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Saturday, July 28, 2012

I love chocolate.  You love chocolate too, you know you do.  Chocolate cake, chocolate cookies, truffles, chocolate covered children, yummmm.  This was one of the bummers (along with pasta) that I had when I found out about the "d" word.  Sooooo, I decided to find things that were more healthy alternatives or tweak established recipes, as I'm so good at doing.  Below is a recipe I've made a number of times, and tweaked a little each time and I think you need to try it too.  Especially you, Kevin.

First the link, the picture above is from the same link, I totally love allrecipes.com.  


And now the ingredients, with my tweaks in red along side.  

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter or margarine, softened, divided.  Grapeseed oil works great in place of butter, or olive in a pinch.
  • 1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar Obviously no sugar, I use sucralose but you do what you like.  I did 1 1/3(ish) cups sucralose with maybe 1/2tsp molasses for richness.
  • 3 eggs
  • 4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate I used 5, because I'm a rebel.  Melted that dark goodness in 1/4 cup grapeseed oil.  
  • 2 cups pureed cooked beets  mMMmmmmmMM
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • confectioners' sugar I'm making a very thin cream cheese glaze.  

I also added maybe a cup and a half of pitted, halved cherries which I've never done before.  Hope it's good!  Other than that, I followed the directions.  Enjoy!

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and brown sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Melt chocolate with remaining butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Blend chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla into the creamed mixture (mixture will appear separated). Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.