Hey Dude (that I’m currently dating),
We need to talk. It’s about your mother.
Mostly… it’s about how I need to meet your mother. We’ve been carrying on for a while now… and I need to meet the lady that birthed you, clothed you, slapped you upside the head, and made you the awesome man you are now. If I don’t meet her soon, she will surely think me some sort of hussy harlot who was born in a barn and doesn’t much care for other people’s mothers. This is not the case. I care about most mothers, often.
It’s a lady thing that perhaps you don’t understand. I need to be nervous. I need to bite off all my nails. I need to agonize over the perfect outfit that will make me look sophisticated, but sweet and approachable, womanly without being more womanly that her. I need the outfit that says I can damn well take care of myself, and keep her dear and darling son in line for the rest of his life. It’s a fine fine fiiiine line.
I need to let your mother look me up and down in examination. I need to stand there and let her envision me as her daughter-in-law. I need to eat her casserole, express my desire for the recipe… then I need to do her dishes.
I need to let her tell me how to do things that I already know how to do, like make a pie, and pluck my eyebrows. We need to watch 60 Minutes together. She in her recliner, me sitting on the floor. I need to offer to bring dessert. She’ll make a face when it’s being served, and enjoy it despite herself. It’s all a dance. Every moment of it. It’s all a test… because mothers do not let their sons go quietly… they let them go passive aggressively.
Lastly, she needs to see that I make you happy. That’s where you come in. Don’t act weird. Well, don’t act weirder than you usually act. Be natural… and put your arm around me once in a while. It’s your job to make sure that no one gets a third glass of wine. That’s when things get weird.
It’s also your job NOT to tell your mother that there are beets in the cake I’m serving for dessert. That will be our little secret. Unless she loves it… then I’m taking all the glory.
Cool.
Love,
Joy
Quite right. This chocolate cake is chocked full of roasted beets.
Beets are trimmed of their greens (which are delicious sauteed) and roasted whole in foil and just a touch of oil. You know… like you’re making a beet salad, but you’re totally making cake.
Besides beets, this cake also has the usual cake- y suspects: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, powder, and salt.
I love preparing cake pans for baking. Something about the ritual just calms me.
Parchment paper rounds (that are cut by hand) totally ensure that the cake will come out of the pan in one piece. It’s an extra bit of work, but I love the insurance.
Roasted beets are cooled and peeled (which is easy… not to worry), and grated on the fine side of a box grater.
If you’re wondering about beet stained hands… yes, I had two. They eventually wash clean.
Beets add moisture and sweetness to the cake. Beets do not make the cake taste like a salad. That’s an important thing to know.
The cake batter will be a purple color, but will bake into a moist chocolate cake with no trace of beets.
Let’s talk about frosting. Butter and cream cheese are left at room temperature until soft. They’re beaten with powdered sugar, vanilla, and a squeeze of lemon.
Beets, too! Beets, shredded and mashed add a slight sweetness and intense color to the frosting. It’s all you need for food coloring. It’s delightful and delicious. And again… it does not taste like salad.
You may have a few beet strands in your frosting as you decorate the cake. Think of it as nature’s sprinkles.
… I can’t believe I just typed that.
I’m sorry.
I want you to fall in love with this cake. I did.
The cake itself is moist and chocolate-y. It’s not too sweet either! Bonus. The frosting is bright pink, speckled with beet bits, and creamy sweet.
No one would ever know this cake is chocked full of vegetables. We can just keep that little bit of information between us. Secret ingredient power!
Pssst… Valentine’s Day Cake! I’m just sayin…
Chocolate Beet Cake with Beet Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes one 8 or 9-inch layer cake
adapted from Fine Cooking November 2001
For the Cake:
2 medium beets, unpeeled but trimmed of their greens
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pans
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
2/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
For the Frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces (1 brick) cream cheese, softened
4 to 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons finely grated beets, mashed with a fork
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or scrapings of one vanilla bean pod
1-2 teaspoons milk, depending on desired consistency
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
pinch of salt
Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Thoroughly wash beets under running water, and trim their leaves, leaving about 1/2 inch of stem. Place clean beets in a piece of foil. Drizzle with just a bit of vegetable oil. Seal up foil. Place on a baking sheet in the oven. Roast until beets are tender when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.
Remove the beets from the oven. Open the foil and allow beets to cool completely. Beets will be easy to peel (just using a paring knife) once completely cooled.
Using a box grater, grate the peeled beets on the finest grating plane. Measure 3/4 cup of grated beets for the cake and 2 tablespoons for the frosting. Set aside.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Use butter to grease two 8 or 9-inch round baking pans. Trace a piece of parchment paper so it is the same size as the bottom of the cake pan. Cut it out and place inside the cake pan. Butter the parchment paper. Add a dusting of flour to coat the pan. Set pans aside while you prepare the cake.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, for one minute after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Once eggs are incorporated, beat in beets and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter and egg mixture. Beating on low speed , slowly add the buttermilk. Once just incorporated, add the other half of the dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed until milk and dry ingredients are just incorporated. Try not to overmix the batter. Bowl can be removed from the mixer and mixture folded with a spatula to finish incorporating ingredients. Cake batter will be on the thick side… not pourable.
Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes (for a 9-inch pan) or 30-32 minutes (for an 8-inch pan). Cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting and assembling the cake.
To make the Frosting:
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese for 30 seconds, until pliable and smooth. Add the butter and beat for another 30 seconds, until well combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl as necessary. Beat in the beets. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, milk, lemon juice, and salt. Beat on medium speed until smooth and silky. Refrigerate the frosting for 30 minutes before frosting the cooled cakes.
To assemble the cake, place one layer of cake on a cake stand or cake plate. Top with a generous amount of pink frosting. Spread evenly. Place the other cake on top of the frosting. Top with frosting. Work frosting onto the sides of the cake. You will have extra frosting left over. Refrigerate for an hour before serving (it will make the cake easier to slice). Cake will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.
Rita
Joy, I made this cake a couple of times last year, and I’m making it as I type. But more important, it was the inspiration for my wedding cake! We had a simple wedding / dinner with with fifty friends and family members after hours at our favorite restaurant in town, and a chocolate beet cake is the one we cut! Thank you for this recipe and for having shaped me into the baker I am today.
Isabel Manley
I want to make this recipe but your letter disgustingly sexist. I will go else for a beet cake recipe :(
joythebaker
Honestly, chill out. Make the cake or don’t.
bhumika
Hi…made your beetroot cake..it turned out amazing..everyone loved it…can i just do beetroot buttercream frosting with lemon in it…my hubby does not like cream cheese..
Laurie J Krotz
Can you use canned beets instead? This cake looks amazing and I happen to have the canned ones on hand.
joythebaker
Probably if you drain them, but I would recommend fresh
Anita
Can I make this into cupcakes? And will it freeze well?
joythebaker
Yes and yes
Stephanie
Ok I just made this. It’s sitting in the fridge waiting for my husband’s birthday dinner tonight. I went with a chocolate buttercream icing (simply because if isn’t have enough cream cheese in the fridge). Hopefully it tastes as delicious as it looks and smells!
I also got lazy and threw the beets in the food processor instead of grating them by hand. Worked great and I didn’t have to worry about red beet juice getting everywhere.
Jessica Hughes
What a great (and natural) way to color frosting. Some bakeries don’t make red velvet cake because of the unnatural food coloring, but I wonder if this is the sought-after solution! Who would have thought that a vegetable could make a cake more delicious? Wonderful.
Sherry
So glad I could find this after seeing it used by a contestant on a baking show. She won due to the moisture of her cake! Thanks for posting this even if I’m years behind!
joythebaker
very cool!
LaVerne Rodgers
I made it and it’s delicious. The frosting is especially sinful!
MythVin
I baked the cake today and it who’s soo good, I followed the recipe as is, the only concern I had was that the cake was not very fluffy. Could you tell me why this happened?
Neha Sharma
wow just awesome recipe.. the chocolate and beet cream combination sounds really delicious and yumm.. and i’m so making this recipe today itself..
Al
Wow, I love the color of the frosting. You could paint with that color. The cake was moist as well. I think the beets I bought were too large because it took much longer to bake them (but it was worth it!)
swfabroad
Well my icing looked nothing like that- no milk and 5 cups of sugar- but will still so pretty!
Laksmi
Hi Joy! I just made this cake, and it’s surprisingly has a very soft texture despite using all purpose flour instead of cake flour. But i keep wondering if the sugar measurement in the frosting is correct. It is said to be 4 to 5 cups of powdered sugar. I tried using less than 1 cup, with 1/2 portions of the crean cheese and butter, and it’s sweet already. I wonder how sweet it would be if i use 4 to 5 cups of sugar. Or is it supposed to be very sweet?
patelpuja
Ummm…. thanks. :) I will print that out and read it again… slowly. :)
thanks!!!
Amaryllis @ thetastyother.com
Sooo love this recipe- and the words that come with it. So so much!
alex
How many beets should I add if I *want* the cake to taste a little beet-y? :D
Azu
These look so good! I love the color of the glaze. Your tablecloth is so pretty!
kirsten
The cake was really easy to put together. It smells so yummy baking, alot of cocoa smell in our house! But my only complaint so far (i haven’t got to the frosting yet, ) it’s that my 9″ round cake took well over an hour to bake. I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait in the end! !!!!!
Sally Andrews
Hi there – any suggestions on how to adjust the recipe if I am trying to feed about 40?
