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Beet red velvet cake
Red velvet without the dye? You bet! Beets act as a natural food colouring in these moist, tender cake made with homemade creamy goat cheese, topped with beet chips and toasted pecans.
SERVES
8
Ingredients
Beet Red Velvet Cake
- 3 cups (710 ml) beet puree (cooked beets blended to a slightly chunky paste)
- 1 cup + 2 tbp (300 ml) buttermilk
- 4 1/2 tbsp (67.5 ml) lemon juice
- 1 1/2 bsp (22.5 ml) vanilla extract
- 3 3/4 cups (890 ml) cake flour
- 41 1/2 tbsp (67.5 ml) cocoa powder, not Dutch-process
- 1 1/2 tbsp (22.5 ml) baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) salt
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups (710 ml) granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
Goat Cheese Frosting
- 1 pound (454 g) goat cheese, room temperature
- 1 pound (454 g) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sour cream
- 2 pounds (907 g) icing sugar
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
Garnish
- Beet chips, pulsed in a food processor to a powder
- 8 toasted pecan halves, to garnish
Directions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) and position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Butter three eight-inch springform cake pans and line them with parchment paper. Butter the paper as well.
- Add the beets, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until very smooth.
- Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt together in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, and butter together until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition.
- Alternating, add the flour mixture and beet mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide between the prepared pans.
- Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
- Cool the cakes on a rack for 20 minutes, then invert onto the rack to cool completely.
For the Goat Cheese Frosting
- Beat the butter and goat cheese together on high speed until fluffy and smooth add the sour cream.
- Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the icing sugar until just combined, then turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat until fluffy and smooth.
- Scrape down the sides, then add the vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
To Assemble the Cake
- Trim the tops of the cake layers so they are flat, if necessary. Place one layer on a serving plate or pedestal and spread about one cup (240 ml) of frosting on top.
- Top with the second cake layer and frosting.
- Repeat for a third layer, then ‘crumb-coat’ the sides and top.
- When the crumb coat has set, neatly apply a thicker layer of icing.
- Transfer remaining frosting to a piping bag with a large round tip.
- Dust the top of the cake with powdered beet chips.
- At even intervals around the edge of the top, pipe out eights mounds of frosting and top each mound with a single toasted pecan half.
- Slice and serve.
