Would you mind if I told you a little secret?

I think about food all of the time.

I talk about food all of the time.

I want to make good food all of the time.

I want to share this food with important people you.

One of the best parts about food, and therefore about cooking, is all the smells. I want to tell you about a smell that I’d forgotten about and I smell I won’t soon forget. It’s intoxicating.

It smelled like someone pressed a jar of unsweetened cocoa powder right under my nose for 22 minutes. It was earthy, unctuous dark chocolate times about 2. Maaaaybe 2.5.

It looked like red velvet cake but that color was au naturale. It was beets, baby, and it straight up wreaked of chocolate.

I’m kind of scared to go into the kitchen…it still smells like chocolate down there. Chocolate and temptation.

This is a chocolate cake.

Of farmer’s market beets, blood oranges, and fresh eggs. {I got the hook ups.}

A chocolate cake to make you swoon.

A chocolate cake that envelops you in a cozy blanket of warm, familiar smells scents odors.

A chocolate cake with actual nourishment, vitamins, and minerals.

A chocolate cake that is intense.

Delicate.

Rich yet light.

& Fulfills my requirement of achieving deep, dark, chocolate bliss.

I served it with a splattering of melted dark chocolate and healthy serving of homemade horchata. Homemade chocolate cake and homemade cashew milk? Is there a better combination? Click back here for that horchata recipe…soon.

As for now, just enjoy your veggies, hidden by moist chocolate cake.

Happy happy happy. Belly belly belly!

Chocolate, blood orange, and beet cake
recipe adapted from Eat Gracefully
recipe serves: 8

Place in a large pot of boiling water and cook for 30-40 minutes, until soft:

5 small red beets (~1/2 lb) 

Heat oven to 350F. Lightly oil an 8″ round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Melt in a double boiler:

5 oz dark chocolate (at least 70%)

Transfer the beet pulp to a mixing bowl and mix until just combined:

juice and zest from 1 blood orange
1/2 cup almond meal
3 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
5 oz melted chocolate (from previous step)

In a separate metal bowl, beat until stiff peaks are reached:

3 egg whites

Fold these into the chocolate mixture.

Spoon batter into pans and bake for 20-35 minutes, then allow to cool in the pan.

Again melt in a double boiler:

6 oz dark chocolate

Serve each slice of cake drizzled with melted chocolate.