Make mini chocolate beet cakes with cream cheese frosting. This recipe can also be used to make a chocolate beet sheet cake with cream cheese frosting if you prefer.
I made this chocolate beet cake that I had been eyeing ever since Joy the Baker posted the recipe.
I love assembling layer cakes. That's my favourite part when I'm making cakes because I find the stacking part very satisfying.
The cake is fantastic, moist, not too dense, quite chocolaty, and not too sweet. Plus, there are vegetables hidden in it! I love the fact that it's moist without having to add vegetable oil or shortening to the batter.
The frosting is a simple cream cheese frosting, need I say more. I think tangy, but sweet cream cheese frosting goes so well with chocolate cake. I love the color contrast of the creamy white frosting on the dark cake. It looks sophisticated, and it tastes great.
Roasting beets to use in a cake
For this recipe, I roasted a few beets (about 5 or 6 small ones) in a 375°F oven for about an hour in a foil packet with a little oil. I let the beets cool a little, and then I peeled and grated them. Be sure to grate them as finely as possible for the cake batter.
Mini chocolate beet cakes with cream cheese frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate beet cake
- 250 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 75 grams (⅔ cup) Cacao Barry extra brute cocoa powder
- 5 mL (1 teaspoon) baking soda
- 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) baking powder
- 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- 200 grams (1½ cups) grated beets
- 170 grams (¾ cups) unsalted butter room temperature
- 200 grams (1 cup) light brown sugar
- 170 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 5 mL (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- 310 mL (1¼ cup) buttermilk (1 % fat)
Cream cheese frosting
- ½ cup (½ cup) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup (½ cup) Philadelphia cream cheese (full fat, regular) room temperature
- 2 cups (2 cups) icing sugar
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
- 1 teeny-tiny pinch citric acid or ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- 15 mL (1 tablespoon) whole milk (3.25 % fat) up to 30 mL (2 tablespoons)
Instructions
To make the chocolate beet cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 10×15-inch rimmed sheet pan by greasing it and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Set it aside for later.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set it aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugars until they are well combined on medium-low.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the vanilla and beat again.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk and the grated beets. Continue mixing and scraping down the bowl until the batter is well mixed.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake it for about 40 minutes or until a cake tester poked through the center of the cake comes out clean. The cake will begin to pull away from the sides of the pan when it is done.
- Let the cake cool completely before proceeding.
To make the cream cheese frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.
- With the mixer on low, add the other ingredients, except the milk. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue beating. Thin the frosting out with 1–2 tablespoon of milk, as needed, to achieve the desired consistency.
To assemble
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. With a 3-inch cake ring or round cookie butter, cut out 16 rounds of cake. Note one will be made of cake scraps.
- For each mini cake, place one layer of cake on the baking sheet. Top with a tablespoon or so of frosting, spread evenly, then another round of cake (pressed down gently) and then another tablespoon of frosting. Repeat with the other rounds of cake to make 8 miniature layer cakes.
Torviewtoronto says
looks wonderful I too have tried a beet chocolate cake and it is delicious
Maggie says
What a wonderful idea! I made a red velvet cake recently, at request of a friend, and cringed the whole time I was putting the red food coloring in the batter. I wondered if I could make it using beets instead, and I guess this answers my question! With a lot less cocoa powder I think this would turn out red. Great recipe and gorgeous photos!
Kiri W. says
Now these are adorable! I've heard about beet chocolate cake, but never tired it. Looks delicious!
Rachel @ Bakerita says
This looks so yummy!! I've been wanting to try this since Joy posted it as well, and I'm glad it got your seal of approval!
Jeannie says
This is so beautiful and looks so delicious! I like the fact there isn't any red colouring in it.
Eve says
Hehe I too got uberly inspired by Joy's lovely beet cake! I just used it as my first ever post in fact - sweeteves.wordpress.com although the pictures aren't nearly as gorgeous as yours. 🙂 And I have to admit, I've never tried cream cheese and chocolate for some reason! I'm planning on making whoopie pies soon and your cakelets look so delicious - I might just have to give the combo a try then!
- Eve
Jan says
Congrats on the new blog! I'll check it out soon 🙂
sweetie says
hello! lovely job on the layer cake. what does "2 cups (250 grams) INGREDIENT" mean in the ingredients list?
Jan says
Thanks! Sorry about that mistake. It actually was supposed to say flour, but flour is already on there. I'll delete that!
[email protected] says
What a lovely cake! I adore beets and am addicted to chocolate, so this is perfect for me. I am going to think of it as a nice chocolate salad 🙂
Bailey Ana says
This looks delish! I'm a big fan of Joy the Baker but I haven't tried any of her recipes yet. Maybe this one will be the first.
Beautiful
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