Lana
Hi Joy darling! What a lovely recipe, so excited to give it a whirl. Trying my hand at baking, learning slowly yet with great excitement! Your inspiring treats help to propel me past the frustrations that accompany learning and practicing any new skill! In reference to this recipe, just had a few questions:
1) I don’t have an electric stand mixer (broke student–maybe next year!) should i simply use a whisk to cream the butter and sugar or can i use my food processor?
2) Can I swap out either white or whole spelt flour for the all purpose flour or is it absolutely crucial that I use all purpose flour specifically? How might this substitution affect the end product in comparison?
3) I live in Jerusalem and haven’t come across any ready made buttermilk, I vaguely recall seeing a recipe online for making your own buttermilk out of milk and vinegar…what is your take on this?
4) And any way I can use exclusively brown sugar or is it important to integrate granulated as well? Why?
Thanks for your delightful written and audio contributions to my days!
warmly, Lana
Meg
Okay I have to ask.. I’m making beet red velvet cupcakes decorated like bob the tomato for my daughter’s veggie tales birthday party next month. Red frosting is crucial, but I hate how much food dye it would take. Could I add more beet juice and mix in cocoa powder to get red frosting??
joythebaker
Unfortunately it won’t ever get really red that way. It’ll just become a dark fuchsia or magenta color.
Julie
I made this cake last night. LOVE! The frosting compliments the chocolate beautifully, and it’s just so pretty to look at.
Jen Vander
Love your BLOG and agree 100% with the MIL commentary.
Rebecca Wheeler
I’m guessing (hoping) that you are still baking, Joy dearest…but are you still blogging?! Your witty banter is hilarious! I’m thinking you could, in your spare time, start video taping your cooking/baking and then offer classes online. At any rate I’m trying this Beet chocolate cake, “Beets do not make the cake taste like a salad.” And repeating that line as I go with a hardy har har…
Baking By Night
Joy, I made this cake and it was an absolute hit with my family! I especially love the gorgeous pink colour the frosting gets from the beets. Thank you!
Katie Cochran
I made the chocolate beet cake (and super yummy frosting) last weekend for Valentine’s Day and it was a complete success!!! Thank you for your clear instructions and lovely photos. My husband and I had a blast using our stand mixer (wedding gift!) for the first time. (He was so impressed.) We took the cake to his mom’s house and the whole family loved it. I will definitely be making it again. And visiting your blog often!
Janet
Your cake looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! I am going to make them into cupcakes and I was wondering if you can (or ever have) frozen them if you are making them in advance? Please let me know. Thanks!
Kelly
Hello! I just found this, and it looks incredible! I want to make it for my daughter’s 2nd birthday party next week. We don’t do artificial colors so it is PERFECT! I have a question, though. We are expecting maybe 19 adults and 6 kids. Do you think it will be enough? I don’t really want to make 2 cakes, but what about turning it into a 3-layer 9″ cake? Do you think I could just do 50% more on all the cake ingredients? And do you think there would be enough frosting to cover 3 layers?? Thanks!!
Ines
Is this not too much sugar for a cakewith beets (already sweet) andwhat about the 5 CUPS in the icing??
inescid
I really want to make this, but isn’t 1 3/4 cups of sugar A LOT considering you’re adding beets which are already very sweet naturally?
Vittoria
Joy, a question….I have heard that red velvet cake originally got it’s color from beets. Is this essentially a red velvet cake? If not, what makes it different? Thanks! It looks so delicious!!
Ella
I don’t know if you will still read comments from this post, but I saw that you cut out your baking paper by hand, and there is totally a better way.. a magic trick that my dad taught me!
If you start with a square of baking paper, fold it like you’re making a paper snowflake (so you have a wedge of paper folded on itself many times) then hold the point of the wedge over the centre of the cake tin and cut off the excess at the edge… BAM, perfect paper circle every time, in ten seconds flat!
This is reeeeally handy when you’re cutting baking paper to line a ring tin. Just snip off the point of the wedge to make a hole in the centre of the paper to go over the raised part of the tin.
Hope this all makes sense!
Also, this recipe looks delicious!! Duh. you are so cool.
Eliz.K
Just for the record, this cake and frosting freezes beautifully in slices and tastes excellent frozen! I’m making one for my husband’s birthday (right now); we love this recipe. Thanks Joy :-)
Hannah
DEELICIOUS! Even my picky, picky brother in law loves it! Thanks for testing and sharing a fabulous recipe.
LIsa Miller
I made this cake into cupcakes this weekend for my sis-in-law’s block par-tay. They were so delicious. The cake is moist and the frosting is pretty & tasty. I’m loving the “veggies secret ingredient” recipes like this cake and black bean brownies, and would love to see more.
Judith
I made this cake today and absolutely loved the cake part (sans frosting). The large amount of cocoa powder really gives it a nice, deep chocolate flavor. I did have to bake it longer than written (about 10 minutes more). The frosting gave me a bit of a problem. It was just TOO sweet! I’m not a real fan of powdered sugar frostings so that should’ve been a flag for me in the beginning. I used less than 4 cups of the powdered sugar and am glad I stopped there. I ended up countering the sweetness with more lemon and greek yogurt (a spur of the moment idea that actually worked – and hey, “healthier” frosting is getting no complaints from me) but if I make this again I would use a different cream cheese frosting (I do like that it’s a cream cheese based frosting – pairs nicely).
Linda Webb
I made this cake yesterday. I couldn’t find any fresh beets in my area so I used canned. I drained cut beets for a good while to get most of the excess liquid out of them and then omitted the salt. The cake is wonderful and reminds me of a red velvet cake. Beware! It’s rich and addictive!!!
Kali
I made these into cupcakes for valentine’s day… that frosting is AMAZING! The cupcakes burned on the top and the bottom after 10 minutes in the oven :-/ I think it was my oven, but i will def. try these again! My boyfriend and I cut off the bottom and added the frosting, it was still yummy ;-) Thank you!
Asha
See. When I have made this for folks in the past (a chocolate beetroot cake that is), they either loved it, or looked at it in a peculiar “whats gone wrong with your chocolate cake” kind of look. Love the cream cheese frosting idea. Yum.
robyn
i love beetroot in cakes.- it just seems cool and like you have put in SO much effort into the cake…which , by all accounts you have. Any mum would be well impressed! x
vanessalillian
I don’t know whether I’m more excited about the cake or the boy with a mother…
The last “first parent-meeting” I had was with my (now former) fiancé’s father. Unfortunately his father’s favourite brother was in the process of dying and he excused himself to speak to the dying brother for the last time during dinner.
What the hell do you say?? Especially when there are only tough, emotionless men there?? Not. Awkward. At. All.
Heather
Too funny, and I really want to try this beautiful cake!
mina kaliakoudas
love what u wrote….love the pixs….n great ideat for Heart Day!!! thnx!
Holly
Joy! I made this cake into cupcakes and brought them to work yesterday… Fooled everyone into thinking they were just some amazing chocolate cupcakes. They were shocked when I announced the secret ingredient. Thanks for helping me trick my boss :) if you’re interested, I posted them on my site today. http://happyfoodhealthylife.com/2013/02/08/you-put-what-in-your-chocolate-cupcakes/
Jillian
I’m currently making this cake! The batter tastes delicious and I’m waiting for the actual cake to come out of the oven! I’m sure it will be a hit!
B Daniel
I love beets, but not chocolate cake, so if it doesn’t taste chocolatety, that would be great.
However, there is just way too much sugar in this cake, beets r supposed to be naturally sweet.
I am diabetic & can’t tolerate sugar. Is there any way to substitute for it?
Angela
So each year I make fancy cakes for people’s birthdays. As my own birthday is coming up, my boyfriend is taking his turn to make me one… I got on a mad rant about wanting a roasted beet cake with some sort of light vanilla-esque icing… This looks delightful, and I enjoy how the beets are incorporated into the frosting as well! Thanks a lot for creating this! I think we plan on putting candied orange peel on top!
šárka
Dear Joy, I just decide to make your Pink Cake, it seems so so delightful, I cannot wait! I wish you all the best, from Czech Republic, Europe!
jen
Thanks for a way to use up my beets. I had high hopes, but this cake was dry and not at all chocolatey tasting. I like beets, and i like cake, but this kinda tasted bleh. Looks pretty though.
Maffy Flaherty
Lovely post, really enjoyed it!
Can’t wait to bake the cake.
x
Nadia Nurtantijo
How many gram of beet that we need ?
Jocelyn
I put about 1/4 cup less white sugar in the cake and about a tablespoon more buttermilk and made these as cupcakes. Used 2 cups of sugar in the frosting instead of 4 or 5 and it ended up amazing (still a good consistency for frosting as well).
Daniel
These ended up becoming amazing cupcakes (they’re cuter and much easier to transport)…Definitely should have made a smaller batch of frosting though. We (girlfriend and myself) even filled the cupcakes with more of the frosting as to simulate the middle layer of the cake. They’re absolutely delicious.
20 minutes for baking works fine for medium sized cupcakes.
Candin
This cake was fabulous. I was impressed at how good it was. A million times better than the chocolate avocado cake I made.
marie r
Hi there! LOVE YOUR BLOG!
Would someone please be able to tell me if I can make a sheet cake using this recipe? I would be using an 18 x 12 sheet cake pan or a slightly smaller jelly roll pan. thank you!
Joy
ok ok, I just found this recipe! I had pureed a bunch of beets for some ice cream I was making, could I use puree instead of grated beets?? Thanks!
