Chocolate Beet Celebration Sheet Cake

Summer is prime time to celebrate big birthdays and anniversaries, showers and reunions. Or, if none of this applies to you, feel free to celebrate the fact that it is summer in Canada! With any good celebration, there is a need for cake. As Julia Child once said, “A party without a cake is really just a meeting.” Who wants meetings in the summer?

Sheet cakes are perfect for summer parties. You simply use a 23x33 cm (9x13-inch) pan, the one you already have in the cupboard, thereby forgoing the need to purchase any fancy bakeware. And you don’t need to have layers and fillings and fancy piping work to show off. This recipe simply uses a rich chocolate ganache swirled on top, which looks fancy enough in its own right. The real perk of this cake is the use of beets. Yes, beets! The same vegetable you use to make borscht can also be tremendous in chocolate cake. The humble root vegetable imparts a note of earthiness to the cake, and helps keep the sweetness in check. Plus the beet puree helps to keep the cake nice and moist. I like to make the puree in advance, just so it helps to free up more time when you want to bake (and eat!) the cake.

When it comes to garnishing the cake, look for summer-fresh berries, fruits, herbs, and edible flowers. Be sure the edible flowers are indeed edible, and not sprayed with any pesticides, etc. If you want to simply use sprinkles or chocolate shavings, or keep it plain and simple, that works too. Rich and chocolatey in the very best way, this is a cake that celebrates the best things in life. Now, pass me a fork. It’s time to dig in!

Chocolate Beet Celebration Sheet Cake

Makes 12 servings

Cake

1 cup salted butter, softened, plus more for the pan

3 large beets, trimmed, to make 2 cups (500 mL) puree

2¼ cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup (125 mL) full fat plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream

1 tsp (5 mL) pure vanilla extract

2½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp espresso powder (optional)

½ tsp salt

Ganache

1 cup (250 mL) whipping cream

180 g dark chocolate, chopped

2 Tbs (30 mL) light corn syrup

1 Tbs salted butter

To Decorate

Fresh berries, edible flowers (violas, pansies, lilac), fresh mint

1. To make the cake: Set an oven rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 350º F. Lightly grease a 23x33 cm

(9x13-inch) pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then butter the paper too.

2. In a large saucepan, cover the beets completely with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down to medium/ low and simmer until the beets are tender, and a knife slips easily into the beet. This can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on the size and freshness of your beets. When fully cooked, let them rest in the water for 10 minutes, drain, then cover with cool water. When cool enough to handle, slip the skins off the beets and cut the beets into chunks.

3. Place the beet chunks into a food processor and process until very smooth. I like to add a bit of water to get the process going. The texture and thickness you’re going for is canned pumpkin puree. Measure out 2 cups (500 mL) of the puree, and use the rest in something else like a dip or a spread, or even smoothies. This step can be done a few days ahead of time. Just refrigerate the puree until you’re ready to bake the cake.

4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the yogurt. Add the beet puree and the vanilla. Mix well. It will look curdled, but this is normal.

5. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixer in two additions. Beat on low speed until combined and smooth. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir a few more times by hand just to make sure the batter is evenly mixed.

6. Spread the cake batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper and invert the cake onto a serving platter.

7. To make the ganache: Heat the whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming and bubbling around the edges. Do not let the cream boil. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Add the butter and corn syrup. Pour the hot cream over the mixture and let it stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth and glossy. Stir occasionally until the ganache is thick enough to spread, about 1 hour. To speed things up, refrigerate until thickened and spreadable.

8. To assemble the cake: Spread the ganache over the top of the cake, not quite to the edges. I like to use a soup spoon to create swoops and swirls. Top with the berries, flowers, and mint. Slice and serve.