Chocolate beet cake with a silky chocolate and olive oil crumb and pretty pink cream cheese frosting dyed naturally with blood orange juice and beets, and some thoughts on current events.
In the weeks and months to come, I hope you’ll stick around as I figure things out and adjust to what is, undeniably, a new normal. Brooklyn Supper will always be first and foremost about sharing great seasonal dishes. But I don’t want to sit on my hands because I have a narrow idea of what I can write about. Simply put, I will not keep quiet as I watch my country turn its back on values that are dear to me. I know there will be critics who won’t appreciate politics on a food blog and that’s ok. But I’ve always tried to tie the dishes I share to the things going on in my life, and right now there’s no way for me to do that honestly without talking politics.
That means that I’ll have days like today where I can’t offer a clear transition from activism to a chocolate beet cake (which really was quite excellent), but it feels better to just include both rather than contriving a story about how this dessert will really lift your spirits when you’re feeling tired after going to a protest (or something similarly saccharine). I hope you’ll bear with me.
Last week, I marched in DC for the America I believe in. It turned out that a lot of us out there believe in a country that’s inclusive, diverse, and just. An America where people’s bodies and privacy are respected and supported. Where the words ‘liberty and justice for all’ carry weight. Where public schools support young people of every background and help them to become smart, active citizens. A safe harbor for the very neediest at home and around the world. It was exhilarating and heartening to know that I am most definitely not alone in my beliefs.
Then the rest of the week happened. Exhaustion and runny noses set in, and alongside, a sense of foreboding.
Then, on Saturday, I attended a local organizing meeting with many others. We made a plan to visit our representative this week. I spent that evening closely following the spontaneous protests of the immigrant ban, court cases, and the eventual reunification of some of the families at airports across the country. In the faces of the protestors and lawyers who dropped everything and fanned out to airports and city centers across the US, I saw MY country. I saw the values I care about represented by thousands and it gave me some much needed hope.
If you have yet to make your voice heard, please get involved. Support orgs on the front lines like the Democratic Socialists of America or get involved in your local politics. Finally, I’m not sure it’s possible to face the daily news feed and not feel overwhelmed. Take care of yourself, focus on the work that’s most meaningful for you, and speak out.
About this cake: it’s made with beets and olive oil. The beets lend a silkiness to the crumb that deepens the chocolate flavor without overwhelming it in the least. Olive oil makes for a tender, moist crumb. The cream cheese frosting, made with blood orange and beet juice, is light, tangy, and naturally pink. Share it with someone you love.
- 3 - 4 medium beets
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar sifted
- pinch sea salt
- 1 tablespoon beet juice squeezed from reserved grated beets
- 1 teaspoon blood orange zest plus 1 tablespoon juice plus several blood orange wedges for garnish
- pink sprinkles optional
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove beet greens and scrub beets. Arrange beets in a small baking dish, add 1/2-inch cold water and cover tightly with foil. Bake until beets are fork tender, 50 - 60 minutes, depending on size. Use caution when lifting foil as the steam plume will be very hot. Drain hot water and set beets aside to cool. Under cold running water, rub peel off with fingers or use a peeler. Trim beets. Beets can be prepped ahead to this point and refrigerated until needed.
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When ready to make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and dust with cocoa powder or use a baking spray.
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Grate enough of the cooked beets to make 1 1/4 cups. Reserve 1/4 cup grated beets to color frosting.
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In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and soda, and sea salt.
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In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar on low speed for 4 minutes. Add grated beets and vanilla and mix until incorporated. With mixer still on low, fold in half the flour mixture, all of the olive oil, and then the remaining flour. Mix just until everything is well combined.
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Spoon into prepared pan and slide into oven. Bake 65 - 75 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
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Cool cake on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then carefully unmold and set on wire rack to cool completely.
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To make frosting, beat cream cheese on low speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl for 3 minutes. Add the butter and beat 3 minutes more, scraping down sides as needed. Sift in powdered sugar, add sea salt, and beat 4 minutes longer, scraping down sides as needed. Add blood orange juice and zest, and beat until well incorporated. Add beet juice a little at a time, until the desired color is achieved.
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Frost cooled cake, garnish with blood orange segments, and pink sprinkles. Cake and frosting can both be made ahead (frosting should be refrigerated); set cold frosting on counter to warm slightly before frosting cake.
we’ll always be in this space because of you, every word, every thought. Ok MAYBE WE’RE HERE FOR THE CAKE TOO! I think sharing through whatever medium we have is eXactly how we are going to get through this. Canada standS with you.
Beautiful cake – and thank you fro sharing your viewpoint and taking a stand. Shared.
Gorgeous cake. I just made a beet cake for the first time last month and loved it. Need to try your version with the olive oil and blood orange. And thank you for sharing your thoughts. We can’t afford to be silent anymore. What’s happening in our country isn’t normal. Hugs and stay strong!
