Colleen sent several of us a link to this blog that she had stumbled upon, which, at the time, had an interesting recipe front and center for a chocolate cake made with beet puree. Jenny expressed extreme distaste for and disbelief about the quality of the recipe, claiming a chocolate cake made with beets could never be good. Her exact words were "But seriously, did you notice the first recipe on that blog - chocolate beet cake -- why ruin chocolate like that! I can't believe that it would actually be good?!"
That sounded like a challenge to me! I knew it was only a matter of time before I gave it a try...
This is a pretty basic chocolate cake, with a spice cake twist from the cinnamon and nutmeg. I don't think that anyone eating the final product would have guessed that beets were in there, unless they had seen the maroon-y color of the batter prior to being baked. The beets lend a great moistness to the cake, much like adding carrots, applesauce, bananas, or some other sweet fruit or veggie to a cake or bread. Maybe it could be a little more chocolate-y for my taste, but otherwise it was really good. Jennifer suggested that perhaps a magenta beet frosting or glaze would be a nice addition.
I don't think Jenny will accept the results of this experiment as valid until she gets a slice of her own, so I'll have to remake the cake next time I get together with her. Doubting Jenny, be prepared!