This incredibly moist fool-proof chocolate beet bundt cake is topped with a beautiful, naturally colored beet glaze. 

Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake with Beet Glaze

Halloween is just around the corner! This chocolate beet bundt cake is about as festive as it gets around here. I’m very much into all-purpose holiday desserts and this cake can be made any day of the year. Literally, any day. In fact, you should make this cake as soon as possible, because it is delicious.

The psychedelic beet glaze takes it over the top. It is what I would imagine a classy monster-esque cake would look like if that, in fact, was a thing. I was originally going for a ‘blood splatter’-like glaze, but nature, beets, and powdered sugar can only do so much, you know? I’m OK with it.

And yes! This beautiful purple-magenta glaze is completely natural. Pureed beets contribute to this cake’s incredibly moist and fluffy texture, so it only made sense to reserve some for decoration as well. I’m a huge fan of using fruit (like freeze-dried fruit!) to naturally decorate desserts, so it only makes sense to turn to vegetables to do the same job.

Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake with Beet Glaze. This incredibly moist and fluffy cake is perfect for any occasion!

This is actually the first chocolate beet cake that I’ve ever made in my life. I’ve been meaning to try the concept for years. I ended up discovering this recipe and adapting it to fit a standard bundt pan, because bundt cakes are da best.

This cake is all about convenience, so you’ll be making the beet puree from one can of cooked beets (the ones that come in water!). A small food processor will do the trick easily. It makes the cake virtually foolproof, because you won’t even need to measure the puree – you’ll be reserving one tablespoon of it for the glaze. I repeat, there is literally no benefit from cooking the beets from scratch, so please don’t!

In many ways, beet cake is similar in concept to pumpkin, applesauce, or banana cake, except you won’t notice any beet flavor at all. The puree is there to contribute moisture and fluffiness (and a touch of healthiness!) to the final product and this cake is no different. It is so fluffy and moist! Unlike other chocolate cakes, which use cocoa powder as the primary ‘chocolate’ flavor, the chocolate flavor in this cake comes from the addition of melted unsweetened chocolate.

Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake with Beet Glaze. This incredibly moist, fluffy foolproof chocolate beet bundt cake is topped with a beautiful, naturally colored beet glaze!

The chocolate flavor is robust, but delicate (if that makes any sense). I love a super dense chocolatey cake every now and then, but this chocolate beet bundt cake is more of an all-occasion, all-purpose chocolate cake. The beet glaze was inspired by a magazine I snatched up during my recent trip to England and I love the concept!

If you wanted to up the chocolate flavor, you could totally skip the beet glaze and top it with a rich chocolate ganache. My mind is already swarming with flavor possibilities. Chocolate and orange? Go wild and have fun.

Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake with Beet Glaze. This incredibly moist, fluffy foolproof chocolate beet bundt cake is topped with a beautiful, naturally colored beet glaze!

Chocolate Beet Cake

Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake with Beet Glaze

4.8 stars (19 ratings)
This incredibly moist fool-proof chocolate beet bundt cake is topped with a beautiful, naturally colored bright pink beet glaze! A fun cake for Halloween or any special occasion!

Ingredients

Chocolate Beet Bundt Cake:

  • 1 (15-ounce) can beets, packed in water
  • cups (210 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (240 mL) vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate melted
  • teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Beet Glaze:

  • ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 tablespoon reserved beet puree see directions
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons canned beet juice

Instructions 

  • Prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) with a rack in the center position. Generously grease a 10-inch (or 12-inch) bundt pan with baking spray and set aside. Drain the beets, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons of the liquid for preparing the beet glaze. In a small food processor, purée the beets until very smooth. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the beet purée for the glaze, as well, and set aside for later.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. In a stand mixer bowl, fitted with whisk attachment, combine the sugar, oil, and eggs. Beat at medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Add the beet puree (aside from the reserved tablespoon), cooled melted chocolate, and vanilla extract. Beat at medium speed for 30 seconds or until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture, allowing it to incorporate fully with each addition. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl to ensure all of the ingredients are incorporated. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can prepare this batter using mixing bowls and a good-quality whisk.
  • Transfer the batter to the greased bundt pan, smooth, and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with some moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefulyl invert, remove the cake from the pan, and allow the cake to cool completely on a rack before glazing.
  • Prepare the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, reserved beet puree, and roughly 1 teaspoon of the canned beet juice. If the glaze is too thick, add an additional teaspoon of beet juice at a time until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle from a spoon. Drizzle the cooled cake with the glaze in a zigzag motion (or in one layer). Allow the glaze to set before slicing.
  • Leftover cake can be wrapped well and stored at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.

Tips for Success:

  • Organic powdered sugar is not as white as regular powdered sugar and will produce a slightly more muted glaze color.
Cake recipe adapted from Food.com. Beet glaze inspired by Waitrose magazine.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 201kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 47mg, Sodium: 197mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 21g