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Recipe Detail Page
Beet & Date Cake
Holiday 2017
This cake was a winner in our test kitchen. It has a slight earthiness that is offset by the dates. We use the spoon-in and level-off method to measure our flour and sugar in baking and it makes a difference in a cake like this. Using red beets will make the cake red. Replace beets with carrots for another take.
Serves 12
CAKE
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (60 mL) whole wheat flour
1 tbsp (15 mL) ground ginger
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
2 tsp (10 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
4 eggs
¾ cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
¾ cup (175 mL) brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind
1½ cups (375 mL) vegetable oil
4 cups (1 L) shredded peeled yellow beets
1 cup (250 mL) chopped dates
¼ cup (60 mL) chopped crystalized ginger
WHITE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE ICING
3½ oz (105 g) chopped white chocolate, about ½ cup (125 mL)
½ lb (250 g) block style cream cheese, softened
½ tsp (2 mL) grated lemon rind
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease two 9-inch (23-cm) round cake tins and line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, ginger, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and grated lemon rind and mix well. Add oil in a slow steady stream until well combined. Toss beets, dates and ginger into flour mixture until well coated. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Divide batter between prepared cake tins.
4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until cake is deeply brown, has pulled away from the edges of the pan and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Run the edge of a knife around the edges to loosen and turn out onto a rack to cool.
5. For icing, melt white chocolate in a microwave- safe dish in 20-second increments, stirring in between, about 1 minute. Cool to room temperature. Cream the cheese, white chocolate and lemon rind using an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.
6. Spread half the icing over the first layer of cake, top with second layer and spread remaining icing on top. Chill until ready to serve.
Serves 12