Deirdre
Wow just made this recipe and was so pleasantly surprised. Delicious!! So moist and fudgy!
Your ‘Dear Dude’ is also so funny, I love some humour with my chocolate cake!
http://thekitschcook.blogspot.ie/
Anna
Amazing recipe. Made this for my mother’s 75th/Easter last weekend. The cake was great, but the frosting, oh my, I want to make it again and just eat it off the spoon! Fantastic!
Abby
After a bad day I left a totally snarky comment on this post. Talk about awkward moment! So sorry!
Assia
Hi, Joy!
First, congratulations on your new book! I’m so excited for you! Second, I just made your beet cake, but used purple-flesh dragon fruit instead of beets, and it turned out magnificently! Thank you for the idea! Here are some pictures: http://assiaskaleidoscope.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/happy-spring-day-celebrating-in-purple/
Best wishes,
Assia
Jasper
Just made this for my mom’s bday and cannot wait to have it tomorrow! I tasted the batter and it was deeelicious. So excited for the pink frosting too. Thanks Joy you rockkk!
Sarah
Dear Joy, I just made your wonderful cake. Such a good idea and a gorgeous looking cake too! Though I had a little problem: when I added the beets to the frosting it totally curdled and didn’t look too pretty! I didn’t smash the beets with a fork but instead with a hand held blender and mixed in a drop of milk to make it easier.. have you ever had this problem and do you know a solution? Thank you very much!
Roxane
A friend brought this cake in a potluck last week-end… I fall in love. This cake is simply fabulous. And the best thing with it, is that it’s make me discover your crazy, beautiful, spontaneous, delicious site.
Thanks to exist.
Roxane (from Montréal..:)
Tammy White
you’re adorable.
I’m making this recipe for me, today, because it’s my birthday! I’ll let you know how it all turns out.
-Tammy in Vermont
Jennifer
I made this fudgy, delicious cake for my daughter’s 6-and-a-half birthday with beets from our front yard that I’d roasted, pureed and popped in the freezer in the fall. (She gets zucchini chocolate cake for her actual birthday so we only eat sweets with “secret ingredients”.) Substituted avocado for the cream cheese in the icing and the combination of avocado and beets had a wonderful, odd raspberry taste. Another great recipe!
Hope
Just made the cake, minus the chocolate, subbing gluten-free all-purpose flour and earth balance, and still, amazing! I filled it with homemade lime curd and topped it with a beet and lime zest-flavored seven-minute frosting. It’s insane. So good. Thank you!
Rebecca
This recipe is awesome!!! My husband and I made cupcakes out of it, and they’re so amazing… No beet taste! Just moist and chocolatey and amazing. Thanks, Joy!!
Alissa
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I decided to make this cake last weekend and it was really delicious and very moist, just like you said. (I made it in a 9×13 and baked it for about 30 minutes. Since the beets I bought were small, I ended up using 4 of them to get the amount you suggested.) Next time I make it I don’t think I’ll add frosting at all, since it got a bit too sweet for me. Maybe just lightly sprinkle some powdered sugar on it. My friends half-jokingly suggested a beet reduction drizzle. Do you think that could ever work? :)
Kimberly
I made this today for my husband for Valentine’s Day. I hate beets, but I do not taste even the slightest hint of dirt (or beet). I actually just started shoveling the left over frosting in my mouth. I am so excited with the finished product. I put my own homemade candied plum blossoms on top. Man, I should not be so proud of myself for following a recipe, but this is the first cake I’ve ever made and it is AMAZING!
ruth
I have these in the oven now. For those wondering about cupcake yields, I got 24 mini cupcakes and 12 regular size cupcakes. Worked out perfect!
Deepthi
I just made this cake and it’s absolutely delicious! while the frosting is pretty, it’s way way too sweet. I would cut the sugar in half for my tastes.
Beautiful cake though! taking it to work for Valentine’s Day!
Kate D
Any idea what might happen if I don’t roast the beets first? Just wondering if anyone tried it that way…
Lauren from Baklust
Alright, you’ve convinced me. I need to make this cake one day. I’ve been opposed to beet cakes, mostly because beets weird me out, but you just made it look and sound so delicious!
happycooker1
This cake looks yummy, can’t wait to try it!
I am in love with your black transferware plate, is it old or new? If new, who is the manufacturer?
Love your blog and all your recipes!
Amylynn
My roommate Ilma and I just made this and it came out amazing! We made a small cake and 12 cupcakes, since we’re short on cake pans. Also, we used 1 package of steamed beets from Trader Joes. Not as bright as yours but still beautiful! Thank you Joy! We love you <3
pam
two things:
i had beet cake for my wedding cake. it was divine.
i am the possibly future mil and in the “getting to know you” stage with my possibly future dil. the thing i love the most about her is how comfortable she is with herself. sure she’s nervous a little bit but even that is adorable because she comes right out and says, ‘i’m really nervous right now!” then she giggles. and my heart melts. i cannot wait to be her new mommy.
Susan Holding
Hi Joy,
I love your blog. It’s got such a great feel and the photography is so, so great! Have you thought about teaching a food photography, styling class? I’d attend for sure. Photography while cooking is tricky. I’m shooting a 5D and a fugi x100. I think it would be fun. Thanks for your blog.
Susan
Ria
This is a lovely recipe! I was cooking for a group of very health-conscious people, so I made a few modifications: I replaced half of the butter with applesauce and half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour, which worked like a charm. I also wasn’t sure that I would have enough cake for the whole group if I stacked 2 rounds, so I made it in a 9×13 and cooked it for around 35-45 minutes (sorry, don’t remember exactly how long it was). I didn’t have a fine grater, so the chunks of beet were fairly large, but you couldn’t taste them at all.
All in all, the cake was a *little* bit too sweet for my tastes, so I might reduce the sugar the next time I make it. But it was wonderfully moist and delicious, and I definitely plan to make it again in the very near future.
Anne-Lisa
Hi Joy!
Thanks for that beautiful recipe! I never liked beets, but this cake was soooooo good! I also replaced half of the flour with (fresh ground) whole wheat, like Ria suggested and you couldn’t taste neither the beets nor the healthy flour. I ended up with way too much icing, which was too sweet, too. Next time I’ll make less of it.
Have a nice weekend,
Anne-Lisa
Beastie
Dear Joy,
I’ve Pinned your tasty beet cake couple days ago. NOW, it’s time to make it, for the birthday of my daughter Kíra (9). Before starting, can I have some “technical” question?
– How do you convert a cup of powdered sugar into gramms? This is important, because I want to have the right result of the frosting.
– Addig 4 to 5 cups of a powdered sugar sound too much for me….that’s could be too sweet….. or it’s needed to rech a solid state of the cream?
Thanks for the answer…. wait to hear you …. to start the cake, tonight :)
Thanks
Beastie
joythebaker
1 cup of flour is 125 grams. i know this because i googled it.
add enough powdered sugar until it is thick and spreadable. if you need less than 4 cups… that’s great!
Beastie
Thanks for the info. Have a good night .
Seanna Lea
I want this, but I don’t have time to bake until this weekend. Could someone mail me a slice?
nour
this sounds great i wanna try it out, but im confused it says “Makes one 8 or 9-inch layer cake” but in the recipe it says devide into 2 pans ? so should i double the recipe ? if so do i only double the cake or ill need to double the frosting too ??
Jorie
Don’t double the recipe! It makes one 8 or 9in cake, but the cake is formed of two layers, one on top of the other. Got it?
1 recipe is good for 2 layers. I used two 8 in pans..
Sarah @ Spaghetti Blogenese
This cake looks so wonderfully rich and vibrant in colour. I’ve never used beets in a cake before, but am very excited to try this one out. How fun!
Lora
Still giggling over this post. And all so true. But this cake…oh my. I need a slice right now.
Melinda
I was really hoping someone else would have asked the following question, but I guess I’m the only lazy slacker…so, would canned beets work in this recipe instead of fresh? Thanks!
Mallory
I’ve heard of beet chocolate cake before but never in the icing too. How can you go wrong with that color? Gorgeous.
Jorie
Hi-
I MADE THIS CAKE AND IT IS AMAZING.
Let me explain. I do not like beets. I don’t like swiss chard either, no matter how cooked, but my boyfriend went shopping and came home with it. Still attached to the beets. Because he swore I’d like swiss chard cooked his way. So there I was with beets in my fridge. Laughing at me and the money spent on them every time I opened the fridge. Beets are cruel.
Then i saw this recipie and thought “fine, why not… I’ll make it sunday, bring it to work monday. I’ll destroy the Evil Beets money wasting plan and become a hero of the office for the sheer fact I brought in cake, regardless of how bad it is…because there is no way this will be good. It has beets.”
I was wrong. I was so, so wrong. I demolished a quarter of this cake before the end of the night. My boyfriend has a piece everytime he so much as looks at the fridge. Without a doubt my favorite chocolate cake ever. We’ve had a serious discussion about this being a layer of our wedding cake, It’s THAT good.
Do yourself a favor. Turn evil, evil beets into this fairy tale quality cake. and ship me a piece, we’re almost out…
Katherine Duvigneau
Gorgeous recipe. Love this blog. Joy is truly amazing.
lidia@ sugarslut
made this for my sisters 21st birthday, loved it.
though i think i over did it with the icing >.<
that was my fault but none the less the frosting was
amazing so can't really complain!
will me making this again as cupcakes and 1/2 ing
the frosting recipe ;)
Kellie@ Nutritional Therapy Coach
It’s all about the beets and being able to “having our cake and eating it too.”
kelli
http://www.thekitchn.com/baking-with-beets-5-surprisingly-delicious-recipes-165136
I think it was this cake that promoted thekitchn to write this article! Congrats!
