Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I belong to a CSA–community supported agriculture–where I purchase a “share” or a portion of the crops grown by a local farm.  Organic, fresh vegetables and fruits are delivered to my door once a week, and it is always an exciting surprise to see what will be in my delivery each week.  When beets arrived in my order, I decided to try something a little different: I made dessert!

I found a recipe for Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting in Cooking Light magazine, and I was intrigued.  Essentially, the recipe is like a carrot cake, but it uses beets in place of the carrots.  I was amazed as I prepared the cake batter: it was bright pink!  But as it baked, it turned to a muted brown instead.  I baked the batter in cupcake pans rather than cake pans, and it turned out just fine.

The flavor of the cake was very mild.  In fact, the beet flavor was complete overwhelmed by the orange flavor of the citrus cream cheese frosting.  Several friends suggested that a goat cheese frosting might complement the beet flavor a little better rather than overwhelming it, so I include a Goat Cheese Frosting recipe here, as well, though I haven’t tested it yet.  (If you try it, let me know how it tastes!)

Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

From Cooking Light Magazine March 2001

Ingredients

Cake:

1  pound  beets (about 2 medium)

Cooking spray

2/3  cup  granulated sugar

2/3  cup  packed dark brown sugar

1/2  cup  vegetable oil

2  large eggs

2 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour

2  teaspoons  baking powder

1  teaspoon  ground ginger

1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1/2  teaspoon  baking soda

1/4  teaspoon  salt

1/2  cup  1% low-fat milk

Frosting:

2  teaspoons  grated orange rind

1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

1  (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled

3  cups  sifted powdered sugar

2  tablespoons  finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, peel beets using a vegetable peeler. Grate beets, using the large holes of a grater, to measure 2 cups.

Coat 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper with cooking spray.

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add beets; beat well. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pans; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Carefully peel off parchment paper, and cool cake completely on wire racks.

To prepare frosting, beat orange rind, vanilla, and cream cheese with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat).

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting; top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle nuts over top of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator.

Goat Cheese Frosting (as an alternative to the citrus cream cheese frosting)

Ingredients

10  ounce  fresh, mild chèvre (goat cheese), at room temperature

8  ounces  cream cheese, at room temperature

2  tablespoons  unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon  vanilla extract

2  cups  powdered sugar

Directions

Beat goat cheese, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until combined.