Thank you! I find it hard to read lifestyle blogs that continue on as if nothing has changed when I am lost, confused and frightened. even if they were acknowledging a different pov than mine, at least i would know they were paying attention. the personal really is political, especially at this moment.
seeing this from a european pov, it warms my heart to see all the movements taking place. We all need this to continue on. thanks for your words.
Hi Fernando, Thanks for dropping by. I know the rest of the world must be nearly as anxious as some of us are here. But there’s also a wonderful energy going around – I just wish we’d found this fighting spirit before the US election, rather than after.
I just wanted to commend you on refusing to ignore the giant, horrible monster in the room (which I guess is easy for some), but like you, I can’t imagine carrying on like everything is normal. Everything is not normal. These are scary and critical times. So good on you for your honest and eloquent post, and for working with the Indivisible Guide. Also, this cake is stunning and looks amazing!
Hi Hayley, Thank YOU for the kind, supportive words. It’s vital to focus on what we do have – our voices are so important right now and I just can’t shut up and bake with things as they are.
Thank you for acknowledging what is going on. I am having a hard time focusing on cooking in the midst of it all. Blood oranges somehow seem appropriate.
Hi Cynthia, You’re not alone. I’ve been having such difficulties working, cooking, or doing much of anything lately. Sleep seems to be the only reprieve for my anxiety. Thanks for commenting, and (try to) take care. <3
I so appreciate your thoughts and feelings on this complicated, and frustrating time. after hearing about how inspiring the women’s march was I really wish I could have been there, but am glad lovely ladies like you were there to support a just and real cause. I have yet to put beets into cake (gah!) and that frosting is the prettiest shade of pink. xo
Thank you. This is exactly the way I feel—the issues are too important to go unsaid.
Thank you, Abbie. I was nervous as I hit the publish button, but as usual, my readers have been awesome. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Good for you! Love to see this, I think it’s important too 🙂 xx kim
Don’t know how those caps got on there….
Hi Kim, you’re not the first person to have this issue – I’ll fix and then look into it. And, thanks for the support! If nothing else, I’m glad I’m not alone in all this. Hope you and yours are well!
I feel like i know why ive been drawn to certain blogs now. Its the Strong women, compassionate and intelligent and cool. im so glad youre sharing your thoughts on this terrifying state of the world. We really are all in this together. Xo
Lyndsay, your spirit and irreverence is a constant source of inspiration for me. We *are* in this together, and for the I’m so glad. <3
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on what is happening. As someone from the other side of the world, the political events in the us sometimes seem very far away and foreign, even though it significantly affects our countries too – it is heartening to know that many people are standing up for the values we believe in.
On another note, i love the sound of this beetroot cake, especially with the olive oil – it’s flavour has really grown on me in cakes and other baking.
oops it won’t let me not use caps! x
Hi Claudia, I was able to edit the caps from your comment. Sorry about that! Thanks for the support from the other side of the globe. It’s encouraging.
lovely to hear your thoughts. (It’s making me use all caps!) sorry, don’t mean to yell. 🙂 The cake looks like exactly what I want to bake and eat right now. Thank you!
Thanks Julie. It’s so nice to hear from you! And if I recall correctly, it was you who introduced me to cooking sweets with beets in the Babble days.
Another all caps, but what the heck, at the moment i feel like screaming!! Thanks so much for your heartfelt post – the perfect blend of aknowledging the scary state of things, while remembering we still do need to eat and take care of our souls – if for no other reason, so that we can keep fighting for what is good and right in the world. Like some of your other commenters, I am watching it all unfold from the other side of the world (Germany) and it is scary to see how what’s happening in the US is inspiring the crazies here. As the song goes, “It’s a small world, after all”. Thank-you again for being real. And as soon as I get rid of my horrid cold, I am making that beautiful cake!
Hi Becky, I’m sorry about my commenting issues and appreciate you weighing in anyway. Thanks for the support from Germany. It’s empowering to know the world is watching and standing by us in these dark times.
That cake looks yummy. This is my first visit here and I just subscribed to your newsletter. Thank you for all that you said. I stand with you!
Hi Sharmin, Welcome! I’m so glad you found my blog. I really appreciate the solidarity.
As some other who made their comments here, I’m following from Europe (Portugal) with major concern what is unfolding before our eyes. Because of your beautiful cake I stumbled on your blog for the first time, and I’m so happy to read your words expressing the anguish so many share about our common future – not a distant and vague, but the one we are confronted with right now.
While my country has been under major economic stress over last few years but until now luckily spared from political extremism and populism of any sort, we still have to contend with some grumbling rants about those who come to us seeking for shelter and refuge.
Baking your cake will now be loaded with another meaning, and if my poor culinary skills will allow it to look as good and beautiful as yours, I will proudly offer it as a welcome token to the Syrian family that has been hosted this week by the parish where I volunteer – the mom will be delighted to make their young ones fancy their greens, and I will tell her the message that came with the recipe from so far away!
