Moist Chocolate Beet Cake (Gluten-free)
This gluten-free chocolate beet cake is rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey, with beet purée giving the cake a tender texture and beautiful color. The pink cream cheese frosting adds a fresh contrast and turns a simple chocolate cake into something special.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 and ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 medium beets (200g)
- ⅓ cup natural oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chunks, optional
For the pink cream cheese frosting:
- 7 ounces cream cheese (200g), softened at room temperature
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter (80g), softened at room temperature
- ½ cup and 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- Drops of beet juice or red food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch Springform Cake Pan (22cm). Set aside.
- Boil or steam the unpeeled beets until tender. Peel them while they are still warm, then process until completely smooth. Measure 200g of beet purée for the cake and reserve a little beet juice if you are using it to color the frosting.
- Whisk gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the oil and sugar together. Add the beet purée and mix until combined.. Add beetroot puree and mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then mix in the vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients along with the buttermilk and mix until the batter is wellincorporated. Stop mixing as soon as everything comes together.
- If using chocolate chips or chunks, fold them in with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake turns out clean with no batter streaks. Let cool before removing it from the pan.
- When the cake is completely cold, spread the pink cream cheese frosting.
For the pink cream cheese frosting:
- Beat the softened cream cheese, softened butter, sifted powdered sugar, and a few drops of beet juice or red food coloring until smooth and creamy with an electric mixer. A small amount can create a soft pink shade, while a little more will give you a deeper color.
- Refrigerate the frosting for at least 20 minutes before spreading it over the completely cooled cake.
Notes
Storing: Store the cake in the refrigerator for several days or freeze it in an airtight container.
Frosting Colour: Add the frosting color gradually. Whether you use beet juice or food coloring, start with a few drops and add more until you reach the shade you want.