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Beetroot Cake with Vanilla Frosting

  • 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 13 reviews
You will love this red velvet beetroot cake prepared without any food coloring.
  • 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.

Ingredients

Scale

For the beetroot cake:

  • 2-3 large raw beetroots, peeled and grated*
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 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

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. Add the fresh lemon juice, and toss well. Let sit for about 5 minutes. Then, lightly squeeze the grated beetroots, wrapping them in paper towel, 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

Note about the red color. The final color of this beetroot cake can go from light brown to more red. To ensure its red color, remember to combine the beets with the lemon juice. For an intense red velvet color, you may need to add a few drops of red coloring.

* 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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https://www.delscookingtwist.com/beetroot-cake-with-vanilla-frosting/