Sarah Grace
Wow! Wouldn’t have guessed Beet Cake to look so amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Lana
Uh Muh Guh. I cannot wait to bake this. Will it make cupcakes, also?
JenMarie
Love, love, love this.
Love the color, love that it has veggies in it. Love that it has cocoa in it! Serious. Love.
Caral from SoCal
Joy…I LOVE the tiny flakes as nature’s sprinkles! Why NOT?
And I love the idea of passing off a chocolate cake with vegetables in it as
my Valentine’s present to my veggie-hating husband. Like, doing something
wonderful for him totally wrapped in secrecy.
ummm-hmmm. I need to try this first, of course. Just to make sure! ;)
If THAT mom doesn’t love you, THIS mom already does. And my son is 6’6″, handsome, and
an engineering major. Slight age difference. Who cares?
Maggie
I made this cake on Saturday (couldn’t resist)! Everyone who tried it thought it was fabulous!
Thanks,
Maggie
Rachel
Rachel. Terese. Carter.
joythebaker
hahahhahahaha! heard.
Melissa
Wow what a great idea to add a lil veggies to the cake. I am trying this this weekend!!
Culinarystorm
How are you so wonderful Joy??
The Mom is gonna love you. I’m sure of it :)
booboo
here you go again. your writing is so gorgeous and stunning and witty and sweet and wise and everything. thank you.
Alaina Nicole
Joy, I LOVE your blog!!! I have made many delicious things from it, including your black bean and sweet potato tacos and your pumpkin chocolate-chip cloud cookies–everything always comes out perfectly! I was especially excited to see this post because I have been wanting to make a beet cake for awhile but the recipes I have seen up until now for such a cake seemed only so-so. This one is making my mouth water, especially with the frosting… :)
But I have a question–do you think this recipe could be easily adapted for cupcakes? maybe just bake for a little bit less time, like 20 minutes??
Daniel
If you haven’t made these as cupcakes yet…
I just made these as cupcakes and they were perfect at 20 minutes. They’re amazing with the frosting also injected inside of the cupcakes as to simulate the middle layer of the cake.
Hannah
Hi Joy! Thanks for this post. I am going to try to make this for my girlfriends this Valentine’s Day (we celebrate SAD day on Valentine’s Day which stands for Singles Awareness Day. It’s not as depressing as it sounds – it’s just a lot of fun girl-bonding time). I was wondering though if I can convert the recipe into cupcakes and if so, whether I’d have to make any adjustments. Also would you know roughly how many cupcakes this would make?
Thanks a lot!
Alaina Nicole
oh wow, I just saw this comment asking the same thing right above mine, sorry!
Betsy
I’m excited to make this cake Joy! Do you think it would do as well with food processed beets? Thanks!
momamia
I believe beets were the original ingredient in a true Red Velvet cake. I can’t WAIT to try this Joy. AND I am super excited about your cookbook. I bought (preordered) 3, one for me, one for my daughter and one for my daughter-in-law!!! Thank you for your awesome blog/posts. I treasure every one of them :>
Nat T
Looks great! Will be making this tomorrow! Just one question: cocoa powder, dutch processed or natural?? Thank you!!
joythebaker
i used dutch processed.
Krissy @ Krissy's Creations
I love beets & I LOVE beets in cake!!
Melissa
That’s totally what it’s like with the moms of sons….I think mine’s got a Ph.D. in Passive Aggression. But. She would have flipped if I made this cake. (Turns out, I got her son anyway.)
Jessica @Sunny Side Up
Yes to all of this! I hope you get to dance with his mom soon! :)
kitchenvoyage
Beetroot since II. A.C has been present in the Mediterranean kitchens, in times of the Roman imperium was very much appreciated. In the c. XVI start to be consume widely in German and England and in Victorian times was very popular, when its dramatic colour brightened up salads, soups and was use also in puddings and cake like yours. Today we know beetroot are rich in Vitamin B
Morgansmenu
That is a RAD black/white plate! Super fun.
Shannon
Made this last night with canned beets. Turned out beautifully, thanks!
Me: “I made you cake, boyfriend!”
Boyfriend: “YAY!! It’s so tasty!”
Me: “Red wine goes well with cake.”
Boyfriend: “Everything goes GREAT with cake!”
Me: “Even beets?”
Boyfriend:”…What did you put in this cake?”
:)
joythebaker
hahahhahahaa! awesome!
Susan
Hi Joy,
Yes, I made delicious chocolate beet cupcakes last Valentine’s Day and posted on my blog, along with a link to using a natural way to color the icing with the beets. I ‘ve never liked the idea of using a bottle of red food coloring to obtain a nice red color and I’m willing to get a pretty pink color if it’s from a healthy natural source like beets.
betty in munich
You are such a catch: gorgeous, smart, funny, sweet and cooks too – what more can a MIL ask for?
Ansa
A friend just told me to come visit your blog. I’m so glad I did. You are awesome. Also, yeah, that is exactly what meeting possible mom-in-law is like. Been there…still doing that…. 4.5 years later. Yeah. Anyway- you rock! :)
Laura @ She Eats Well
This post is pure genius. His Mom is just gonna LOVE YOU. :)
Mary's Pastry Lab
absolute beauty. is this like red velvet cake Joy?
The Cozy Herbivore
Oooooh, as an avid beet-hater, this makes me nervous, but I’m just so intrigued by the concept (and delighted by the amazing frosting color!) that I might just have to swallow my fear and go ahead & make this. It’s so beautiful!
Melissa H
Oooh, can’t wait to make this! I love disguising veg as cake.
Katie
The beets in this cake make the frosting such an intense color. What a fun, healthy way to add a little color to your frosting without artificial dyes. It’s a little hard to believe their is no beet taste, but I’ll have to try it for myself to be sure!
Sarah B.
Where did you get those melamine forks? I love them!
caroleena
Lovely post, Joy! You surely must have been brought up by some awesome parents who love you very much. Good job! I know that your BF’s mom will be bragging on you soon.
Kristen
What if she already subscribes to JTB? It might just be meant to be!
I smelled beets for the first time ever this weekend (hard to believe but true) and even though your cake looks absolutely delightful, I don’t think I will be indulging in this recipe anytime soon.
You are so creative with your recipes!
Sarah
I absolutely love the color of that frosting! Only Mother Nature could make such a fine color. Cannot wait to try this!
Melissa @ Journey to Marvelous
This looks super interesting! I’m not a huge beet fan, but if you promise that it doesn’t taste like salad, maybe I’ll give this a try.
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite
just absolutely gorgeous! I think I need this cake in my life. It’s so pretty and sophisticated. Beetalicious! (if you will).
Alicia @ The Humble Foodie
What a beautiful way to highlight the exquisite color of beets! I think I made my roommate uncomfortable when I cooked beets for the first time and couldn’t stop raving about how pretty they were. This cake looks delicious and like a very impressive first dessert for meeting the parents.
Julia
Chocolate beet cake must be in the air. My best friend just made me one for my birthday last weekend, and it was delicious! I’m going to pretend you and her were baking chocolate beet cakes at the same time. That’s a fun thought :) But dang, I wish I’d OK’d cream cheese frosting that would’ve been pink instead of the just chocolate frosting I requested.
Also Joy, by the way, you have really good and real boy/dating/meet-the-mother advice. The post that got me hooked in a bad way to your site was the one about what to bake for boys you like. Mothers are tricky. Beet cake is the way to go. Or your cranberry cornmeal bread. That one worked well for me!
Kelly@The Reading Nest
Frosting “speckled with beet bits.” Hmm. I trust you, soooo okaaay…..
Also: VERY excited to see you in my new issue of Sunset. Turned the page and I’m all, “hey, I know her!” Congrats on making it into such an iconic publication.
joythebaker
thank you Kelly!
Jenna
What a beautiful cake. I never would have guessed beets were the secret ingredient! All it needs is some fresh raspberries. Yumm.
Kim @ Bluebirds and Butterflies
Hi Joy,
Just be your sweet self and your boyfriend’s Mother will adore you. I enjoyed your post today, as always. On your cake, can you taste the beet in the cake? There is someone in our family who doesn’t care for them…..but, the cake looks soooooo good……and very Valentine-ish. If you can’t detect the beets, too much, I am going to give it a try and sneak it past the beet nay sayers. ;) xoxo Kim
jean
I dream that each of my 4 sons fall for someone who sees life like you. Hopefully she can bake too.
Elliepie
I haven’t even tried this and I already vote for it to replace silly old red velvet cake. Or, let’s just serve it and call it red velvet? Because I really believe the only reason people like red velvet cake is because of its name.
Xean
wow! super wow! your cake is so lovely, chocolate cake with the pink frosting.. so love it!
Whitney
holy beetness! this has to be too good to be true. beets + chocolate + bright pink frosting = perfect for my daughter’s bday. sounds heavenly, hope you meet the MIL soon!
MACHAREIMAGES
Holy Cow Batman! This sounds insane and totally fantastic at the same time which is right up my alley. I will be recreating this, or at least making an attempt at it. thanks for the inspiration and whatever you do, don’t stop bringing us these wonderful recipes and images!
