Chocolate Beet Cake Revised

1st Chocolate Beet Cake, as mini cupcakes

Last weekend I had made and served little mini cupcakes at an Open House. The cake was an experiment, using beets in a chocolate cake. This was an idea I'd never had before and I made part of the recipe into the mini cupcakes and part into a single layer cake to try here at home. While I am not terribly into chocolate of any kind, occasionally I do not mind making and eating a chocolate cake. As chocolate cakes go, that one was good. Flavors were great, to my palate, though I felt it could have been a bit more moist.

I had questions about this whole beet cake concept: 

• how much of the beets would be too much?
• how much sugar is needed?
• should I try using oil instead of creaming butter and sugar?

On that first attempt, I was cautious, using only 1 cup of beets for what was the equivalent of a two-layer cake. I went the route of what I felt was a normal amount of sugar, and creaming the butter and sugar before adding the eggs and the beets to the mixture. As I looked at the recipe I had created, I decided next time to alter some of these things. 
 

Chocolate Beet Cake, revised, with Hazelnut Creme Filling and Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

Meanwhile, this past Monday my son called to tell me he and his wife (whom I just adore) were planning to come for a short visit, arriving Thursday around dinner time. They would stay just a couple of days, while on their way to Glacier National Park. As it happens, both of their birthdays fall in September. As it also happens, they both love chocolate cake, and preferably chocolate cake with hazelnuts added in some way. This seemed to be the perfect occasion to make the second Chocolate Beet Cake with the revisions I was planning, as an early birthday celebration.

A slice of Chocolate Beet Cake, revised, with Hazelnut Creme Filling and Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

For this second cake, the sugar amount was left as it stated. I added an extra half-cup of pureed beets for moistness, and an extra ounce of bittersweet chocolate. As for oil, since I don't keep any cooking oil except olive oil in my house, if I am looking to substitute something for oil in a cake, it is either melted butter or melted coconut oil. For this second cake I increased the "oil" to 2 melted sticks of butter (1 cup), instead of the 1½ sticks in the first cake. Since I was adding more beets and more "oil", I added an extra egg to help set the cake. The first time I used gluten-free flours and added in guar gum and some powdered egg white for stabilizers. This time I used regular all-purpose (wheat) flour. 

This time the cake was perfect and moist, with a wonderful chocolatey flavor and texture. The added beets still did not come through in the flavor, but only added extra moistness to the cake. Perfect!

Chocolate Beet Cake, revised

Makes one 2-layer (8-inch) cake

3 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
2 sticks / 16 tablespoons / 1 cup unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups pureed beets (about 3 medium beets, cooked and pureed)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

In a saucepan over very low heat, melt together the 3 ounces chocolate with the butter, just until the chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 if on Convection Bake). Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the pan bottoms with parchment. Spray the parchment. Set pans aside.

Sift or whisk together in a bowl, the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Once the chocolate and butter mixture is no longer hot to the touch, beat in the eggs, one at a time until thoroughly combined. Add the vanilla with the pureed beets and mix well. If using a larger saucepan, the whole cake can be mixed together in this pan. Add in the flour mixture, mixing well until just combined. Do not over beat.

Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few fudgy crumbs. Allow the cakes to cool in pans for about 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely to fill and frost.

DO AHEAD: The cake layers may be left in the pans overnight, covered tightly with cling-film or foil, to be filled and frosted next day.

Cake batter in pans |     baked cake   |   Hazelnut Creme Filling   |   Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

Since my kids like hazelnut, I created a Hazelnut Creme to spread between the layers. This creme has no chocolate in it. I wanted contrast in flavor and texture. The recipe yielded 2 cups of filling, though I used only about 1½ cups of it for the cake. The rest would taste wonderful on toast, crackers, a bagel, or anything else you would like with a hazelnut flavored cream. I used "white chocolate chips" as part of the filling for flavor. The term "white chocolate" is used loosely when looking at most grocery store-bought brands, as there is no cocoa butter in the ingredients. If true white chocolate is desired, find an alternative with real cocoa butter such as Valrhona Ivoire, Guittard or Lindt for better flavor and actual cocoa butter content. This is what I did:

Hazelnut Creme Filling

Makes about 2 cups

1 cup / 4.4 ounces / 124 grams hazelnuts
½ cup / 4 ounces / 113 grams cream cheese
1 cup / 5.5 ounces / 156 grams white baking chips
2 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur), optional

Set the hazelnuts in a saucepan and just barely cover with water. Bring to a boil and let stand in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, off the heat. Drain and place the hazelnuts into a food processor. Process the hazelnuts until fine. Add the cream cheese and process to combine.

