Red Velvet Beetroot Cake with Vanilla Frosting

You will love this red velvet beetroot cake prepared without any food coloring. Deliciously sweet, earthy and extremely moist in texture, the cake is paired with an irresistible velvety vanilla frosting. It’s hard to believe there are veggies involved in the recipe. I’m telling you, this no-dye red velvet is to die for!

Have you ever baked a beetroot cake? It may sound a little unusual, but when you think about it, veggies also make delicious chocolate chip zucchini bread and carrot cakes. So why not beets? I actually discovered the beetroot cake back in the days I lived in Sweden and found it so sweet, moist and delicious that it was love at first beet (well, bit)!

A little later, I got caught up in a storm during a day-trip to Stockholm archipelago and ended up finding shelter in a bookstore for a little while. I couldn’t dream better! While checking the cookbook section, I stumbled upon a beetroot cake recipe, and of course tried it as soon as I was back in Stockholm. The original Swedish recipe called for lemon frosting but I decided to go for vanilla instead. I guess both work equally well!

Red velvet beetroot cake: a no-dye recipe

I love everything in this cake, but what amazes me the most is its natural red velvet color (without any food coloring!). If you’re into moist, comforting cakes, but without compromising on the use of natural ingredients, then this recipe is for you.

Loaded with fiber and other essential nutrients from the beets (that are considered as a superfood), this red velvet cake prepared with natural food coloring is loaded with fiber and way healthier than its classic counterpart.

Ingredients for beetroot cake

• Beets. Or beetroots, depending on how you call them. Use them raw, preferably. Beets are a natural sweetener and also are loaded with fiber.
• Sugar. I used both granulated and muscovado sugar, that help creating a deep, moist texture.
• Vegetable oil. Use a vegetable oil, neutral in taste (canola, sunflower). The use of oil makes the cake moist and airy.
• Eggs. Note that the recipe calls for only 2 eggs. Use large eggs, preferably.
• All-purpose flour with baking powder and salt for the dry ingredients. You can also add a pinch of cinnamon (highly recommended but optional).

How to make red velvet beetroot cake?

Step 1: prepare the beets. And the first question that comes to mind here is should I use raw or cooked beets? The recipe actually calls for raw beets, finely grated with a box grater. Once ready, place grated beets in a few sheets of paper towel and press gently to get rid of the excess of juice. I also did the test with cooked beets and it actually works too, as long as you roast the beets in the oven at 400°F (200°C) until baked through, rather than boil them in water (which would add to much humidity).

Step 2: Mix in all the wet ingredients. This involves eggs, sugar and vegetable oil. Easy.

Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl (all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt) and add them to the wet ingredients.

Step 4: Add the grated beets and combine. You should get a lovely red velvet color!

Step 5: Pour into a prepared baking pan, and bake!

What result should I expect for my beetroot cake?

The use of beets add some sweet and earthy flavors to the cake. And no, I swear it doesn’t taste like veggies at all. Do a blind test with your loved ones and I’m pretty confident no one will ever guess!

In term of texture, this vegetable oil-based cake is moist and light, unlike cake recipes calling for butter and which are generally denser in texture.

How to make the BEST vanilla frosting?

You can enjoy your red velvet beetroot cake as is, or topped with this super soft and creamy vanilla frosting. There are 3 important rules to keep in mind in order to get the BEST vanilla frosting:

1. Use all the ingredients softened at room temperature, in particular cream cheese, butter, and cream.
2. Use real vanilla (not vanilla extract). The use of real vanilla seeds extracted from a pod will make your frosting packed with delicious, subtle and natural flavors.
3. Beat the ingredients for a long time. Don’t be lazy on this part, and make sure you beat cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer (or a stand mixer) until smooth and creamy, about 3 full minutes. Then add the other ingredients while motor is running on low (to avoid a splash!), then increase the speed and beat for 3 more minutes until the texture is smooth and velvety.

More awesome beetroot recipes to try:

• Homemade Beet Gnocchi
• Vegan Spiced Beet Latte
• Roasted Beet Pesto
• Veggie Beet Pizza with a Cauliflower Crust

To go further, check also these 10 Original Recipes To Make You Love Beets.

Other cakes where you can sneak in your veggies:

• Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread
• Vegan Lemon Zucchini Bread
• Brown Butter Zucchini Carrot Cake

Beetroot Cake with Vanilla Frosting

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Cakes and Pies
• Cuisine: Swedish recipes
• Diet: Vegetarian

You will love this red velvet beetroot cake prepared without any food coloring. Deliciously sweet, earthy and extremely moist in texture, the cake is paired with an irresistible velvety vanilla frosting.

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Ingredients

For the beetroot cake:

• 2-3 large raw beetroots, peeled and grated*
• ¾ cup (180 ml) vegetable oil, neutral in taste**
• ½ cup (90g) dark muscovado sugar
• ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt

For the vanilla frosting:

• 1 cup (225g) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• ½ cup (120g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 cup (100g) icing sugar
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds
• 1 pinch of salt

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Instructions

For the beetroot cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a 9×9-inch (23×23 cm) pan with parchment paper.
2. Peel and grate the beets finely, and squeeze them lightly to remove the excess of juice. Set aside.
3. Whisk the oil with muscovado- and both sugar a few minutes in a bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
4. Mix together the dry ingredients and stir them into the wet mixture along with the grated beets.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

For the vanilla frosting:

1. Meanwhile, prepare the vanilla frosting. Using a handled or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 minutes.
2. Add confectioner’s sugar, 1 Tablespoon heavy cream, vanilla seeds and salt, with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes until very smooth.
3. Spread the vanilla frosting over the cooled cake using a large spatula. Place in the refrigerator for 3 hours to cool completely. Remove 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

* 2-3 beets makes about 1 ½ cup (225g) raw, grated beets. If you do not mind the color, the recipe works also with cooked, grated beet (prefer them roasted in the oven rather than boiled).

** I recommend canola oil or sunflower oil. Coconut oil could do too, but it may impact the flavor a little bit.

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Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Beetroot Cake with Vanilla Frosting, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!