Chocolate Beet Cake

Yield: 10-12 Servings

Accumulating beets? This moist cake can win the hearts of those who don't even like beets! It comes from the Farmer John's Cookbook and is recommended by garden members.

Ingredients
oil and flour for preparing the cake pan
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 and 3/4 cup sugar
2 cups pureed cooked beets (about 3 medium beets)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly coat a 10-cup Bundt pan or two loaf pans with oil and dust with flour.
2. Partially fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer. Put the chocolate and 1/4 cup of the oil in the top of the double boiler. Heat just until the chocolate melts; remove from heat and stir until well combined.
3. Combine the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in the remaining 3/4 cup oil, chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla.
4. Sift the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat pastry flour into a large bowl. Stir in the baking soda and salt. Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg and chocolate mixture just until flour is mixed in. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes for the Bundt or 25 minutes in the loaf pan. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
6. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and let cool on the rack. When completely cool, dust with powdered sugar.