Place the white baking chips into a small microwave-safe bowl and use short 7 - 10 second bursts to melt the chips, stirring after each few-second burst. My microwave took almost 40 seconds to completely melt the chips. Add the melted white chocolate chips to the food processor and process to combine, adding in the Frangelico while processing, to combine and loosen the mixture a bit. If not using Frangelico, thin to spreadable consistency with milk, cream or even water.

DO AHEAD: This filling may be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated, covered tightly. To use, bring to room temperature and stir well before using.

Use this Hazelnut Creme Filling to spread over the first cake layer. Set the second layer over top. Frost with Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache if desired. I wanted a chocolate ganache for the top of the cake, and realized I had no heavy cream in the house. Wondering if there were alternatives for the cream, I found a recipe for this Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache on a website called The Big Bake Theory. I advise you check out the recipe(s) on this website as she gives many options for making ganache. The only thing I did differently was add in Frangelico and some Espresso Liqueur. The ganache was not too sweet, as I used bittersweet chocolate with the sour cream. A sweeter chocolate may be substituted, if a sweeter ganache is desired. The sour cream tang was very apparent. Since the cake was rich and the filling was rich, I felt that a slightly less sweet ganache would be perfect. And it was!

For this recipe the two main ingredients (chocolate and sour cream) must be measured by weight, as it needs equal weights of sour cream to chocolate.

Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

Makes about 3 - 4 cups (2 pounds) ganache

Sour Cream Chocolate Ganache

16 ounces / 453 grams sour cream
1 pound / 452 grams (milk, semi or bittersweet) chocolate
3 - 4 tablespoons Frangelico, optional
2 - 3 tablespoons Espresso liqueur, optional

In a double boiler, set over (but not touching) simmering water, mix together the sour cream and chocolate. Stirring occasionally, allow the mixture to melt together. Once all the chocolate has melted, remove the pan from heat. If using the liqueurs or other flavorings, add them and mix well.

If desired, the ganache can be used immediately, pouring over the cake as a glaze. If using as a frosting, allow the ganache to cool completely to room temperature. This can take up to 3 hours until it will spread as an icing.
This amount of ganache was not needed if just using it to top the cake as I did. I had about 2 cups leftover. Once refrigerated, this ganache could easily be rolled into balls for truffles. After assembling the cake, I chopped a handful more of hazelnuts and sprinkled them over top of the ganache, just for looks and texture.  

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

More Savory Little Appetizers

Porcini Rubbed Steak on Gorgonzola Spread

The creation of the little appetizers for the upcoming Winefest Renaissance continues. Time is now getting short and I am trying to accomplish as much ahead of time as possible. Regardless, there will be a huge rush to the finish once Saturday rolls around. Besides the 6 appetizer pairings of my own, I was asked to make a couple of appetizers to pair with the "special wine tasting", open to only 25 select people. These wines will all be rated 90 or above. Most of them are red wines (and mostly Italian), so the flavors should require nice hearty flavors in a food pairing. In my blog of March 19th I already wrote about the trial run of the Porcini & Coffee Rubbed Flank Steak, which was to be topped with garlic mashed potatoes. The way I tried these the first time just flat-out didn't work. I tried stacking the layers differently and this was better, as seen at right. However, the subject of the Garlic Mashed Potatoes still had been bugging me.

The reason being that the first time I made the potatoes they were far too runny. Using russets the second time, I did everything possible to ensure that the mixture stayed dry enough. The only problem was it was so dry it would barely go through the piping bag. Making a fair lot of these, this could be very tiring on the hands, and these are not the only part of the overall food pairings that require piping. The more I thought about it, the more I went with the idea that maybe tried and true would be best in this instance. So, instead of the mashed potatoes I made my Gorgonzola Walnut Spread that was such a hit with the flank steak last year. The flavors are bold and it should work well.

Using pestle to form the tart shells

Anyway, the other appetizer I am making for that special wine tasting section of the event is Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tartlets with Savory Bean Filling. I had made a really delicious bean filling some years back, but made it on the fly. I never wrote down what I did, and had tried to make it again - twice now - and it just was not what my palate remembered. The Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tartlets are a variation of my Savory Blue Cheese Coins, but switching out the cheese and nuts. Making these as little coins and topping them with the Bean Spread would probably also work well, but the little tartlet shells are too cute a presentation to resist. Anyway, for whatever reason, I tried the Bean Filling again and it turned out just perfect, and just as I remembered. It is not an identical recipe, but close enough, and maybe even more tasty.

