The other good beet recipe

Way back in October I posted one of my favorite beet recipes. This is my other favorite beet recipe. And that's all the beet recipes you'll get out of me!

Secret Chocolate Cake (from the Simply in Season cookbook)

Cook a bunch of beets first. They'll be peeled and chopped up to make 2 cups, so how many you cook depends on how big they are.



Throw the peeled/chopped beets and 1/2 cup of applesauce (we used our homemade applesauce) in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.



In a large bowl combine sugar (I used 3/4 cup honey), 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup yogurt (alas, we didn't have any homemade left!), and 3 eggs (from our chickens of course!). Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.



To that mix, add the pureed beets, 1/2 cup of sifted baking cocoa, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla. Beet for 90 seconds - here is where it can get really messy!



Mix up 2 1/2 cups of flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour), 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (I tried out my new Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cinnamon).



Sift the flour mix into the batter and mix with a wooden spoon; don't overmix.



Mix in about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (or more, oops. =)



Pour into a greased bundt pan (or other baking pan) and bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.



Fresh out of the oven:



And - hey, someone got a slice out before I could take a picture! =)



Supposedly no one will know the secret ingredient (beets) if you don't tell. Perhaps because I don't add as much sugar as they call for, I can sort of taste it sometimes. Solution: must be eaten with ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Yummm!!