Heartbeet Chocolate Cake
A deeply moist, gluten-free chocolate cake made with beet purée and almond flour, finished with a glossy chocolate glaze.
⏱️ Prep: 60 min🍳 Cook: 50 min
Ingredients
| 4 | medium beets, scrubbed | |
| 2 Tbsp | 30 ml | virgin coconut oil, plus more for pan |
| 1/2 cup | 120 ml | Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for pan |
| 1 1/2 cups | 360 ml | almond flour |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | baking soda |
| 1/2 tsp | 2.5 ml | ground cinnamon |
| 2 oz | 57 g | bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (cake) |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | vanilla extract (cake) |
| 4 | large eggs | |
| 1 1/4 cups | 300 ml | light brown sugar (packed) |
| 1 tsp | 5 ml | kosher salt (cake) |
| 4 oz | 115 g | bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (glaze) |
| 1 Tbsp | 15 ml | virgin coconut oil (glaze) |
| 1/4 tsp | 1.3 ml | vanilla extract (glaze) |
| 1 pinch | kosher salt (glaze) | |
| — | gold luster dust (optional, for serving) |
Instructions
- Cook beets in a medium pot of boiling unsalted water until tender, 30–40 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, cut off the stem end, peel and cut into large pieces. Transfer to a blender with 2 Tbsp water and blend, adding water 1 Tbsp at a time as needed, until a smooth purée forms (like applesauce). Measure out 1 cup purée (reserve the rest for another use).
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8" round cake pan with parchment. Grease with oil, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
- Whisk almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and the remaining ½ cup cocoa powder in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Heat the 2 oz chocolate and remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring often, until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar, vanilla and reserved 1 cup beet purée until smooth.
- Beat eggs, brown sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until more than tripled in volume and the mixture holds a ribbon for several seconds when the beater is lifted, 5–7 minutes. Thorough beating is key to a light, aerated crumb in this gluten-free cake.
- Pour the chocolate-beet mixture into the egg mixture and beat on medium-low until combined. Turn the mixer off, gently tip in the dry ingredients and beat on the lowest speed, scraping down as needed, until combined.
- Transfer batter to the prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back, 45–50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges, then invert onto a wire rack to cool.
- Glaze: Heat chocolate, oil, vanilla and salt in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, stirring often, until melted. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until thickened and cool enough to touch, 10–15 minutes.
- Place the rack with the cake on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour glaze over the center to cover the top, tilting slightly to encourage a few drips down the sides. Sprinkle with luster dust if using. Let sit at room temperature until set, 2–3 hours.
- Do Ahead: Cake (without luster dust) can be glazed 2 days ahead; cover and store at room temperature.