For the tart shells, if you make the recipe for the savory coins and slice the little chilled log of dough, you just set one little slice into each tart cup and I find a perfect instrument to form the shell is the little marble pestle from my mortar and pestle set. The thick end presses the dough into the well, then the narrow end can be used to press it into the corners. Fingers could be used also! Here is my recipe.

Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tart Shells

Tartlet Shells, baked

Makes about 85 mini-tart shells

½ cup hazelnuts
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¾ cup blue cheese crumbles
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, in small cubes
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water

In this recipe, first toast the hazelnuts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Set the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet with rim. Roast them for about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven, pour them onto a kitchen towel and fold the towel around the nuts for a few minutes to cool slightly. Rub the nuts inside the towel very vigorously to remove as much of the dark skin as possible. Once cooled, place the toasted nuts into the food processor and process until well broken. Add in the flour, the two cheeses and the salt and process to combine. Add in the cubes of butter and process in short bursts until the mixture makes crumbs. In a small cup, combine the egg yolk and water, then add this to the food processor and pulse again, until the mixture starts to stick together. Turn out onto a surface (no extra flour is needed) and with the palm of the hand, smear the dough mixture in one long movement. Use a bench scraper to gather the dough and fold it onto itself then smear again. Fold the dough and turn and repeat this process until the dough has come together completely. Divide into 2 or 3 long, thin rolls about 1-inch in diameter. Wrap the rolls in plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

When ready to work with the dough, preheat oven to 375 degrees. If forming simple "coin" shapes, slice the cold log into thin (⅜ or ¼-inch thick) slices. Set them on a baking sheet to bake. If making tartlet shells, slice the discs into slightly thicker slices. Set one slice into each well of the mini-tart pan and press into a tart shell shape. Bake the little shells for about 15 minutes, until golden. Cool. These can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month. 

Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tartlets with Savory Bean Filling

I erred on the high side when making the bean filling. Since everything used can easily be cut in half, feel free to halve the recipe if desired. It is highly tasty and equally good used as a dip for sturdy chips or crackers, or spread or piped onto crackers.

Savory Bean Filling / Dip / Spread

Makes about 3½ cups of bean filling - halve recipe if desired

2 (15.5 ounce) cans white beans

Hazelnut Blue Cheese Tartlets
with Savory Bean Filling

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained well
2 cloves roasted garlic, or fresh if desired
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary leaves
4 scallions, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil

Drain the cans of beans in a colander and run copious quantities of cold water over them until any foaming has stopped. Place them in a food processor with all the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil. Process for 2 - 3 minutes, adding in the olive oil 1 teaspoon at a time if needed for a good consistency, or if the processor is straining.

The Savory Bean Filling/Dip/Spread can be made up to three days in advance, if time is pressing. It is best if the filling is piped into the tartlet shells. If you are not proficient with a piping bag and tips, use a heavier "freezer" type zip-top bag and cut a hole in one corner, making a diameter of about 1/2-inch. If you know your way around a piping bag and tips, use a large open star tip to fill the tarts.  Anything small will clog with the bits of rosemary, scallion or anything else that hasn't gotten completely pureed smooth.  



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

Trying Some New Recipes for Cookies

Russian Tea Cakes, aka Snowballs

I have finally begun my baking for this season. I started by sitting down and creating three new cookie recipes, on paper, plus one fudge recipe. I have made the three new cookie doughs, and today I baked the first of those. The ones I baked are called Chocolate Hazelnut Pepperballs, and I topped them with Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache. That last did not quite turn out as I hoped, but it sure tastes good. I also baked one of the new recipes from last year; Pistachio Tea Cookies, using Matcha Green Tea Powder as an ingredient. Both these cookies are modeled on the shortbread type cookies my family always called Russian Tea Cakes. These are also called Snowballs and other things, but I love calling them Russian Tea Cakes, and so they remain.