Corrie
That cake and the colors on your table go so well together!
Jasper
bahaha! currently I am stifling laughter in my cubicle as I type. You have captured everything I felt about meeting my future mother in law in one blog post. Too funny bc it’s all true. Additionally, I totally sweat beets, I am going to make this secret beet cake as soon as humanly possible. You are awesome Joy! happy Thursday :)
Kaitlin
Dear Joy,
They say that you eat with your eyes first . . . that couldn’t be more true following your blog! This cake is so attractive!
Also, *nature’s sprinkles*. (Kuckle-bump for that one)
joythebaker
hahhhaaa! knuckle bump is a hilarious thing to type.
Adi
Many thanks from sunny Israel!
Great post and the cake sounds wonderful!
Good luck with the boy and his mother, you sound real ripe for taking it futher.
(I read every post of yours and try most)
Honey For Jam
Can’t wait to try this recipe, I have never tried a beet chocolate cake before!
Aubrey
I love beets. I love chocolate. I love cake. This sounds like the recipe for me.
And can I just say that I am very impressed with how often you post? You are so dedicated! I love that I can find a new post on your blog almost every day, and it’s always funny and enjoyable. Keep it up! I can’t wait for your cookbook!
rachel @ sweettarte
She is going to love you (duh) and this beautiful cake!
Bimmer
It’s such a joy to read your posts. And it’s funny how you can put together meeting the future MIL so nicely together with introducing your beet cake! Love your pictures as usual too! :)
wanda
Hey….who is this person you’re seeing?? Hope everything went well with the future mother in law. The cake looks great. I love beets and cake….so why not put them together.
emily
Oh joy the baker, how you make me smile!
Anne
I love everything about this post. You always make me smile and nod Joy, seriously I love reading your posts because of that. It sounds like your relationship is taking that next step- so exciting (and a bit nerve-racking I’m sure)! I’m sure you’ll let us know (via podcast maybe pleeeease?) how the cake goes down with his mom when you meet her. :)
Also, can I just say that frosting looks a-mazing! That PINK!!! Now how am I going to sneak making that cake without freaking out my family. Hmmm…I must go plot.
@twEricaB
Mmmm love beets-totally have to make this for Valentine’s Day. What I need more than cake though is an update–you have to tell us when you meet Mom!!! =)
My 78yo Mother-In-Law is dozing on the sofa across the room. I did the dance 11+years ago–and DH is the youngest of 6 boys…that was some dance. If Dude is worth it, so is the dancing.
Sarah
I cant wait to try this Joy you are so dang cool!
Valerie
I LOVE your plates! Where are they from?!
joythebaker
Plates are from Fringe! http://www.fringestudio.com/
Pure2raw twins
bookmarking this recipe now!!love beets!!! we have them just about everyday! and we have always wanted to make a beet cake, and this sounds perfect! thanks
Betsy
How did you get to be so wise about mother-in-laws? I wish I knew all of this before I got married! And my husband is the only child of a single mom, so it was hard! ps – I hope this bf of yours is Christian – sorry to be an annoying broken record – just keepin’ it real :)
Alanna
That’s a bit offensive, Betsy. There are many guys out there who practice other religions, or none at all, that are perfectly moral and wonderful.
Vicky
I don’t think that’s offensive :) People who practise different religions are honestly perfectly moral and wonderful, but being Christian/not really does affect the way you see life and being with someone who has a different life view from you brings unnnecessary conflict into a relationship even if both parties are great people. I have quite a few friends who have dated non-Christians, and honestly, it just does not work out most of the time even though they’re both wonderful people.
Betsy
Thanks for your reply Alanna. I agree that there are many men who are other religions or not religious at all who are wonderful people! However, I happen to know that Joy is Christian and I think she would like to marry a Christian and raise her children in her faith. So, I’m just encouraging her to date within her religion, so that she doesn’t spend her precious youth (and end up with potential heartbreak) with someone whom she would not marry. I wish someone had reminded me of this more often when I was younger and dating non-Christians. Thanks for the support Vicky!
Katie @ OhShineOn
This looks amazing, joy. I’ve never had a beet salad, much less a beet cake. Time to try something new! Have you ever tried black beans in cake? I’ve seen multiple recipes that call for beans in brownies, but not cake. That would be interesting.
Naomi A.
Seriously. If this is a real letter you’re writing to a real guy with a real mother, then I love you for this. This is so awesome. And so is this cake. I can feel it.
Shawna @ CheekyChic
To die for…so weird yet so appealing. I want to try this for Valentines day!
kale @ tastes good to me!
You are adorable. Please meet MY mother.
Kelsey @aslolife
Beets in cake are amazing! Totally going to make this for my husband for his birthday and not tell him till after either.
KJ
I loved this entry! I sent it to my boyfriend’s mom this morning because it is exactly how I felt when I met her. I then made my boyfriend read it who thought it was hilarious! Joy, you made my day! I can’t wait to try the cake.
Aubrey
I have to bring desert for a coworker’s birthday and all she’ll say is anything chocolate……so she’ll get beets instead! JK, I will bring this but mostly because I’m in the mood to bake and it sounds so interestingly awesome! :)
Cupcake Kat
I so want to try this. I hope you get to meet your boyfriend’s mother soon. I’m sure she will love you
Ernestine
Joy. Whoever this young man is that you’re dating, he is lucky to have you! I’m sure his mom will love you!
Keisha G
The cake is pretty, and I totally love the color the beets gave to the frosting. I love your stories Joy, the are very colorful and very enlightening. Keep up the good work, and many blessings to you, and always, Happy Baking!
Melanie
Tonight I used beets from my CSA to make the pinkest cake a girl could dream of…… Plan on making cupcakes for valentine’s day.
lidia
i have baked a chocolate beet cake before: http://justasugarslut.blogspot.com/2011/08/beet-cake.html
but i’ve got to try this recipe! that beet cream cheese frosting sounds absolutely amazing!
thanks for sharing.
p.s. i’m sure you are every mothers dream daughter in law (:
Elise
Joy!
You are the cutest.
I recently met my [newish] boyfriend’s parents. We ate dinner (enchaladas his mama made), we drank wine (from their favorite vineyard), and we ate cookies (made from scratch… also by his mama). It seems that I need to step up my foodie game… maybe this cake will help me do it! Thanks for your secretly-glorious recipe.
Becca
“I need to do her dishes” that cracked me up. Just the way I read it and interpreted it just made me laugh.
You have a lovely looking cake here. I’ve never tried beets since I’m not into fruits and veggies, but I’ll totally try it in a cake :)
Flora
I loved the note at the beginning….hilarious. Why do boys not understand that this is the way it’s done? I think I dated my husband for more than a year before I met my MIL. Just made it realllllll awkward. Will have to try the beet cake one of these days…maybe cupcakes?
jomamma
Such a beautiful cake! And I would be totally leery of any girl dating my son that avoided meeting me. As in one of his former girlfriends a few years ago. No need to fear me, unless you are sneaking into my house in the middle of the night.
Eve
Hehe, loved the letter Joy! I know his mom will love you. This reminds me of when I met my ex (now)’s parents. He was raised in a incredibly strict catholic family and all of his previous girlfriends (that he introduced to them) had been on the same line. Then came little old me. With a lovely cute little diamond nose piercing and (gasp!) a small tattoo on my wrist saying “Bon Appetit”. Well, his sister utterly embarrassed me by pointing out the obvious nose piercing saying “aww my mom won’t let me get one, that’s so pretty!” (right in front of said mom), they loved my unobtrusive and cute tattoo and, even though I couldn’t keep the boy (good riddance), with a little sugar, spice, homemade cupcakes and everything nice, his parents loved me and still do!
And absolutely gorgeous cake and pictures as always! I’m going to put this on my immediate to do list for, say, tomorrow.
– Eve
Jmposti4
Great post! His mom will love you!
shara
It is my mother-in-laws birthday this Friday. Now i know what cake to make for her. Thanks!
Sahira
recently discovered your blog-i’m in love! i studied nutrition in college so i am all about this recipe! :) great post!
bakingaddict
I love chocolate beetroot cake but have never made it with a beet cream cheese frosting. Love the colour of it, must try it sometime.
Vijitha
Lolz that one hilarious post. I can imagine how it must be to meet MIL for the first time. I went through the same emotions and she is indeed a very interesting women (!!!!) which I hope not to disclose to my husband anytime because he is one mama’s boy :-)
Delicious looking cake! Moist and perfect. Shhhh!! Don’t let her know your secret.
Stephan (whisk/spoon)
That is beautiful! Any mum should be impressed by such a nice cake. I definitely want to try this.
anna
i have to tell you i was pretty concerned when i saw the title of this blog, i thought you had gone over the edge at last. but then i saw the pictures and it’s just…so…PRETTY. and then i remembered how sweet beets are, and, well, you’ve sold me. the perfect valentine’s cake!
Meghan
Love this post. You describe the meet-the-mom-outfit so perfectly. There really are a thousand things to consider. Also I am completely obsessed with your dinner plates!! They’re fantastic where did you get them?
