Beet Cake

Some things in our garden have done well this year.  Others have not.  All my potato plants have recently died, leaving only small little potatoes beneath the shriveled up plants.  Anyone have any idea why this happened?  Beets, on the other hand, have done well.  One thing I was looking forwad to making with beets from our garden is beet cake.  Sound good?  Well, if you haven't eaten it before, then perhaps not.  But adding beets to a cake makes a super moist chocolate cake. 

Here's the recipe:

3 eggs
1 1/2 c. beet puree (cook beats and then puree in the blender)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. applesauce
1/2 c. oil
1 t. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. soda
4 TB cocoa powder
** I also added 1 oz. baking chocolate, melted because I was really wanting a very chocolatey cake.

Beat eggs, add beet puree, sugar, oil, applesauce and vanilla and mix well.  Add melted chocolate if desired.  Sift dry ingredients and add to beet mixture.  Mix well.  At this point, you will have a very lovely-colored cake batter.  Such a nice shade of purply-magenta.  Pour into cake pans.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes (longer if using a 9x13 pan) or until toothpick comes out clean.  You will be amazed at how the color changes from deep purpley-magenta to a deep chocolate.  Cool completely.  Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting (I used a yummy recipe from http://www.ourbestbites.com/.)

Ta da!  A really good chocolate cake (with vegetables included!)