The Empress

This delicious dessert was served at our New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance with vanilla bean whipped cream and fresh strawberries.  The chocolate glaze and beet chips make for a unique and tasty chocolate cake!

Chocolate Beet Cake

 4 medium beets, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 2-inch chunks

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

11/2 teaspoons baking soda

Salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup safflower oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Vegetable oil cooking spray

Chocolate Glaze

(recipe follows)

Garnish:  Candied Beet Chips

(recipe follows)

1.        Cover beets with 2 inches water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until very tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife, about 30 minutes. Drain. Puree beets in a food processor until smooth.

2.        Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, sugar cocoa powder, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large  bowl. Whisk in eggs, water, oil, vanilla, and 1/14 cups beet puree (reserve remaining puree for another use).

3.        Coat a 9-inch round cake pan (3 inches deep) with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment, and coat with spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Turn out cake from pan, and discard parchment. Let cool completely, right side up.

4.        Trim top of cake using a serrated knife to create a level surface. Transfer cake, cut side down to a serving platter. Pour chocolate glaze over top, and let set, about 30 minutes. Garnish with beet chips.

Make ahead unglazed cake can be store at room temperature (wrapped in plastic) for up to two  days. Storage glazed cake can be stored at room temperature for up to one day.

Chocolate Glaze

Active time:  5 minutes

Total time:  15 minutes

Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup heavy cream

3/4 teaspoon light corn syrup

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Bring heavy cream and corn syrup to a gentle simmer in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate in a bowl, and let stand for 1 minute. Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is shiny and smooth. Let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Use immediately.

Candied Beet Chips

Active time:  10 minutes

Total time:  1 hour 40 minutes

Makes 1/2 cup

4 baby beets, preferably Chioggia

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1.        Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Slice beets very thinly into rounds, preferably on a mandolin. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves.  Add beets. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly translucent, about 30 minutes.

2.        Using a slotted spoon, transfer beets in a single layer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonsticking baking mat. Bake until dry and slightly firm, about 1 hour.

Storage chips can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days.