Unsalted, shelled pistachios,
alongside the ground nut meal

For the Pistachio Tea Cookies, I used unsalted, shelled pistachios. I found them at either Amazon.com, or at www.Nuts.com. Unsalted pistachios make these cookies far more palatable, so look for them if you try this recipe. I have a Vita Mix blender and used the container with the blade for grinding dry ingredients, placed the pistachios in and on a fairly low speed, chopped the nuts. Precaution: do not keep the Vita Mix on too long, or it will heat the nuts and you will end up with pistachio butter instead of nicely ground pistachios. I poured them into an old Tupperware colander and used a spoon to help the finer bits pass through into a bowl to measure. This keeps any bits that stayed a little too large out of the mixture. I ate the remaining larger bits for a snack ;-)

Pistachio Tea Cookies

Pistachio Tea Cookies

Makes about 7½ dozen cookies (with 1¼" diameter cookie scoop)

2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon pistachio flavoring
½ teaspoon almond flavoring
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup Matcha Green Tea Powder
4¼ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups finely ground unsalted pistachios
Extra confectioner's sugar for rolling and storing

Cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar with the flavorings. If pistachio flavoring is not available, use all almond or part almond and part vanilla extracts. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the flour, Green Tea Powder and salt. Add in the nuts and combine well. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Form the dough into one-inch balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, or until set but not too browned. Immediately roll in confectioners' sugar and allow to cool. Before storing, roll in confectioners' sugar a second time and store with plenty of the sugar around them.

NOTES: Making these cookies with a 1¼-inch diameter cookie scoop is a snap. Press the dough into the bowl of the scoop, release and they are perfectly domed-shape little tea cookies.

The new recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Pepperballs turned out okay, but I believe since it has been so vary cold here, and with the heat running constantly, my flour and other ingredients might be drier than normal. I had to add in a couple tablespoons of water to try and get the dough to hold together enough to form the balls. As a precaution, I state here below to use 1/2 cup less flour in the mixture than what I used. This gives the option of adding in an extra 1/2 cup if it is needed for proper consistency.

Chocolate Hazelnut Pepperballs

Chocolate Hazelnut Pepperballs
with Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache

1½ cups unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
¾ cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups all purpose flour (+ ½ cup in reserve)
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground ancho chili powder (not the "chili powder" for making chili!)
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup hazelnut meal (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)

Cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar. Add in the vanilla and mix to combine. Separately, sift or whisk together the dry ingredients, reserving the half cup of the flour aside in case it is needed later. Cut the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives, or even your fingers. It should be very crumbly, but be able to hold together when squeezed into a ball shape. Chill the dough before using.

When ready to bake, set the oven to 375 (or 350 if Convection). Form small balls, about 1-inch in diameter and set them about an inch or more apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, or until set.
At this point, the cookies may be rolled in confectioners' sugar, or a mixture of confectioners' sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder. 

Another couple of recipes for cookie dough are in the refrigerator, ready to work with when I have the time. One is called Gingerspice Cookies; the goal with this recipe being a nicely spiced cookie that is not a typical gingerbread cookie.  Another one is called Cardamom Almond Cookies. I have made something similar in the past, but this mixture is new. 

Gingerspice Cookies

Makes 11 - 12 dozen 2-inch cookies

Gingerspice Cookies

2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cassia cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 - 2 tablespoons water or milk, as needed

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter as for pie dough, until crumbly. Whisk together the egg and the vanilla and add this to the crumbly mixture, tossing lightly with a fork to combine the wet and dry ingredients. If the mass will not come together, add in 1 tablespoon of the water or milk. Add up to 1 tablespoon more of the liquid if needed to form a dough.

Form the dough into two cylindrical shapes and roll in waxed paper; refrigerate at least 3 to 4 hours, or freeze up to a month in advance. If frozen, allow the dough to thaw in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before using.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 on Convection Bake). Remove half the dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface about ⅛-inch thick. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter or just slice into squares or rectangles. Bake the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet for 10 to 12 minutes, or until set but not too browned. Remove from the baking sheet to a counter or rack to cool. Ice if desired. 

Cardamom Almond Cookies

Makes approximately 8 dozen 2-inch wafers

Cardamom Almond Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest, finely grated
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup almond meal
1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened (12 tablespoons)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons water, milk or Amaretto liqueur

n a large bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients to combine. Cut in the butter as for pie dough, with a pastry cutter, fork, two knives or with fingertips to make a crumbly mixture. Combine the eggs and liquid of choice and add in, tossing lightly with a fork until the mixture begins to hold together. With hands, form the dough into a log and wrap in waxed paper. Chill the dough before proceeding.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 on Convection). This recipe can easily be made using my Busy-Mom-Method. If you choose to roll the dough and cut out shapes, roll to about 1/8-inch thickness and cut. Re-roll the scraps and repeat. Bake the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until just lightly browned.

These cookies are flavorful enough to be enjoyed as is. If you choose they may be iced as desired, or made into sandwich cookies. 

Happy Holiday Baking to all, and to all a good night!

 
My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.