaze, he actually asked if he could eat a second piece, but just the glaze part! The husband also liked it a lot (and the glaze too!), and I actually ended up mentioning the beet to him, just to get a real review of the recipe. He said he would never guess about the beets in it, he could not taste it (although I could), and happily finished his piece of chocolate cake!
The method for this cake is actually the way we make Brazilian-style carrot cakes, however, we do not use the cocoa in the batter and the cake turns out a nice shade of orange, and it is commonly topped with a chocolate glaze. I will post a picture and recipe for the carrot cake here soon.
Now I have to get to the news… I am going to Brazil! Yes, again!! And no, this is not common. We normally go for Christmas time and my family came to visit us in July. However this year they are not coming and we are probably not going in December, so we decided to go now.
Matheus has been asking to go to Brazil again since we got back in January, so the husband finally gave off the multiple requests and decided to send the two of us for a little vacation (hubby has to work… no Brazil for him this time, sniff!). We are leaving this week and will be back in July.
I made lots of recipes this past two weeks, and have been meaning to come here and post, but between the end of school year and the trip I ended up not having much time and inspiration to write. But I guess I will have time in Brazil, so I will keep posting from there and adding the new recipes as we go.
Until then, I hope you enjoy our chocolate cake too!
Ana

Chocolate Beet Cake
1 large beet (or 2 small), raw, peeled and chopped into pieces
4 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup canola oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cocoa

Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Put beet, eggs, sugar, oil and cocoa in a blender and mix until smooth and liquidy, and there is no large pieces of beets remaining.
Pour batter in a large bowl, add flours and baking powder, and mix well with a wooden spoon until everything is incorporated. Pour batter into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Chocolate Glaze:
In a saucepan put 1 cup sugar, ¾ cups cocoa, 1 tablespoon butter, and ½ cup milk. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and immediately pour over cake.