8 ounces beets, unpeeled, rinsed and scrubbed free of dirt
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup hot espresso
7 ounces butter at room temperature, cubed
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
Pinch salt
1 cup sugar

Grease an 8 1/2 inch pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Boil the beets in salted water until very tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, then rinse with cold water. When cool enough to handle, slip off the peels, cut into chunks, and grind in a food processor or grate until a coarse puree.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large bowl, set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring as little as possible. Once melted, turn off the heat, pour in hot espresso and stir once. Press butter pieces into chocolate and allow to soften without stirring.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in separate bowl. Remove bowl of chocolate from heat and stir until butter is melted. Let sit to cool, then stir egg yolks together and briskly stir them into chocolate mixture. Fold in the beets.

In stand mixer, or by hand, whip egg whites until stiff. Gradually fold sugar into egg whites, then fold into melted chocolate mixture, being careful not to overmix. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder.

Scrape the batter into prepared cake pan and reduce oven heat to 325ºF, and bake for 40 minutes, or until sides are just set but center is still is wobbly. Do not overbake. Let cool completely, then remove from pan.

Spread with crème fraîche and sprinkle with poppy seeds shortly before serving.

We thank davidlebovitz.com for this recipe.

The secret ingredient in this sweet dessert is — you guessed it — beets!

3 medium beets
3/4 cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
3/4 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 teaspoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Nash’s soft white flour*
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash beets and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake until the tip of a knife slides easily into the largest beet, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool until beets can be handled, then peel. (This may be done up to a day ahead.)

Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment and then butter again.

In a food processor, chop beets to pieces about the size of finely diced onions. Measure 1 cup and set aside (remaining beets can be reserved for another purpose). Return cup of beets to the food processor. Purée with buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar and vanilla until smooth.

Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until soft. Slowly add sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Alternate adding flour mixture and beet mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and beating for 10 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl after each addition of the wet ingredients.

Divide batter between prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Frost with cream cheese frosting or other white icing.

*Nash’s soft white wheat flour has been milled fine, but if you want your Red Velvet Cake to be really silky, sift it before measuring it. We usually don’t, so we can get all the health benefits from the germ and bran.