This recipe comes form Martha Stewart. Instead of making a ganache for the top, I made a simple buttercream frosting and used the reserved beet water form boiling to make it a dusty rose pink colour. This cake is moist, decadent, and full of beets!
Ingredients
3-4beetspeeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
2cupsall-purpose flour
1 1/2cupssugar
1/2cupunsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2teaspoonsbaking soda
Salt
2large eggs
3/4cupreserved beet waterfrom boiling the beets
1/4cupneutral tasting oil
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Pink Buttercream Frosting
1/4cupunsalted butter, softened
1cupicing sugar
1-2tspreserved beet water
Instructions
Cover beets with water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until very tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife, about 20 - 30 minutes. Drain, and save that beet water! It's good for drinking, and I use a little bit to colour the buttercream frosting. Puree beets in a food processor until smooth.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, water, oil, vanilla, and 1 1/4 cups beet puree (reserve remaining puree for another use).
Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
Prepare buttercream by creaming butter and icing sugar. Add reserved beet water until desired consistency (I used only about 1 1/2 tsp).