Dina
lovely color!
annie
By the way, BRILLIANT cake, pink frosting and all. I’m totally sneaking this one in on the kid. :)
annie
Okay, I know he MUST realize how lucky he is, but I sure hope that when you meet his mama, that she realizes how lucky he is too. :)
I have been blessed from the moon and stars with a mother-in-law that I adore, who has always been wonderful and sweet to me. I’m crossing my fingers and toes that you are blessed with the same good fortune, as you deserve nothing less, lovely girl. xxoo
Tia Chocolate
I am soooo glad that there are other Mother In Laws out there that are as amazing as my MIL. Mine is funny, warm, loving, and totally accepting of my nuttiness and of course, she loves that I cook. She doesn’t like to cook. They say the path to your man’s heart is through his tummy? In my case, it’s through my mother in law’s tummy! teehee
Ashley
Love this! I made a chocolate beet cake before, but used a chocolate sour cream frosting. Your beet cream cheese frosting sounds like a better match, which I must try!
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen
You seem like the kind of girl that moms would love. Dear Joy The Baker’s boyfriend: introduce her already! :)
This cake is so pretty that it makes me reconsider my bad feelings towards beets…I don’t like them in salad. Maybe I’d like them in cake!
Michelle
Yum – like red velvet cake, but beetier. One of my sons was recently taken off of eggs, so I am going to have to swap those out. Hopefully apple sauce and bit more baking soda will do the trick. I may try to get those gloves that come with hair dying kits to save my hands, though.
Living The Sweet Life
You would do an amazing job and the daughter-in-law mother-in-law dance, your posts alone prove how sweet you are :)
This cake has BEETS?!?!
1) YUMMM!!
2) this totally makes it health food, and legitimately good enough for breakfast :D – – thanks!!
Eva {not your mama's dinner}
Whow! It was only a week ago I wrote a post giving the same suggestions in a how-to-seduce-your-mother-in-law; doing the dishes, asking for a recipe, baking her something lovely (bananabread in my case)! I guess some things are just universal truths. Or we are connected trough some form of telepathy. That’s the other option….
Something else: LOVE the beetroot cake. Looking forward to try it out myself.
yentl
MEU DEUS!
I had to say that in Portuguese, my brain could not process it in English, so disturbed it got by the pictures! !
TeenyLittleSuperChef
Oh wow, this is by far one of the most interesting and fun cakes I’ve ever seen. And I can’t wait to make it soon, as I just received a huge bunch of beets from my CSA this week. I hadn’t a clue what I was going to do with them, other than just throw em in a salad. Much better to eat them in cake-form, I think :) Thanks for the great recipe!
Kristen@PrettySweet
You lost me at the name of the recipe, but won me over by the recipe’s description…and, well, the stunning pink of the frosting. And I loooved the letter. Best of luck with meeting your guy’s mom!
Mary @ Bake Break
Aah boys – silly creatures. Their moms are great though, although I do understand that nervous anticipation and need to please them. Whew. Get it over with!
This cake is crazy – I’m almost speechless. Looks delicious, creative, amazing. Love it!
bunny mama
When I met my in-laws, my husband and I had just started dating. Having recently moved across the country, my kitchen was not set up for baking, so I brought a humongous fruit salad. The next time I brought flowers and a very personal hand-written letter (to assure them of my good intentions). It must have worked, because they were only too happy to hand their son over to me. (Quite eager, actually.) And to this day his mom and I are literally best friends. (she’s going to love this cake, by the way.) Now that I am raising two boys, I often think of the women that will eventually come into their lives, and can only hope that I will make out as good on the daughter-in-law front as I have on the mother-in-law front.
Best wishes in meeting Mama – if fruit salad can win a mother’s heart, just think what such an amazing cake can do! Just be your charming, vivacious self, and I’m sure she’ll love you!
xo
Ann P.
Hahaha, oh Joy, you crack me up :) I am sure Dude’s mom will love you!! Also, I think this cake is amazing! I always loved red velvet cake, but not all the food coloring that goes into it! This is a much better option that’s not only not as bad for you, but much better!
Sara {Home is Where the Cookies Are}
What a beautiful cake! And I love your photos – and your description of meeting the possibly future mother in law. . . AND the truth about that third glass of wine! It really doesn’t taste at all like beets? I want it now. . . and you’re right, Valentines day is around the corner.
APLS Mama
and some mama’s are simply in denial about ever letting their boys go … my 6-year-old son and my wife will vouch for that!
thanks for this recipe … my beet-loving, aussie wife is a beet fanatic and i am not. hoping that this recipe will be a successful compromise for both of us …
Heather
I am totally intrigued by this cake, I am overcome with an overwhelming desire to buy some beets!
muddledmom
I know it’s silly, but I have an almost nine-year-old son, and I think about that all the time…that some day, I’ll have to let him go to some other girl and I won’t be the apple of his eye anymore. Whew. It’s tough on this momma. So I liked your letter a lot. Very cool cake. I just recently made beet chips. I’ve always been leery of beets since my grandma told me they’d put hair on your chest. No hair. Whew!
Sue
When I was 4 or 5, an uncle told me to eat bread crusts to put hair on my chest. Several days later, after breaking into tears when Mom said I had to have a sandwich for lunch, she got the story out of me. She laughed, and explained that she wasn’t laughing at me, (excellent save!) but at my uncle. That little boys aren’t told that crusts only put hair on boys’ chests–that girls who eat crusts get curly hair! Why I ever figured out that Mom’s hair wasn’t curly, I’ll never know. Your comment about your grandmother and beets brought back such memories!
NicoleD
Love it all, Joy! They let them go passive aggressively for real! Nature’s sprinkles is one of the best things written of all time.
Heidi @ Food Doodles
That is a beautiful cake! That frosting looks incredible – I love that color :D
Jillian@TheHumbleGourmet
Beautiful! If I was Dude’s mom, I would immediately embrace you. And then eat your entire cake.
ileana
What a beautiful cake. I love beets. Best of luck meeting the mom :)
Amy's Cooking Adventures
I LOVE this!!! I cannot wait to try it!
Valerie
Ohhh, congrats on the boy!!! And the cake sounds wonderful too. I’m sure any mom would approve. :)
Jennifer
I ran out to the store to pick up beets and cream cheese! But I have a question! For the frosting is it 4 oz or one brick of cream cheese? Our standard bricks are 8 oz.
Thanks so much! =)
joythebaker
ah! that’s right! it’s 8 ounces. sorry about that!
Jennifer
Wow, that was fast! Thank you!
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
If his mama doesn’t love you, then I have lost all hope for the rest of us. If I could find a boy who was worth it, I would totally make this for his mama. Looks divine.
SamCyn
Always love your stories..and by the looks of the cake and frosting, I think I’m gonna love them too…
I can see your future MIL loving you as well ;)
Cassandra
I’m in love with beets, i don’t like cake much, but I love beets. I think I might try this. It appears very earthy:)
The real question is what is in the glasses? What are you severing with dessert.
Melissa
You just described the first time I met my Mother-In-Law To. A. Tee. I brought pavlova, and it killed. Rest assured, that we are totally besties now, so the first meeting dance was all worth it.
Katerina
Your optimism, beautiful table-setting and interesting recipes, your up-beat podcast and your wonderful colorful photographs are exactly what I need to keep me out of the gloom of the crisis that surrounds my country at the moment… (I’m talking about Greece). Good things come to good hearted people so I wish you all the best with boyfriends mothers and whatnot!
matthew
Are you serious? Like, seriously SERIOUS? This looks incredible. I kind of have a thing for beets. Putting beets in cake? And frosting? That’s just insane. And I love it.
Carrie
Fab post Joy! It’s totally a lady thing, my BF didn’t understand it either…
However, his mother made me a quilt this past Christmas and man, did it speak a thousand words – After 3 years of dating, I think that was her way of FINALLY telling me I’m good enough for her one and only son! It meant the world to me.
Val
Joy, you’re so sweet. This cake looks fantastic, can’t wait to bake it up over the weekend or something. Do you think the beets in the cake could be grated in raw without having to cook them first? I’m thinking sort of like you do with carrot cake? What do you think?
Kelly
I met my mother-in-law, for the first time face-to-face, two days before my wedding. My husband is from Canada, where she still resides, and we are all the way down in Phx…. And to make it all worse, she flew in the night of my hubby’s bachelor party, so I was left with the task of picking her and grandma up all by myself. So, naturally, I drug my bestie along to make things a little less awkward haha.
It all worked out great, I think she likes me better than her son!
Can’t wait to make this… I’m liking the idea of making this as cupcakes as mentioned by a fan above!
Kristina
You are so funny, your blog is worth reading just for the smiles never mind the recipes. I have dabbled with baking sweets with beets and have had mixed success so I am happy to try this cake. Question: I am undertaking the very serious task of baking my son’s birthday cake (he will be three years old next week). Any suggestions for something sure to please the toddler set? many thanks!
Noelle @ Noelle's Notebook
OMG! Awesome! I have to express how much I love baking with beets: I used a beet-ful red velvet recipe for my wedding cake, it was absolutely divine. I also did a Mascarpone/cream cheese frosting with it… I left mine white and opted for fresh fruit instead of nature’s sprinkle…but I have used beet juice to color other frostings and it is glorious. I love the natural sweetness and the pretty pink hue they add. Anyway…. I love love love cooking with beets! Thanks for a new recipe to try! :)
Also, my scary moment was meeting my father-in-law: my hubs and I were on a date and decided to go and watch a movie at his house… his dad just showed up and started hammering me with questions. Scary! But it worked out well…. I think it was my baking skills…Good luck!!!
