Chocolate Cake (with beets)

After the unexpected set back with the Carrot Cake I was know back to searching for a fun new cake. My wife had set one parameter, it had to include a veggie. Thankfully I just received a free copy of Deceptively Delicious from an old friend and coworker. I knew the book contained a recipe that was worth a try and met my wife's request.

On the day I decided to make them I ran into one little hold up, I didn't purchase any butter milk. My wife in all her wisdom hopped on the computer and searched for a substitute. What she found called to use 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and enough low fat milk to make one cup when added to the vinegar, mix together and wait a few minutes. I reluctantly followed their directions and used the substitute. The final product was delicious, so this little substitute is going into my bag of tricks for sure! When it came time to serve up the cake I quietly informed a few guests that it had beets, I don't know of any allergies to beets but it's possible. After a few people had tried some I then informed everyone, a few noticed a different ingredient and thought they were cherries, but overall they loved the cake.

Ingredients
Batter
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
/4 cup canola or vegetable oil, or trans fat-free soft tub margarine spread
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup beet puree (I used canned beets and pureed in a food processor)
1/2 cup low-fat (1%) butter milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablesp0on pure vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar with the oil or margarine until creamy. Add the whole egg and egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the melted chocolate, beet puree, buttermilk, and vanilla.
3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and beat until smooth.
4.pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool 5 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese with the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla until smooth. Slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread the frosting over the top and between the layers of the cooled cake.
6. Refrigerate in in airtight container for up to 4 days.
Makes one cake.