Knowledge is Power

8 ounces (240 g) beets, unpeeled, rinsed and scrubbed free of dirt
7 ounces (200 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (70% cacao solids), chopped {Scharffenberger — what else? I used about 6 oz. 70% and 2 oz. 62%. Doesn’t add up to 7 oz.? Nevermind — it’s chocolate!]
1/4 cup (60 ml) hot espresso
7 ounces (200 g) butter, at room temperature, cubed
1 cup (135 g) flour
3 tablespoons (heaping) unsweetened cocoa powder (Scharffenberger)
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
pinch + of salt
1 cup (200 g) superfine sugar

1. Butter an 8- or 8 1/2 inch (20 cm) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

2. Boil the beets in salted water with the lid askew until they’re very tender when you stick a knife in them about 45 minutes. Drain then rinse the beets with cold water. When cool enough to handle, slip off the peels, cut the beets into chunks, and grind them in a food processor until you get a coarse, yet cohesive, puree. (If you don’t have a food processor, use a cheese grater.)

3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).

In a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring as little as possible.

4. Once it’s nearly all melted, turn off the heat (but leave the bowl over the warm water), pour in the hot espresso and stir it once. Then add the butter. Press the butter pieces into the chocolate and allow them to soften without stirring.

5. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a separate bowl.

6. Remove the bowl of chocolate from the heat and stir until the butter is melted. Let sit for a few minutes to cool, then stir the egg yolks together and briskly stir them into the melted chocolate mixture. Fold in the beets.

7. In a stand mixer, or by hand, whip the egg whites until stiff. Gradually fold the sugar into the whipped egg whites with a spatula, then fold them into the melted chocolate mixture, being careful not to overmix.

8. Fold in the flour and cocoa powder.

9. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and reduce the heat of the oven to 325ºF (160ºC), and bake the cake for 40 minutes, or until the sides are just set but the center is still is just a bit wobbly. Do not overbake.

[NB: OR ya could do what I did, since beets are apparently out of season -- use a can of already cooked, julianne beets -- *drained* (save the juice) (takes 2 cans - ok, one and a little). Then whip just the beets around in a food processor/blender for a while til pureed but still chunky.

So EZ. Soooooooooo tasty.

Srsly -- there is NO beet taste -- just a low, earthy note that underscores the chocolate perfectly.

FROSTING: Make your regular cream cheese frosting. Brick of Philly Cream cheese, coupla knobs of butter, few T-spoons of powdered sugar [go easy]. Add a coupla few drops of lemon juice for some zing. Whip the hell outta that, then add a coupla T-spoons of left-over beet juice. Until you like the color and the texture. Try adding some pureed or smashed beets for little confetti bits in the frosting. Srsly — tastes great. NOT “beety” at all.]