This healthy beetroot cake is made with almond flour and pureed beets and sweetened with coconut sugar. It consists of three decadent cake layers that are sandwiched together with a homemade chocolate frosting. This beet cake is gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly - a dessert that checks all the boxes without compromising on taste or texture.
If you think vegetables don’t belong in dessert, then guess again! I'm a fan of adding everything from carrots to zucchini and even beets to dessert recipes. And if you're not sold, then this chocolate beetroot cake is sure to change your mind.
Meet the ultimate gluten free, dairy free, and paleo friendly indulgence: a three-layer chocolate beet cake with a thick, homemade chocolate frosting. It's moist with a tender crumb texture and decadent, slightly earthy chocolate flavor.
This healthy beetroot cake is made with almond flour and puréed beets. The cake is sweetened with coconut sugar to keep it paleo friendly and then topped with a homemade frosting.
Why You'll Love this Beetroot Cake
- paleo and gluten free - made with a blend of almond flour, tapioca starch and cocoa powder.
- dairy free - no butter or cream in this cake recipe
- nutrient rich - this cake contains a host of nutritious ingredients like beets, almond flour and cocoa powder.
- moist and tender - the perfect cake texture
- perfect for a small gathering or celebration - this cake can be made into three 6 inch layers, or one 9 inch layer.
Ingredients
The full recipe for this chocolate beet cake can be found in the recipe card below, but here's a list of what you'll need:
For the Cake
- blanched almond flour - I chose to make this beet cake with almond flour, but tigernut flour should work for a nut free option.
- tapioca starch - this ingredient is needed for texture purposes. Arrowroot starch/flour works as a substitute.
- cocoa powder - I like to use organic Dutch processed cocoa powder for a rich chocolate flavor.
- coconut sugar - to sweeten the cake. You can swap this for any other granulated sugar.
- baking soda - for the texture.
- salt - enhances the flavor
- puréed beets - You will need to purée cooked beets. You can either cook your own (I like to steam mine in a steamer pot), or you can buy pre-cooked.
- eggs - this recipe has not been tested with an egg substitute.
- coconut oil - I used coconut oil to keep this recipe dairy free and paleo friendly. Although I have not tested a substitute, melted butter should work as a replacement.
- coffee - strongly brewed coffee is suggested to enhance the chocolate flavor, but you can swap the coffee for more almond milk.
- almond milk - to thin the batter
- vanilla extract - for flavor
Frosting (optional)
The frosting is optional. You can use any of your favorite homemade frostings or buy one from the store. My favorite healthier store-bought frosting is from Miss Jones.
- coconut cream - just the cream from a can of full fat coconut milk or canned coconut cream
- dark chocolate chips - I recommend chocolate with a cocoa content between 65-75%
How to Make a Gluten Free Beetroot Cake
This paleo beetroot cake can be made in three, 6 inch pans or one 9 inch pan, depending on your preference. Here are the step by step instructions for the cake:
- First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of three, 6 inch round pans with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry cake ingredients.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, combine all of the wet cake ingredients.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until smooth. The batter is fairly thick.
- Pour the cake batter into the three lined pans.
- Place the pans in your oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 22 minutes. Be sure not to overbake the cake!
- After baking, remove the pans from the oven and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
- Cool cakes completely before frosting.
Tips and Tricks
- Sift the flours - to avoid clumps of cocoa or almond flour sift the flours.
- Measure ingredients by weight - for best results, measure the flour by weight. This ensures accuracy, resulting in a better cake. I use a small kitchen scale for all of my baking and it works great!
- Top with your favorite frosting - this cake will go well with many different types of frosting. The frosting I made isn't very sweet, so if you like sweet frosting then use another recipe or a store bought one. I like Miss Jones chocolate and vanilla frostings when I'm looking or something quick and easy.
- Keep an eye on the bake time - every oven is different, altitude matters and the type of pans you bake your cake in all contribute to how long the cake will need to bake. So, keep an eye on your cake - you don't want it overbaked or it will be dry.
Storage
This cake is best stored in a sealed container or cake plate. It can be stored at room temperature for a couple days, then transferred to the fridge. However, if you make my chocolate frosting recipe, then be sure to store the frosted cake in the fridge - the frosting will spoil at room temperature.
FAQ
Yes! I have made this cake as the recipe calls (three, 6 inch layers) and also as a single layered, 9 inch cake. You should be able to bake it in an 8 inch pan too, if that's all you have. The bake time will increase by a couple minutes.
This cake is best stored in a sealed container or cake plate. It can be stored at room temperature for a couple days, then transferred to the fridge. However, if you make my chocolate frosting recipe, then be sure to store the frosted cake in the fridge - the frosting will spoil at room temperature.
Simply wash, peel and then cut your raw beets into cubes. Place the cubed beets in a steamer pot and steam until tender (fork easily pierces the beets). Cool the beets to room temperature, then blend them in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth. There's no need to add water or liquid to the beets.
More Healthy Cake Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Healthy Beetroot Cake (Gluten Free, Paleo)
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 layer 6" round cake 1x
Description
This healthy beetroot cake is gluten free and paleo friendly! It has a rich chocolate flavor and tender crumb texture.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups blanched almond flour (170g) sifted, spooned & leveled
- ½ cup cocoa powder (43g) sifted, spooned & leveled
- ½ cup tapioca starch (62g)
- ½ cup coconut sugar (82g)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup puréed cooked beets (116g)*
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup strongly brewed coffee, room temp (or more almond milk)
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting (optional)
- 1 cup coconut cream (just the thick, white cream from a can of full fat coconut milk/cream)
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (I recommend 65-75% dark)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of three, 6 inch round pans** with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry cake ingredients. This includes the almond flour, cocoa powder, tapioca starch, coconut sugar, baking soda and salt.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, combine all of the wet cake ingredients. This includes the beets, eggs, coconut oil, coffee, almond milk and vanilla.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry and whisk until smooth. The batter is fairly thick.
- Pour the cake batter into the three lined pans.
- Place the pans in your oven and bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 22 minutes. Be sure not to overbake the cake!
- After baking, remove the pans from the oven and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
- Cool cakes completely before frosting.
- For the frosting: place the coconut cream in a small saucepan. Place on the stovetop, over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from heat and add in the dark chocolate. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes, then whisk it until smooth.
- Place the frosting in the fridge to thicken for one hour***
- Once frosting is ready, frost the cake and decorate to your liking.
Notes
For best results, measure ingredients by weight (when given).
*You will need to purée cooked beets for this recipe. You can either buy pre-cooked beets or cook them yourself. If doing it yourself, I suggest peeling the beets, cutting them into cubes and then steaming them in a steamer pot until tender. Purée the cooked (and then cooled) beets by placing them in a food processor or blender and blending until smooth.
**This cake can also be made in one 9" round pan. Simply increase the bake time to 25-30 minutes.
***The frosting needs to chill in the fridge to thicken, or it will be too runny. If you chill over an hour and the frosting is too thick, then you can warm it up at room temperature or on the stovetop. On the stovetop, you'll have to be careful as you only want it to slightly warm. You don't want it to melt all over again.
Katie
Hope you all love this chocolate beet cake as much as we do! Enjoy!
Elaine
Could you make in to muffin ?
Katie
Probably, but I've only tested it as a cake.