This chocolate beet cake is rich, deeply chocolatey, and incredibly moist, with a texture that falls somewhere between a flourless cake and a chocolate truffle. Made from scratch with pureed beets, it delivers an intense chocolate flavor without any earthy taste, while the beets create a tender crumb and a naturally decadent finish.
Whether you serve it chilled or slightly warmed, this cake melts in your mouth and feels like a bakery-quality dessert that just happens to be made with wholesome ingredients.
Do you want more chocolate cake recipes that taste indulgent but fit beautifully into a from-scratch, homestead kitchen? You should also try my Grandma’s chocolate mayo cake recipe and this easy chocolate wacky cake with the best chocolate buttercream frosting recipe.
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Quick Look at This Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Chocolate Beet Cake
- 🕒 Ready In: About 1 hour plus chilling time
- 👪 Yield: 8 to 10 servings
- 🍞 Method: Baking
- 🥄 Tools: Springform pan, double boiler, electric mixer
- ⭐ Why You’ll Love It: Deep chocolate flavor with a silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture
- 👩🍳 Tip: The center will look underbaked when removed from the oven. This is exactly what you want.
What Makes This Recipe Unique
This recipe checks all the boxes for flavor, flexibility, and nourishment.
- No One Will Know They’re Eating Beets – This cake is naturally moist and rich without tasting like vegetables, because let’s be honest, beets are great in roasted beet salad with goat cheese and this traditional borscht recipe, but it’s hard to “beet” a decadent chocolate cake!
- Allergy Friendly – Gluten-free with easy dairy-free options.
- Wholesome and Practical – Made with simple, whole ingredients you can feel good about. If you know how to grow beets but choose not to because no one will eat them, this recipe will be a game-changer, my friend.
- Company Worthy – Elegant enough for guests but easy enough for everyday from-scratch cooking.
Key Ingredients:
A full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips – While other recipes use cocoa powder, this recipe has a richer and deeper chocolate flavor due to the chocolate chips.
- Eggs – Use farm-fresh eggs if you have them.
- Beets – Beets are the star of this chocolate beet cake, adding moisture, richness, and a subtle sweetness that allows the chocolate flavor to shine.
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Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Flour – I prefer the combination of coconut and almond flours, but rice flour can also be a suitable substitute for almond flour.
- Butter – For an easy dairy-free option, substitute coconut butter.
Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set up a double boiler and gently melt the chocolate chips, butter, and coconut oil together until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Step 2: Separate the eggs, placing the yolks and whites in separate bowls. To the egg yolk bowl, add granulated sugar and whisk until well blended. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture.
Step 3: Add the beet puree and flours, mixing until fully combined.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
Step 5: Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter just until combined. Do not overmix.
Step 6: Pour the batter into a greased springform pan, and bake for 40 minutes. The center will appear soft and underdone. Remove from the oven anyway.
Step 7: Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate until fully set.
Step 8: Melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together. Then drizzle over the chilled cake just before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Steam the beets until fork-tender, then puree until completely smooth for the best texture.
- Do not rush the chocolate melting process. Gentle heat prevents seizing.
- Folding the egg whites carefully keeps the cake light and silky.
- This cake slices best when fully chilled.
- For a seasonal twist, serve with a raspberry reduction or fresh berries.
Storage Instructions
Store chocolate beet cake covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. The flavor deepens as it chills, making it even better the next day. This cake can also be frozen without the glaze for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
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Did you make this chocolate beet cake recipe? If so, please leave a star ⭐ rating in the recipe card below (this really helps me out)… then, snap a photo and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see! I love getting a glimpse of what you all make in your kitchens.
Chocolate Beet Cake (Gluten & Dairy Free Options)
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Electric Mixer
- Springform Pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 9 ounces Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 cup Butter or coconut butter for dairy free
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil melted
- 6 large Eggs separated
- 3/4 cup Sugar I use organic evaporated cane juice or coconut sugar
- 1 cup Beets steamed and pureed
- 1/4 cup Coconut Flour
- 1/2 cup Almond Flour If you're not gluten-free, you could use 3/4 cup spelt, whole wheat pastry, or all -purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
Glaze
- 1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1 teaspoon Coconut Oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Set up a double broiler (preferable to the microwave) to melt your chocolate, butter, and coconut oil in. Bring water just to a low boil and then set your bowl of ingredients on top. Once chocolate turns shiny stir and remove from heat. Return to heat and stir until melted. If heated too quickly, chocolate can seize, so I take mine off about two times and return it only if needed. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.
- Whisk together egg yolks (set whites aside in a mixer bowl) and granulated sugar until well blended. Add cooled chocolate to bowl and whisk. Stir in beets and flour.
- With an electric mixer beat egg whites with powdered sugar until soft peaks form. Fold this into the chocolate mixture, careful not to over mix, just until combined.
- Pour this into a spring form pan.
- Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven. The center will still look raw, don’t worry, take it out. It will set up as it cools. Cool on a wire rack and then chill in the fridge.
- For the glaze, use a double broiler or the microwave to melt the chocolate with the coconut oil. Drizzle over cake or eat by the spoonful, whichever you like.
Notes
- Steam the beets until fork-tender, then puree until completely smooth for the best texture.
- Do not rush the chocolate melting process. Gentle heat prevents seizing.
- Folding the egg whites carefully keeps the cake light and silky.
- This cake slices best when fully chilled.
- For a seasonal twist, serve with a raspberry reduction or fresh berries.
Absolutely incredible! The chocolate beet cake was moist, rich, and full of flavor. Even my skeptical kids couldn’t believe it had beets in it!
A question about the spring form pan. Do you prepare it in any way? Grease and flour it like you would a regular cake pan?
Thanks for askig that, Joan…. Do you know what size of spring pan do you think this would be?
Blessings!
I have the same question!
Have you ever tried using the sourdough discard in this recipe ? I know this is a gluten free recipe, but was wondering.
Thank you !
I haven’t tested it, you’d need to adjust the liquid a little bit to account for the water in the starter but I bet it would taste excellent
Hi Melissa,
I have a question in regards to the sugar used for this cake. I only have raphadura (sp) would that work and if so what quantity should I use???
Thanks,
Dona
Yes, I’ve only purchased evaporated cane juice for years and it works great! Use the same amount.
This sounds really yummy and I’m dying to try it. Thanks. Anthea
This sounds delicious. I’m renting a vacation home and there’s no springform pan. Also, I need something to serve 20 – 24. I’m wondering if it can be served in squares. Have you ever made it in a 9×13?If so, do you know how to vary the baking time?
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I just wanted to let you know that I’ve made this cake twice now and it’s been a big hit with everyone I’ve shared it with! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Yea, Becky!! So glad to hear. It’s going to be our Easter dessert. 🙂
[…] Chocolate Cake with a Surprise Star from Melissa K. Norris […]
We are tree nut free due to allergy, have you tried to make this with any other flours? It looks awesome!
Just saw the rice flour. Sorry.
I have a friend coming over for lunch on Sunday. Just found out she is gluten free too. This would be a great recipe to impress. 🙂 Yumm-O
Let me know if you try it. It was super good.
This brings back memories of my Mother. She always put beets in her chocolate cake because she knew I hated them growing up, then as an adult I can eat them any kind of way. My Mother loved to bake and I get that from her I guess. I miss her so much. She passed in 1998 ,when I saw this recipe it made me cry. Thank you for sharing.
Bea,
I’ve always held that recipes are living memories of those who baked them for us. It sounds like you had a wonderful mother. You made me tear up, too. Hugs to you!
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