Rindi
Isn’t it funny how circumstance and life runs together? I have this old Pennsylvania Grange cookbook (sorta like a big old church cookbook) that I was going through last night and it had this same recipe in it. I pondered on it for sometime as I’m planning to bake a cake for a friends birthday this week, but then moved on to the chocolate-chocolate-chocolate cake that has proven me well in the past. After reading this, I may have to place that recipe back on my list of “to try’s”, as you just managed to answer all the questions that popped in my head last night concerning this recipe!
Tonya Anders
Love this, I am so trying it and I LOVE your blog! You go girl!
frugalportland
that was so cute — your recipes, while fun, aren’t what keep me coming back. It’s the “you” in your posts! good luck, I bet you win moms over with ease!
Laura Adams
Beet cake huh? I adore the color of the frosting, but I’m a little skeptical on this one. I’ve never even eaten beets.
Also, meeting my MIL wasn’t so bad. Of course, they were a very traditional family, and in comes this girl with highlights, dark makeup (I was emo at the time), and 2 ear piercings in each ear. Not to mention a tattoo about a year later when I turned 18. Oh boy. I must say though, we’ve gotten along quite well for the past 6 years (1 married) and have lovely conversation. I must admit though, I get nervous cooking in her kitchen. She’s such a good cook, and I aspire to be such. She’s still such a sweetie though.
jenny
“Beets do not make the cake taste like a salad. That’s an important thing to know.”
LOL. you’re the best, joy! I’ve had chocolate beet cake before (delicious!) but never contemplated putting beets in the frosting. p.s. I think this would be tasty (and cute) as cupcakes, too!
Beth
His mom should feel lucky to eat such a scrumptious cake- (in addition to meeting you of course!) I mean, I’m drooling over it at my computer and it’s only 11 am!
Cho
Best of luck with the man’s mother!
Can radishes be substituted instead of the beets or am I just crazy?
joythebaker
you’re crazy.
Gina @ Running to the Kitchen
Beets have never looked so good!
Ryan Jooste
You are a hero for posting this. The beet cake is also pretty daring :) I substituted beets for carrots in a carrot cake recipe for new years and it worked really well. Cheers.
The Cooking Teacher
I’ve been sneaking beets into red velvet cake with my students for a few years now but have never thought to make the frosting pink! How wonderfully smart you are, I hope meeting the mother goes well. Every you wrote about Mothers of sons is so incredibly funny and true. If you understand all this now you are going to be fine! Enjoy the “dance” and the cake.
Steena
This cake makes me wish I weren’t allergic to beets.
Eliz. K
More stories, please!!!
Apparently meeting my husband’s mom wasn’t too traumatic… I remember sitting on their porch talking, but that’s about it… We probably drank tea… Since then, there have been plenty of good (and not-so-good) moments and stories.
Valentine’s day is a good idea with this. CWK loves beets too, so that could work well :-) Fun! and Good luck!
Jessica @ The Desert Abode
A beet cake?! Be still my heart! Now I know what to do with the beets from my CSA box this week…
This is MY kind of red-velvet cake: naturally colored!
And, yes, it screams Valentine’s Day. :)
Urban Wife
Lovely. Beets are so underrated.
Jennifer @ Raisin Questions
I think it’s great you know how to celebrate moments like this!
Annette @ CoMo Homestead
This is brilliant! And gorgeous. Thank you, Joy!
cw
In the olden days red velvet cakes were made with beets instead of food coloring. Beets in the icing is new to me, though.
Sara
His mother will love you!!! We all do! Have fun with it and make her some sweet tea too :)
Rachael B
I’m glad I waited to take my sip of tea before reading “they let go of them passive aggressively.” Hilarious… and incredibly true. Five years later (2.5 of them married) and I’m finally breaking down the walls.
El
I have this recipe but have never tried it! You have given me courage.
I am also the mother of 7 sons!! Yes, I birthed them all and Yes! they all have the same dad, who is also my husband.
We (mothers of sons) don’t let them go easily.. but when the right girl comes along, and sometimes we know before the son (so make sure to meet the mom) , it’s great! Enough said….
Monica @ Soirees & Such
Wow! this is the third time this month I’ve come across a beet cake! The first one I made, I found at David Lebovitz blog and it came out super tender. The only thing is that it tastes soooo much better the next day. I also saw a beet cake with bourbon creme anglese in this month’s issue of food and wine. As to beet frosting…this is a first! can’t wait to try it out!
DessertForTwo
This is gorgeous!
Although, I should warn you, I wouldn’t bring a beet cake to meet a mom. Unless that mom is from Berkeley and loves that sort of thing. You’d be better off with a decadent cake that is actually not as high in calories as it tastes? I don’t know. Don’t listen to me. Eat beets with sugar! :)
Kaylie
Joy, this is positively amazing. I love your wit and writing style. I’ve never baked or cooked with beets but I’ll consider it, thanks to your post!
sherri lynn @ life of a wife
I love the color of the frosting! Beets make this cake beautiful but I don’t know if I can get over actually eating the beets…
Lindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen
Joy! I can’t believe you beet (o lord) me to the punch! I am literally working on a chocolate beet cake with beet cream cheese frosting as I type. Great minds I suppose. This looks great, obvi.
Abby
Beets…and…Chocolate? Hmm. do you ever feel like you could throw together something totally gross and take awesome pictures of it and everyone would comment “OMG AMAZING!” ?
Lora
Meeting the mom is important- and it’s scary! I met my mother in law at my surprise bridal shower. My husband and I got engaged within a month of our first date, so yeah- walked into a friend’s house to SURPRISE! Happy Bridal Shower! Oh and SURPRISE! Meet your soon to be mother in law! I didn’t have the chance to pick the perfect outfit, make a cake, anything! Sometimes I think it was better that way. Sort of like ripping off a band-aid ;)
joythebaker
engaged in a month!? daaaang!
Rachel
Speaking of mothers: The first time I met my BF’s grandparents, I decided to bake a glorious cake, to impress them with my homemaking skills. Well hour until we had to leave, I realized I ruined the cake. I cried a LOT, and had to bring *store-bought pound cake* to dinner. I’m still a little ashamed.
joythebaker
these things happen. i totally understand.
Awn
Joy,
I have to be honest here. I think beets taste purple. There, I said it. I can’t eat them….but in a chocolate cake with purple icing? Well, I might be able to take the plunge. Also, you are a wise woman when it comes to mothers. Wise woman.
Awn
Bryn
OMGosh! I love this!!! I love the cake and I love the meeting of the BF mom… I may just have to send this on to my guy, but then he’ll know my secret to the Valentines cake… cause that beautiful pinky purple is to die for and totally meant to be eaten on the most lovey dovey day of the year!
Eliza
This is brilliant! I hate beets but love the color they gave the frosting. Since you said you can’t taste the beets, I think I might make this cake!
heather
Making this as cupcakes for school bake sale. Can’t wait. Yum. Love the blog & podcast, lady
joythebaker
i love all the words you just typed!
Melanie
That is such a pretty presentation you have in thoses pics! I love your style and your brain! Not a twitter follower but Does he read your blog? He so needs to read that letter I think it’ll make him smile, shake his head yes and then curl his toes in his shoes! She will LOVE YOU…nada grande! And if she don’t well that must be due to the fact that you THROWDOWN in the kitchen making him wanna slap his Mama! Kidding….hope all goes well! Ox
Mara @ Elemental Custard
I feel like you’ll ace the mother exam. You seem very well prepared.
The colour of the frosting just makes me picture strawberries! Does it just taste like normal cream cheese frosting? I have never tried beets in my cake and I think that it might make a wonderful addition.
The Crafty Wify
I love everything about this cake! Yummy!
Paula
Hi Joy,
I love your blog. I have some questions…
1. How are you so awesome?
2. Are you a vegan?
3. Where do you find all these awesome recipes?
4. How do you keep track of all the recipes you want to try, try and like, etc.?
5. Where do you get all your pretty dishes?
6. What is the paper you always take your photos on? Is it from a farmer’s market? I like it as a background, but it also looks like a nice and easy clean up!
7. Do you have a day job outside of baking? How do you manage it all? (Is that too personal, oops!)
I’ve been pondering these for some time now. Hope you have a fantastic day!
joythebaker
that’s really a lot of questions…
Anne@BakingMe
What a pretty cake! It is sure to impress!
Amanda
I need a mother-in-law so I can make this for her.
Jeanny
So beautiful, Joy. Beautiful colours and what a brilliant idea to use red beets in a cake. Won’t tell my husband and my son there are veggies in it :) Or I will tell them after they have finished their portions :)
Have a wonderful day, thanks for your beautiful pictures and recipe inspirations,
Jeanny
P.S.: Just preordered your book. Can’t wait :)
joythebaker
thank you jenny!!
Melissa @ Kids in the Sink
You are TOO funny! I love reading your blog. Even if I never cooked a single thing in the kitchen (which isn’t the case) I would still come here to read your hilarity.
thelittleloaf
Pink frosting AND healthy?! What could be better? :-)
Fred @ Savorique
Sorry for commenting again but here is the article about the great health properties of beets which I had in mind when I first read your recipe: http://www.naturalnews.com/034705_beets_beet_juice_antioxidants.html
Heather
My dudes mom is sooooooooo passive aggressive. But she does love cake. I think I should try this. I have two little boys… I wonder if I will be passive aggressive? Will their girlfriends bring me cake? Because that cake right there would be worth all the laundry I’ve done. I’m just sayin.
Heather (Heather's Dish)
ooooooh man, i’m so glad the days of meeting mamas are behind me! it IS a dance, but i think it’s awesome that you want to go through it all for the dude you’re currently dating :)
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles
Awesome letter! You are most definitely right on all accounts; the whole needing to do it- from the being nervous to the beet cake. This dude is one lucky guy and his momma is one lucky lady!