Hi Rita,
Your note makes me so happy! I am devastated by the cruel immigration policies enacted by my government over the weekend. My husband and I are very concerned that a Syrian family sponsored by a local organization here will no longer be able to come, so the idea that you might share a version of this very cake with a Syrian family settling in Portugal warms my heart. Thanks you for your kindness – I love the way this space can bring people together and bridge distances. And please, keep me posted on the cake! (Make sure it’s cooked through by checking with a long wooden skewer or stick; because of the beets, it takes a while.)
Hi Elizabeth, I’ll take good care about your recommendations and I’ll keep you informed about how successful the cake will be among my new Syrian friends. Do hope the family you were expecting is able to make it! If you think they might need a word of comfort where they are now, I’m connected to a very large volunteers’ network in Europe, Turkey, Jordan… through friends of friends of friends, someone will be able to reach them with your cuddle and a word of hope.
Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth. It helps to read your words and thoughts. You are certainly not alone. Also, this cake is a beauty. Olive oil does magical things, doesn’t it?!
The cake caught my attention and your words captured my heart and what I’m feeling as well. I look forward to following you and I will be making this cake for Valentines, it’s so pretty!
This beet cake looks SO unbelievably delicious! Love those blood oranges on top.
Thank you for speaking out. Love everything about this post, your words, and the gorgeous cake.
The cake is stunning beautiful with bold and strong dark colors. This is the first time that I see a cake made out of beets and chocolate. I’m very curious to know what is the taste like.
I was drowned away with your photos and this unique cake idea that I didn’t read your post until now. I’m with you and THANK YOU for showing your support. I’m so proud of you. I had my first Invisible phone meeting this week and I’m looking forward to be part of this movement.
I support President Trump, and I support your right to speak your mind.
Thank you Jo. I am glad to live in a country where we’re all able to express ourselves. I’m glad you took the time to comment.
Elizabeth, I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your honest thoughts with us. As scary as it is to put your political opinions on a public forum, now is not the time to be silent out of fear. We need brave and kind women like you fighting the good fight. I love your words, I love this cake and it’s pink frosting.
Thanks so much Summer. xo
Beautiful cake, beautiful words. Keep doing what you’re doing!
I am so looking foward to trying this unique recipe. I do support our president however.
Hi Joe, Glad we can come together over good food. Thanks for dropping by, and happy baking!
I’m in Australia and am feeling completely overwhelmed at times by the constant ‘news’ from over there, so I can only imagine what it’s like for you and all. Thank you for speaking out. And thanks for a beautiful recipe.
Definitely I will bear with you. What you are doing is soooooo important!
I’m so glad I backtracked to this post. <3 It's hard to separate the two right now. I'm glad to see there are others standing up for justice. For love, compassion, and all. Much love to you.
Loved every word! It’s hard to imagine how our country got here and harder to imagine that it did, yet here we are. It’s good thing you made cake. A lovely, pure cake. I don’t bake much but I am so going to make this cake as long as I can still find a blood orange.
Just a quick note as a read through the recipe before trying it out. In step 8 you say “To make frosting, beat frosting”. I assume that second frosting in there is supposed to say cream cheese.
Hi Michael, Thanks for catching that! You’re right about the error – I’ll fix it now. Appreciate you checking out the recipe.
Beautiful recipe. To accquire beet juice for the icing, do you add 1/4 c water to the reserved 1/4 c beets to obtain juice? And then are you simply discarding the 1/4 c beets afterwards? Maybe applying that process to the beets that go into the cake would be less wasteful? Maybe I’m overthinking 🙂
Hi Erika,
Thanks! You save 1/4 cup of cooked, grated beets and squeeze 1 tablespoon (or more) beet juice out of them. I don’t advise adding water. Because they’re grated, 1/4 cup is less than 1/2 a beet. If waste is an issue, I think it would be fine to squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from the beets used in the cake. You could also toss the leftover beet gratings in a salad.
Stick to cooking. Trump has been nothing but great for our economy and it’s really nice to have a president who doesn’t start pointless wars for once. Being a womanizing millionaire playboy never bothered the Dems when it was JFK or Clinton and it shouldn’t bother you now.
Hi Debra, Sounds like this isn’t the blog for you. It’s sad that you think the behavior of presidents 60 and 30 years ago should define the standards we hold presidents to today, and that a good economy excuses blatantly racist speech and attitudes, and extreme corruption.
I finally made this cake this week. I did not care for it, unfortunately. The cake itself was completely underwhelming — no real chocolate flavor, no velvety smoothness. I was not a fan of using olive oil, and I think this was the biggest issue. I recommend you substitute a different fat. The icing was a tad better, but it couldn’t make up it’s mind whether it was a buttercream or a cream cheese frosting.
Can you substitute beets with any other vegetable in a chocolate beet cake recipe?