This is the second time I have made this super delicious recipe.
The first time, I didn't bake it nearly as long as I should have and the cake turned out way too moist and beety. That night, the cake got thicker and more rich and more delicious, and continued to do so with with each day that passed. My theory is that I didn't squeeze the beets enough... so we will see with attempt number two! This time, I added 1/2 a tsp. cinnamon and 1/8 cup plain unsweetened whey protein powder for a little added flavor and powder to soak up more of the beet juice.
Vegan Chocolate Beet Cake:
115g cacao (or super dark chocolate (70-90% cacao)
2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 eggs (or chia seed eggs: 2 tbsp. chia seeds mixed with 4 tbsp. water)
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey/maple syrup
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup almond meal
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup cacao powder
1/8 cup protein powder
1/4 cup almond milk
1 cup grated beets (approx. 2 large or 3 medium)
Bake for approximately 2 hours at 225º
Peel and grate the beets.
Pro tip: don't cut the beets like I did, it will be harder to grate them if they are in smaller pieces...
Melt cacao (or dark chocolate) and 2 tbsp. coconut oil in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted. Mix well and let cool.
Mix eggs (or chia seed eggs), coconut sugar, vanilla, and honey (or maple syrup) in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the buckwheat flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, cacao powder, protein powder, sea salt, cinnamon, and almond milk.
Squeeze as much juice from the grated beets as you can, and add them to the mix.
Grease a large brownie pan (or two small ones) and smooth out the mix. Pop it in the oven at 225º for approximately 2 hours or until the toothpick comes out clean.
I recommend letting the cake sit for several hours (overnight if you're a nighttime baker like I am) before tasting it. Something about this recipe just gets better with time!
Enjoy!