Darcy
I’m so in love with this cake. I’m so in love with beets, for that matter. I’ve def been playing around with the idea of beet cake for a while, but your most beautifully bodacious beet pink frosting has sealed the deal. I’m all over it. It’s happening.
Kim K.
Best line, “need to ask for the recipe and make her dishes”….Soooooo true! I just made my Mother-in-laws’ Kolachki for Christmas!
Mallory
I am going to test this out on my family…most of whom hate beets! I love tricking them :) When you do meet the mom of the dude, good luck, it is always a bit awkward…something most laugh at down the road! You did describe ‘the dance’ quite well! Have a great day!
Mi Vida en un Dulce
Beet…really? in the buttercream??? I saw it before in a cake, but never in a buttercream, and let me say something, it gives an spectacular color…so Valentine’s…
Maureen
I’m so excited about making this cake. I love beets any old way and I’ve heard you can use them in cake but I’ve never tried it. I hope you meet Momma soon. It’s definitely time. She’ll fall in love with you in a heartbeat. I have and you’re not dating anyone I know. :)
Amanda
After the horrible day I have had I am so up for making some of this, curling up on the couch with my dogs and having a good cry. Because really, what’s a cry without cake? :) This looks beautiful!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
Ah meeting the boyfriend’s parents for the first time is always scary, but cake most definitely helps!
This cake is amazing.
Shelly Donahue
Oh. Good. Gracious. This is a cake to win over any mothers heart, though I suspect you wouldn’t need the cake.
Zee
I don’t think anyone will be able to tell it has beet in it.. It looks just like a chocolate cake with pink frosting which can be best for valentines
Nicki K.
Wow, that looks so cool! I’ve been on a beet-kick lately and have baked my first chocolate-zucchini-cake late last year (very successfully), so I’m probably definitely gonna try this recipe! Thank you for the healthy pink cake idea!
Darla Jean
Joy! Stop! I was just searching for a good beet cake recipe! I used to make it in college, but I lost the piece of paper it was on. My family loves it so I am making it for my Grandpa’s birthday. Thanks for posting it!
Also, you meet that mother. My mother in law thought I was weird and ate strange things in my salads when she met me. It was the perfect dance and now we love each other. She even comes to watch her granddaughter and roast tomatoes while I go to spin class (inspired by you!)
You would make any man’s mother impressed and happy. Secretly of course. Good luck! And thanks again!
Fred @ Savorique
You demonstrate once again how smart one can be with uncommon, healthy ingredients. Uncommon because many people dislike beets but your recipe will sure convert them! It also reminds me of an original recipe for sweet potato chocolate brownies found online… Bravo and thanks for sharing.
Kathryn
My boyfriend completely fails to understand the need to meet (and impress!) his family. When they first came to our flat, I spent approximately 3 weeks cleaning every thing (including polishing the light bulbs) so that they could see what a well brought up girl I was. He sat on the sofa and laughed at me and said they wouldn’t care (which they wouldn’t) but he just didn’t get it. It’s hard being a girl sometime…
Excellent cake especially the pink frosting!
Ploplop
This cake looks amazing! And what beautiful colors! I think that this recipe will be published on my blog too, very soon! Thanks!
Rebecca
I am astonished. I would have never in a million years thought to add beets to a cake! And I totally snorted at “nature’s sprinkles”, too funny.
Rachel
This looks tastey gorgeous! Super post, can’t wait to give it a go :)
michelle
How beautiful!!! Love it!! I love the whole post. Now I want to make beet cake. I wonder if I can get fresh ones here (I’m in a very, very remote location…. lol). Although I love beets, I’m very excited you won’t be able to taste them in this cake. :)
Marilyn
Love it! Meeting Mom is a must : )
Alicia
NATURE’S SPRINKLES!!!!!!!! (love it)
:o)
Hannah @ Sparrow + Spark!
Wow this looks so delicious. Such a lovely pink shade!
Jules
I’ve been meaning to make a chocolate cake with beets for awhile now, but I’ve never seen one with beet frosting!! In love!! And not only am I in love but it is fate as well as I have two lovely beets sitting in my refrigerator drawer. Can’t wait to taste this.
Feast for the Eyes
I love this, it would be perfect for Valentine’s Day! Gonna go and find some beet…
Angela @ the fairy bread chronicles
UN-BEET-ABLE!
good lord i’m subtle.
Becca @ Cook, Rejoice, Repeat
You totally beat me to this, and I couldn’t be happier! A long time ago, I read that beets have a similar sugar content to carrots, and I thought, “Carrot cake is socially acceptable … why not beet cake?” and it’s been on my list to try making ever since. But I never would have thought of making it a chocolate beet cake. Genius! Thanks muchly!
Emily
“Makes sure no one has three glasses of wine.” That is legit advice right there. I think that one piece of advice could save the world from solar flares sometimes, but mostly just embarrassing moments. Which, let’s face it. Sometimes feel like solar flares.
If you’re stressing about meeting the Mother, I suggest you indulge in an episode of Cheers – specifically the one where Diane meets Frasier Krane’s mother the first time – who’s a world-reknown psychologist like her son. Most intimidating future mother-in-law meeting set up? Holy crap, yes.
Good luck!
Ellen
Oh good lord. I am a huge beet fan and have a penchant for pink things and…I really am in love with this cake. Ye gods.
Marleena @ The Flex Foodie
Yet another good one! I am obsessed with beets and have always wanted to try out a cake using them – it’s like a red velvet cake, but with natural red food coloring! Adding it to my many saved recipes of yours to try out. Thanks!
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious
Wow I love me some beets in any shape or form, but natures sprinkles….oooerr I’d need to know more about that. Prince should have sang about this cake and not the stupid rain…
Take care.
kaori
if i were a guy and saw your blog, i would sprint to LA with a big bouquet of pink and burgundy roses
and i would make sure i loved all furry animals including cats with claws and have a photo of my mom SO ready to whip out and show you. and then i’ll ask you to marry me, and i would definitely not mind if there are no man soaps around. will bring my own. but in this less than perfect world, i’m a female who can’t bake her way out of a muffin tin and you’re taken awreddy. SHUCKS.
Jenny @ Practically Perfect...
Thanks for sharing this :-) I live in NZ and beetroot is an incredibly popular food over here. It’ll be fun to try this one out!
andrea
Genius. Just. Genius.
Heather V
I made this for my birthday yesterday, and it was so delicious! I don’t think there’s been a recipe of yours yet that I haven’t loved, and I’ve made a ton of them over the years. I am so grateful for your creativity and talent in the kitchen!
Annie @ Naturally Sweet Recipes
Whoa. this cake is beautiful! Love the beets and that color! It looks delicious, and so perfect for Valentines day!
MegsieMay
What a perfect valentine’s cake. And since there’s salad in it, I can joyfully eat one and a half slices. Or two. No judgement.
alison bravenec
So when I saw your beet pics on Instagram, I never in a million years imagined it would be for a CAKE!!! But, you now have my FULL attention!!! I am so making this!!! you are a genius and it looks beautiful!!
joythebaker
i hope you and all those little kiddos love it!
Natashia@foodonpaper
Brilliant! That was the best thing I’ve read all day… Nature’s sprinkles. Bless.
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga
Wow the cake looks awesome. I LOVE beets. They are so sweet, nature’s candy. And make great food coloring when Red Dye #40 isn’t available :)
I wish I could have met my husband’s mother. She died when he was 19. And his dad died 3 mos after we started dating; sorry to sound morbid! But yes, meeting your sig other’s parents is just one of those things that feels like it just has to happen. I gotcha!
Bring her this cake…she’ll love you forever :)
Hannah Barefoot
Wow: I think these are some of your most beautiful photos ever. I love them. And this cake sounds great!
archer
If I could choose one thing to eat normal this year, this would be it! I’ll have to try making an archerfriendly version for now…
Barbara
This looks super good. I saw your interview in Sunset Magazine just flipping the pages in the Feb issue and bam you, with a great interview, congratulations!
Julie
I was just pondering some leftover roasted beets.. set them aside to make cake, and they started growing green fuzzies. Oops. I’ll roast more. Beet cream cheese frosting? Genius!
mrs bee
oooohmygooooooooodness. This cake equally intrigues and scares me, all at once. Beets…..chocolate…..natural sprinkles?!? So LOVE this blog and that your dating a guy who has a mother. Those are always the best type of guys. Wishing you well with your first meeting!
Bianca
The frosting looks beautiful Joy! The pictures remind me of your vegan chocolate avocado cake.
joythebaker
exactly!
lazydaisy333
joy, I LOVE YOUR BLOG!! i was just doing my daily joy the b catch-up and saw your kale and coconut dish – totally something i would eat… right now! and then when i refreshed the page, i noticed this scrumptious rub and dub and oh man, up my alley too! i love beets and moist delicious things and creativity, and you, my friend, totally take the cake. ha ha i actually meant that pun ^_^ all the best! lauren
Jessica
I wish I had half your style & grace when I met my Mother In Law! Thankfully we get along now, but our first meeting didn’t go half as well as I suspect yours will be going. :)
Oh and make sure to bring this cake when you do meet her! Who could not love you when you bring a cake made with beets?!?
Marie@feedingfive
I love your blog, your pictures, your recipes and your words. Thanks for the constant inspiration.